Racoons getting in sap buckets

[Maplehobbyist]

Last year I had an issue with racoons getting in some of my sap buckets and ruining the sap. I use 5 gallon buckets that sit on the ground, covered but not tightly, with holes drilled in the lids for the tubing to go through. I don't put the lids on tightly because that would slow down sap collection too much and I realize the irony that by not doing that, I'm not being able to collect any of it. Out of the 28 buckets I have, the most they ever bothered in one day/night was 5 buckets, usually more like 2 or 3. Shooting the racoons is not an option. I'm thinking of switching to bags but wondered if anybody has had issues with critters getting into them.

[octane]

You could try to live trap the raccoons and dispose of them somewhere else. Check rules against releasing them somewhere else, usually illegal. I think the would just shred the bags or bite holes in them easier than the buckets. They may have found better food somewhere else so it may not be a problem.

[Pdiamond]

I have quite a few around here and they have never bothered the buckets or the bags. the bags may discourage them more.

[chickenplucker]

Have the same setup and never had any bother mine yet *knock on wood*

Wonder if you could distract them with like an easier to get at pail or bucket of open water near where they are causing trouble. Although knowing racoons they would just make a mess of both.

[Balrog006]

You could try to live trap the raccoons and dispose of them somewhere else. Check rules against releasing them somewhere else, usually illegal. I think the would just shred the bags or bite holes in them easier than the buckets. They may have found better food somewhere else so it may not be a problem.

This. If feeding them fast doses of hot lead is not possible then I would trap them and try to relocate them or otherwise encourage them to not return.

[maple flats]

I hope you sanitize the buckets extremely well before collecting more sap in them. Maybe if you don't want to snap the lids on tight, could you come up with a way to fasten them on so the coons can't get in, but you can? Beware, raccoons are very smart when it comes to keeping them out.

[Maplehobbyist]

I do sanitize before re-using the buckets; dumping the sap hurts but the major reason I was hoping to find a way to collect that was racoon proof is because cleaning them most often has to be done right then and takes me away from doing all the other stuff that needs doing when you're boiling, right at the time it all needs doing. I thought about putting some kind of weight on top of the lid (a brick maybe) but didn't think that would keep the critters out, it would just turn them into weightlifters. Then they'd be smarter and stronger than I am.