Yes, the raccoons held another party in the potager last night, and after they’d eaten or damaged at least 21 tomatoes…there may have been more, since it’s hard to identify the “body parts” when they are strewn here and there…they had dessert!
You can understand my concern, because the potager has dozens of melons ripening, and many more setting on. There are Hannah’s Choice….
We caught #12 and #13 last night, but I don’t think they even made it to the party! And it’s not only the loss of tomatoes, and now melons, and the damage to plants as they play tag throughout the beds, but the piles of poop they leave…..Sigh! I think I’m going to have to buy more traps!
herbalblessingsblog 
Oh, my gosh!!!!! (I’m sure you wanted to use stronger language.) I wonder why the sudden raccoon onslaught? I don’t recall reading about a similar problem last summer. Overpopulation, for some reason?
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I have lived here 42 years’ have never been invaded like this year !! I have no help, about to give up. Good luck to you.
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Isn’t there a way to keep them out in the first place? Maybe a garden watch dog? 😉
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When we had a dog, I wouldn’t let it stay out at night because of the coyote packs. They just nearly killed a neighbor’s dog, but he heard them and was out with a gun fast enough to save his dog….four surgeries and a lost eye for his dog though…..However, apparently coyotes don’t like raccoons …or can’t catch them because the coons are such good climbers?
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Oh no!! I really feel for you. There’s nothing more disappointing than nurturing something from seed to huge fruit… then having some beastie destroy it! They look utterly mouthwatering too! 😦
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I’ve never grown the EarliDew or Hannah’s Choice or Tuscany before, so I sure hope I get to taste them!!!
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Such beautiful melons, what a disappointment to have them destroyed before you can enjoy them!
I’ve hardly anything to show for my efforts except thousands of silver maples that sprouted on every square inch of exposed soil in my gardens.
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Maybe the gods are telling you to open a tree nursery?
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So sorry to hear of your continuing raccoon trouble. As I mentioned before, they ate all of our apples and most of my seckle pears. But….NO harm to the sweet corn this year. I’m convinced it’s the solar-powered motion detection lights we put on poles in the garden. We have seen the lights go on once in a while, but they must be enough to scare the critters away.
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Will definitely look into them…might help the deer pruning all the berry bushes as well!
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Sorry to hear about the racoons. Here in the UK, in my garden, the damage is more from badgers and deer (which we can’t catch) and, for the root crops, mice. Part of the answer seems to be to just grow a lot – they can’t get them all surely – but animal damage is soooo frustrating…. Good luck with the traps.
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