Awhile back I wrote a blog post titled Keeping the Raccoons Away. The post was about a book launch I attended for a gardening book, PLants for Atlantic Gardens, and was meant to be light-hearted as I joked about my husband’s foolproof method for keeping raccoons out of our grapevine.
This grapevine goes on forever, despite the fact that it is pruned every year.
to pick the ripe grapes before the raccoons scoffed them all off. Most times we lost out, waking some morning to find every last grape gone..
Little did I know, when I wrote that post back then, how much of a problem those pesky raccoons are for so many, and just how many people would turn to the internet for answers, and just how many would stumble across that blog post looking for an answer. (You’ve got to love wordpress for letting you know what words people search on when they find your blog.) Had I known back then the number of people who would be interested in knowing this secret I would have actually posted that answer. But how’s a blogger to know what will generate interest on the internet? So for all of you who come seeking the truth as to how my husband kept the raccoons out of our grapevine it’s really quite simply.
He played music. Yep that’s it. Sounds pretty simple. Nope he didn’t sit out by the grapevine playing quitar at night, heaven forbid. (Believe me the neighbours would have had something to say about that.)
These grapes still have a long way to go.
Next time I’ll think twice before writing a blog post. There’s nothing worse than searching a subject and discover the ramblings of Nova Scotia writer and not what you’re really looking for. 🙂
Laura Best 
Carl D'Agostino
/ August 2, 2011I heard about this. Through the grapevine.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011They say there’s no better place to hear things than the grapevine, Carl. 🙂
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Diane Lynn Tibert
/ August 2, 2011A radio? Who would have thought. I guess the racoons thought the humans were having a sing-a-long. I wonder if this would work for deer, too.
Knowing what search words people use to find your blog is very interesting. I like it.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011It might also work for deer, Diane. I’m sure the noise chased the raccoons away. Deer probably wouldn’t like it either… These days, I’m wondering if it would also work on bear as we seem to have one of those hanging around as well.
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SuziCate
/ August 2, 2011I sahll tuck away this info for future use in case it’s ever needed…thanks.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011One never knows when those little bits of info will come in handy.. 🙂
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Tricia
/ August 2, 2011My posts on cake disasters are what gets the most hits. I’m sure there are folks out there looking for solutions to cake mishaps and end up on my silly blog, disappointed. I offer no solutions, only confessions. My famous butt cake gets the most hits of all my disasters.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011I remember that post, Tricia, and the photos!!! If one must be famous for something why not for a butt cake?
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Darlene Foster
/ August 2, 2011Whatever it takes to get readers to your blog!! I am so glad you finally revealed the secret as I always wondered what it was. Will keep it in mind as we get these masked, ring tailed visitors as well from time to time.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011I didn’t actually think at the time that anyone would be interested in the secret, but once I started seeing all those search words I knew there were quite a few folks out there wanting to know how to keep raccoons out of grapevines.Who knew?
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joylene
/ August 2, 2011What a wonderful story. Music. I wonder if Bob Dylan would have worked as well. LOL. Love this.
I’ve never seen raccoons in these parts. Otters, beavers, badgers, but no raccoons as yet. Probably too much rain.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011I’m surprised that you don’t see raccoons, Joylene. They seem to be everywhere. Perhaps I’ll send some out your way. 😉
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pattisj
/ August 2, 2011I hope your grapes were wonderful since YOU got to eat them this time. 🙂
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011I have to say it was rather nice to be able to pierce the skin on our own grapes last year instead of finding a few stray grapes lying on the ground the morning after the big raid.
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Dave Ebright
/ August 2, 2011Hired a Def Leopard eh. See that – I’ve almost got a Canadian accent y’all.
Most of our pests are reptiles – lizards, snakes & gators – & they seem to really like our pool – go figure.
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Laura Best
/ August 2, 2011Dave, we’ll Canadianize you one way or another..lol!
We have turtles, salamanders and garter snakes up here and those I can handle. As for the lizards and gators you can keep them in Florida with y’all…
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writerwoman61
/ August 7, 2011I need something to keep the deer out of my garden…they’re fearless!
Wendy
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Laura Best
/ August 7, 2011We have deer around here as well. Unfortunately, we don’t have much of a garden this year as time just didn’t permit.
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