Neighbours and giving their kids food outside!

[Minou]

Oh my I know how you feel, lucky for us our problem was not skunks but it was raccoons. Not one or 2 that I could have handled. One evening my husband and I counted 30 raccoons. I wish it had been children throwing food that would have been easier to deal with. This was our neighbours who fed them on purpose. Three times a day they would put food out for them. Usually strawberries or peanut butter bread. For most of the neighbours this was not a problem but for us yeah it was bad. We lived in a mini home and the yards were all connected and also quite mini. So our yard their yard all really just the one yard. We had tried to bring the subject up to them a few times and they would always say we are not going to stop feeding them we like feeding them. It started to get bad one when night we went to leave the house and two raccoons charged at us. A few days later in the middle of the afternoon our cat got out and a raccoon went after her thank goodness I had not yet shut the door and she got back in the house safely. I quickly slammed the door shut just seconds before the raccoon could get through the door. It tried. We talking to the owner of the park that we lived in who told us there was nothing he could do try the police. We spoke to an officer who told us the only thing that could be done was for us to pay a trapper to come in and get them. The owner of the park did speak to the neighbours and they did stop putting out food and within a few days the raccoons stopped coming. The neighbours was upset with us and I am sure we could have handled it better but we felt trapped. Raccoons were not only our only problem though they also put out birdseed, a lot of birdseed. It attracted so many pigeons. They used our roof to land on and oh my it sounded like thunder when they all took off. They where also damaging our roof, they were eating the sand off of the shingles. So I understand exactly what you are going through. Although we probably went about it the wrong way having someone talked to them did help for us. We firmly believed that they wouldn't stop they told us so, so we did what we had too. Hopefully if you tell them what's happening, maybe even writing them a letter could help. I do help you get it sorted out, I know what a pain this is.

Not only can raccoons be aggressive, but their feces carry some dangerous parasites that can actually get into the brain.

[Shwa Girl]

Those people who keep winning my lottery money need to stop it so I can buy land miles away from other people and build my own home lol

Not to squash your dream, but out in the country or the boonies, you get other problems. Like people growing marijuana in the woods or the fields and setting bear traps so their plants are protected.

I don't think it matters where you live these days.

[KrazE]

Not to squash your dream, but out in the country or the boonies, you get other problems. Like people growing marijuana in the woods or the fields and setting bear traps so their plants are protected.

I don't think it matters where you live these days.

I was raised in the country, so I know that all quite well

[Sunshyne1]

Loved your pictures...especially the chipmunks...i absolutely love those little guys.

I have a couple at my house and i always laugh because the dog chases them, they run under the deck and Tucker lies down right where they went under and waits....he doesn't realize they've popped out the other side and are already up a tree laughing at him.

Mothballs really work for skunks. My backyard backs right onto a ravine...so we get all kinds of critters from skunks to coyotes.

The skunks had taken up residence under an old wooden shed at the back that we were in the process of tearing down.
We didn't want to start the demolition and uncover a den of skunks so for a week we threw mothballs under the shed....phew...they smelled almost as bad as the skunk. But it worked...they vacated.

[lessthannat]

Some people just have no manners! I would leave them a note on the door, hopefully the embarrassment will encourage them to stop their pig-like behaviour? Or maybe make it worse, who knows

[Ciel]

How about a few photos of the skunk crowd feeding at their backyards, circulated to the condo board and all residents about what is happening via e-mail/community letters. Include estimate for a few visits by the local wildlife service (don't know if skunks get the same short relocation that raccoons get from unwanted residences) and mention how such visits increase costs.
Might work faster if there is video put online and the link to it goes viral in the neighbourhood...

[francine1985]

the kids are 7-13 thats a fun age to eat outside or picnic... where are the parents though? imo the kids should be eating with their parents. there is nothing wrong with eating outside but they should know better than to throw/hide food around. i wonder if the parents are properly taking care of the kids? sounds like food might be provided but they have to fend for themselves.

[JojoGirl]

Two comments...one is the condo board really should be listening more. If they are littering in a common area that is an issue and no doubt a violation of the condo rules. Defining what is "common area" and "owner occupied area" can be an issue though but I wad able to fight people smoking in outside corridors at my building years ago (was an odd set up)

Second - this can be the start of a bad time for skunks because of grubs in the lawns. If you are noticing damage to your lawn then this may also be an issue/cause.

There is a product I swear by to keep skunks, raccoons, etc out of my gardens (can also keep them out of your garbage cans, etc) called Critter Ridder. It is non toxic and lasts for 30 days once applied. May be worth checking out.

Good luck!!!!

[RebeccaRYoung]

It's so discourteous that the children are doing this.

[jasperandchar]

sorry to hear about this ackward situation, neighours can be great or awful...no in-between it seems, maybe if the kids who left their food behind would get sprayed maybe they'll learn a lesson (I know that's not nice but would be funny).

[nessa23]

wow.....

that was quite a read. Just want to say, sorry your neighbours stink. (pun intended)

I don't know why people are so inconsiderate these days. It seems to get worse as time goes on.

I really don't understand the logic some people have...

[hollyquaiscer]

You should purchase yourself one of those Pickens. The ones that old people, or people with disabilities use. To. Reach things on high shelves. Every time you see the food being thrown around, use. Your picker to pick it up and place it in front of their doorway. They will either step in it, or get tired of having to pick it up and hopefully say something to the kids.

As far as the fire pit, call the police, or fire department next time they have a fire. If there is a fire ban on, they can get a hefty ticket. A few. Of those. And perhaps they will smarten up. As for the condo board, they do. Have the authority to. Fine these neighbors. It's to bad they don't care about the complex like you do. It's evident by the way they are choosing to act over this matter. If its possible, perhaps you could get elected the next time the board elections take place. If your on the board, you will have much more pull, and may even be able to make it so uncomfortable for these neighbors that they look for a new place to live.

[abbasgirl]

That sounds really frustrating!
If that's what it's like in their back yard, you have to wonder what it's like inside their house. Maybe it's even worse and the kids don't have a clean place to eat.

[kerrylj]

Oh my I know how you feel, lucky for us our problem was not skunks but it was raccoons. Not one or 2 that I could have handled. One evening my husband and I counted 30 raccoons. I wish it had been children throwing food that would have been easier to deal with. This was our neighbours who fed them on purpose. Three times a day they would put food out for them. Usually strawberries or peanut butter bread. For most of the neighbours this was not a problem but for us yeah it was bad. We lived in a mini home and the yards were all connected and also quite mini. So our yard their yard all really just the one yard. We had tried to bring the subject up to them a few times and they would always say we are not going to stop feeding them we like feeding them. It started to get bad one when night we went to leave the house and two raccoons charged at us. A few days later in the middle of the afternoon our cat got out and a raccoon went after her thank goodness I had not yet shut the door and she got back in the house safely. I quickly slammed the door shut just seconds before the raccoon could get through the door. It tried. We talking to the owner of the park that we lived in who told us there was nothing he could do try the police. We spoke to an officer who told us the only thing that could be done was for us to pay a trapper to come in and get them. The owner of the park did speak to the neighbours and they did stop putting out food and within a few days the raccoons stopped coming. The neighbours was upset with us and I am sure we could have handled it better but we felt trapped. Raccoons were not only our only problem though they also put out birdseed, a lot of birdseed. It attracted so many pigeons. They used our roof to land on and oh my it sounded like thunder when they all took off. They where also damaging our roof, they were eating the sand off of the shingles. So I understand exactly what you are going through. Although we probably went about it the wrong way having someone talked to them did help for us. We firmly believed that they wouldn't stop they told us so, so we did what we had too. Hopefully if you tell them what's happening, maybe even writing them a letter could help. I do help you get it sorted out, I know what a pain this is.

One of my neighbours ended up getting the racoons into her attic and they did major damage to her attic as well as the roof from the feces and whatever. She let them stay through the winter and it cost her a fortune to get it fixed.

[JennyFromTheRock]

Have you tried talking to the neighbors? Explain it to them like you explained it here. Maybe they don't know the kids are throwing the leftovers around and if you tell them, they can talk to the kids about that. Maybe they don't realize there is a connection to their kids eating outside and the skunk problem. It's great to get it off you chest here, but would be a lot more productive if you talked to them directly. It could just be a situation where they really don't know there is a problem with it.