I looked for a forum for Wildlife Gardening but could not find one. So I wondered were to put this. I find that gardening to attract the birds definately attracts other wildlife. Certainly we must all have lots of squirrels because they like the bird feed also. Chipmunks too.

Me, I have found that since I have planted all these fruiting shrubs, added waterfeatures and heavily mulched, I have more racoons than ever before. They come here every night. And it must be many different racoons at different times of the night as I have seen them here at times from dusk and any hour of the night. Can hear them fighting and making those trilling noises they make often in the summer with the windows open. See them wading in the side yard pond nightly many summer nights.

Last night on PBS Nature I saw a really interesting show on TV about Racoons. Mostly about Urban Racoons and the differences between them and the forest racoons. Plus apparently there are FAR more racoons in suburbia and urban areas than in forest. Racoons have adapted extemly well to living around people. Not a big surprise to any of us, I am sure. Racoons are smart and keep getting smarter plus they can do just about anything with those clever little hand like paws that they have. The show found that appartantly they have their own social networks which let everyone know the best sources of food. If that is so then they surely all know about my yard, for sure.

A year round multiple source of water here and racoons love water. The heavy mulch means there are grubs and earthworms always to be dig up. I can see signs of digging many summer nights. Berries to eat in the summer and food scraps from the garbage all year round. I have given up trying to put food scaps in the garbage, it is a waste of time. I just throw it out in the side yard. Find it easier than cleaning up spilled garbage cans. Gave up on that years ago, just give it to them directly. Never throw anything elible in the trash, toss out all bones and food scraps for the racoons. No wonder they love it here.

Yes, no wonder!

Karen

For instance, I just tossed out some leftover cooked spagetti noodles that I will not eat because I already ate up all the sauce. Racoon food for tonight!

Honestly it is not that I try to attract racoons. It would be fine by me if there weren't any here. But I know that is just impossible. Clever little pests.

Yes, Rita, I've learned to co-exist with them here too. Since we back up to woods, there are more of the various critters than there are of me. I know when I'm outnumbered (and out-witted sometimes too).

I saw that same PBS show, Rita...very interesting! There was two raccoon shows I remember. That one showed raccoons in several areas...I think Canada, Japan and Germany mainly. The raccoons in Japan and Germany were introduced (those people really should have asked the Americans that have raccoon problems about them...then they wouldn't have done it...maybe!) and they have really severe problems with them. And another one...I don't remember much about that one...been a while. LOL, on the outnumbered and out-witted, Tee! We can see that with just our cats...never mind the wildlife! I haven't seen much of the raccoons this winter. The drought and predators probably impacted their population. But I'm sure I'll see them a lot more come by when it gets to spring and wildlife baby season is upon us.

Foirgot to add...we should ask about getting a separate wildlife gardening forum sometime...really isn't any for wildlife, other than this one for birds, butterflies and hummingbirds! And adding more kinds of wildlife to it isn't really good!

How about I go ask for that. Anyone want to help with it besides me? Linda? Rita?

Sure, count me in! I mean, it's okay to post about wildlife gardening in general for now, but we really need another forum!

I agree ... this forum is for certain topics and should remain that way. Doesn't hurt to ask.

I am for a Gardening for Wildlife Forum. I was surprised that there wasn't one already. Only figgured that out when I was looking for the most appropriate place to post my new thread about the racooons. Linda, I figgure there are few places here in North America were there are not any Racooons. I thought that show was a great one, glad you enjoyed it also.

Sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone with my racoon topic. I would be fine with it being moved to a garden for wildlife forum if there was one.

OK, I put in a request and we'll see what happens.

Oh Rita, you didn't upset anyone. We agree that we need a gardening for wildlife forum to keep from hijacking this one. We are in total agreement. I just want to give them their thread back before we're in the Sandbox.

If you post a request for a new forum, put a link to it here, please! I've often thought there should be a general wildlife gardening forum, because there's SO many kinds of wildlife to garden for. Hopefully enough people want that to get one.

If the new forum is created we should be able to split this thread and move this discussion to the new thread. Will that work as well, Linda?

The thing is that I was trying to make a paradise to attract the backyard songbirds, butterflies, bees and humming birds. I wasn't trying to attract squirrels as I already had plenty and of course wasn't trying to attract racoons and possums as those already passed thru the yard regurarily. But if you plant your yard nicely and make it part shrubby woodsey and many flower beds plus berries galore and use lots of mulch to attract lots of earthworms then you get lots of animals. Plus I have lots of water as in three ponds, two 35 gallon and one 350 gallon. Plus birdbaths. So lots of racoons as things got more planted here.

Same here, Rita.

Those racoons really, really like the ponds and try to get the fish that live there. Plus they truely know how great garbage tastes. Keeps them well fed.