Disclaimer
Animal rights activists surely will disagree with this method, but as far as I am concerned, raccoons have no more rights than any other intruder when they enter your private property. The following process for which I describe to kill a raccoon is not humane and may not even be legal. I am not suggesting that anybody actually try this method, just saying that it would probably work. Any inadvertent or accidental death or injury that is caused to any animal or person as a result of this article is not the responsibility of the writer, the publisher, or anybody else who displays this article. When using poisons, always read package directions and warnings and only use product as instructed.
Identify that it is a raccoon
I am not a raccoon expert. I am just a suburban home-owner who recently had a raccoon pooping all over my roof and deck. When I first noticed a pile of crap on my roof I was completely baffled. I didn’t know what could have crawled up there to leave a nasty pile like that. The poop was pretty good sized, like it could have come from a medium sized dog. Definitely not from a small critter like a squirrel or chipmunk. I cleaned it off then went about my business. About a week later, I noticed another pile of crap in the exact same spot. I consulted with some family members who happen to be farmers and live out in the country. I explained the size of the dung and that it was very seedy. Likely the perpetrator was feeding from the gigantic mulberry tree in my backyard. My family members exclaimed that it must be a raccoon, and told me how to kill it instantly with a poison that they call, “Coon-Die-Soon.” Your situation could be different than mine and you may need to do more research to identify that you do in fact have a raccoon visiting at night. Doing a simple internet search I found at least one helpful site for identifying raccoon damage.
Mix the poison: “Coon-Die-Soon”
After learning about this poisoning technique from family members, I did an internet search and found that many people use this exact same method. I did not find anybody else however who referred to it as “Coon-Die-Soon.” There is a Fly Bait product made by Starbar called Golden Malrin. This is the poison that will kill the raccoon almost instantly. It can be purchased at farm supply stores like Tractor Supply or Family Farm & Home, or ordered from the internet. You simply mix this bait with a cola like Coke or Pepsi. The raccoon will drink the mixture and in most cases won’t get more than a couple of feet from the bowl before it dies. The raccoon will be drawn to the sweet smell of the cola and will drink the entire bowl if it can before it dies. The measurements for how much poison and how much cola are not an exact science. Let’s just say that if I were to try this method, I would buy my 1-pound can of Golden Malrin at Family Farm & Home. I would pour about a third of the can into a large empty butter bowl and then fill it the rest of the way up with Coke. I might then stir the mixture with a stick and discard the stick into the trash immediately where no children or pets could possibly get to it.
Place the poison
You have to be careful where you place the bowl containing the Coon-Die-Soon. Keep in mind that wherever you place the poison is probably exactly where you will find the body of the dead raccoon. You also want to make sure that wherever you place it, household or neighborhood pets won’t have access to it (unless you want them dead as well). Ideally, if you plan to bury the body, you could dig a somewhat shallow hole and place the poison in there. When you find the dead raccoon there a day or two later, simply fill the hole with dirt. It doesn’t really matter where you place the poison, the raccoon will find it eventually. It will not be able to resist the sweet smell of the cola. If the raccoon doesn’t find the bait in the first night or two, don’t get discouraged. If it has been there before, it will be back eventually and it will find the Coon-Die-Soon.
Discard the body
As mentioned, the ideal way to discard of the body would be to simply fill the hole you find it in with dirt. If this is not an option, you will want to get rid of the body as soon as possible. The odor will not be pleasant if you let it sit and rot. Burying the body elsewhere is the best option, otherwise put it in a trash bag, seal the bag and get rid of it as soon as possible. I personally would use gloves and/or a shovel to remove the body. There is no telling what kind of diseases a raccoon might be carrying.
Good luck, and remember to always read labels before using poisons. (wink, wink)
Sources:
Identifying raccoon damage, havahart.com
Golden Malrin, starbarproducts.com
