Tips to fight off marauding raccoons that tear up lawns

DEAR JOAN >> Our neighborhood, just south of Santa Clara University, is overwhelmed by night-raiding raccoons.

They come out of the storm drains at night and tear up the lawns and gardens seeking grubs, snails and such. After a night of foraging, the neighborhood yards look like an attack by an outof- control rototiller.

What can be done that’s not harmful to the critters?

— Rod Diridon Sr.,

SAntA ClArA

DEAR ROD >> An out- of- control rototiller is an appropriate descriptor for raccoons, bless them. I’ve been getting a lot of letters from all across the Bay Area complaining about them tearing up lawns. They do other things, too, but the lawn damage seems to draw the most ire.

Besides posting guards armed with hoses and airhorns around your yards, the most effective way of dealing with lawnravaging raccoons is to eliminate what they’re digging for — and that would be grubs. The best way to do that is with the use of beneficial nematodes, near microscopic critters that hunt down and kill grubs, but are safe to use around children and pets.

The best time to apply the nematodes is in the spring and late summer to early fall, so we are still in the window of opportunity, but it’s closing fast.

You can purchase beneficial nematodes at garden stores, nurseries or online.

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources experts recommend watering your lawn or garden before application so that the soil is moist, but not soggy, which will allow the nematodes to move more easily through the soil

ix the nematodes in cool, distilled water and pour into a sprayer. The nematodes should be sprayed in the evening because light and heat can kill them.

Water again and be sure to keep the soil moist for a week. The nematodes, which get inside the grubs, release a bacteria that can kill them in two to three days. You may have to do a second application a couple of weeks later.

You could still have some damage from the raccoons, because they will still be looking for those grubs, but they’ll eventually figure out the grub diner is closed. Wait to reseed or re-sod until you are sure the grubs are gone.

There are a couple of other things you also can try. Soaking rags in ammonia and placing them around your yard, garden or wherever they are bothering you, can be effective. This works best in small yards and spaces.

You also can try tuning a radio to an all-night talk station. Leave it playing, but not so loud that you annoy your neighbors. The raccoons hear the voices, think humans are around and skedaddle

Motion-activated sprinklers and lights also can work, but know that most of these deterrents have short-term benefits.

Raccoons are smart and soon figure out how to avoid the water and ignore the lights, but it might be enough to encourage them to go elsewhere.

Don’t forget to remove items that could be attracting them to your yard, such as pet food left out overnight and water sources.