keeping wildlife out of a barn?

[Cameramonkey]

I am starting to clean up my dad's barn, but its infested with critters. They appear to be either the groundhog that lives UNDER the barn, or possibly raccoons, possums, or all three. Poop everywhere, stuff destroyed, etc.

Any ideas for how to make them not want to take shelter there? I really dont want stinky stuff like predator pee, etc. Im thinking something that makes noise at random intervals.

And its out in the country, so trap and release doesnt work. More show up soon afterward. I need a set and forget repellent that makes them want to leave as soon as they hear it and never come back.

Suggestions?

and sealing up the holes isnt really effective. Dad didnt finish it so there are sections where there are exposed fiberboard that they can easily chew through, and also parts where the holes arent readily accessible to patch. I need to get them out, clean it out, THEN patch the holes from the inside. And cleaning is no small task. There are at least two big roll-offs of junk in there.

 

[patience0830]

To keep wildlife out of a barn you need to either live there all the time, or kill it. Moth balls may drive the groundhogs out. I prefer a couple of gopher smokers and a few spades of dirt. Until you remove all food sources and seal the outside with something chew proof you're gonna have critters seekin shelter.

 

[churchmouse]

Ain't nothing easy my friend.

 

[BobDaniels]

From experience, it's not that easy. Keep on top of it and do NOT let them take over. Moth balls help but vigilance is key; you kind of need to be a cold-hearted sob.

 

[invent11]

I have heard moth balls as well. One thing you might do is set traps to catch them. It is probably the same ones that are invading the area. Then you can relocate all of them and clean everything up.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Nothing edible in there... its all shelter. a quiet, dry spot for them to bed down. I might try something like a noise maker that triggers regularly or even on a motion sensor and see if that helps.

And moth balls are a no-go. Dad tried them and the place still smells like them, and they are still there.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I might try some of these... reviews are mostly positive, and not that expensive. I think I'll need 2 or 3 to totally cover it.

Bird-X Yard Gard Ultrasonic Animal Repeller-YG - The Home Depot

 

[17 squirrel]

Get yourself a couple of Conibear traps, and put a end to the visitors.

 

[oldpink]

Welcome to the joys of having a barn.
This problem is centuries old, and far better equipped people have fought it and lost.
I've yet to see a conventional (i.e. standard board siding) barn that would withstand critters.
I've seen entire floors collapsed from having been undermined by rats and especially groundhogs.
I've seen piles left behind by raccoons, possums, and even cats and dogs for my whole life, some on the floor, some in the corner, and some right on the straw in the mow.
The only real way to keep them out is to have a barn with strong (preferably fairly stout sheet metal) siding, with no gaps where it meets the ground, and a solid poured cement slab meeting where the siding meets the ground.
Even then, I've still seen groundhogs burrow under the cement when the farmer didn't exercise constant vigilance to shoot them before they got under the building, which is very tough to do (farmers tend to get busy doing other things, of course), since they can dig a burrow big enough to completely conceal themselves in a matter of hours.
Once they get that far, it's only a matter of enlarging their burrow into a honeycomb of tunnels that eventually cause foundational problems, including cracked cement.

 

[oldpink]

Get yourself a couple of Conibear traps, and put a end to the visitors.

Yep, those work great, as long as you position them just right.
Nearly instant death for the pests, too.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

guns work, temporarily....
I am in the process of dismantling a barn for much the same reason... too expensive to repair.
I suppose you can try some steel wool and spray foam, without knowing the extent of the holes.

 

[HHollow]

A related story with a happy ending. Wild animial in the barn.

Many years ago I returned to my northern Montana hometown to visit friends/relatives and to do a little deer hunting. The first afternoon I was in town I stopped off for a beer and there was an old friend of mine (John) having a quick drink. He left with another fellow before I got a chance to buy him a beer. The next day I found out why he was in the bar and why he stayed so briefly.

Early that morning John was feedling cows and decided to come home for lunch, which arrives early in the day when your day starts at 4:30 a.m. For some reason John needed to stop in the barn and when he was in there he noticed there was a deer in his barn as well, having entered through a very large sliding door. The thing was a young buck, which we would call a 3-point out west. We do not count the little 1 inch point near the skull, and we only count the points on one side. So you midwesterners and easterners might get carried away and call it an 8-point. The buck was no trophy. John hesitated but instinctively closed the sliding door, trapping the buck in his barn. He then pondered his next move.

John then started on his way into the nearest decent town, whcih was 65 miles away on a poorly maintained gravel road. There was always a shopping list, but besides that John need to get 1) a deer tag, 2) a witness.

I saw him leave the bar with his designated witness.

 

[Cameramonkey]

And the kicker... Im across town from said barn. an hour round trip. So its not like I can check/reset traps daily. I need something to actively repel ALL pests with limited interaction. Not set traps and clear them every day or so. Hell, mom doesnt have internet out there, so I cant even setup cameras to remotely view what is going on.

And if I seal up a hole at this point, another will be chewed shortly afterward. So repellent is the word of the day.

 

[Informed Decision]

We had coons coming into my MIL's garage & making a mess of it like you describe . We caught a few & released WAY down the road , & shot a couple, but finally my BIL went to the local co-op for suggestions. We ended up with something that was granular to spread around . I don't recall what is was called but it did run them out. Then we just had to get the garage sealed up. AND CLEANED UP! Be very carefull on both the coons & the groundhogs , they usually aren't afraid of one little human bothering them. A .22 will do the trick with a pitch out into the high weeds to get rid of the evidence.
An occasional stink bomb also might help.

 

[Dead Duck]

 

[dak109]

See the feral cat thread.

build a bigger better mouse trap. Take a 35 or so gallon trash can, drill 2 holes across from each other near the top. Run a piece of PVC tube with a larger tube over it through the holes. Fill 1/3-1/2 with water. Place a ramp up to the edge of the can. Bait short section of tube with peanut butter. Check every few days. Use a can with handles, it is easier to carry and dump. Might need to use something wider depending on size of critters. But that should give an idea of how to build it. I put one in a yard barn for mice made from a 5 gallon bucket. Just don't forget to check it every few days or it smells horrible .

 

[ghuns]

What ya need is a herd of these. Though I don't know if the solution is worse than the problem.

 

[oldpink]

What ya need is a herd of these. Though I don't know if the solution is worse than the problem.

Jack Russells or Plummers?