I am so sorry for your loss Kimber and thank you for the warning.
dmmj said:why do you spray them with mace?
Just so you know I wasn't criticizing just curious, I figure it is better for my tortoises for the dead option.Neltharion said:dmmj said:why do you spray them with mace?
Raccoons are very intelligent animals. They remember where they were sprayed at. With the mace being a very unpleasant experience for them, after being sprayed once, they don't come back.
I figure several hours of discomfort is better than killing them.
dmmj said:Just so you know I wasn't criticizing just curious, I figure it is better for my tortoises for the dead option.Neltharion said:dmmj said:why do you spray them with mace?
Raccoons are very intelligent animals. They remember where they were sprayed at. With the mace being a very unpleasant experience for them, after being sprayed once, they don't come back.
I figure several hours of discomfort is better than killing them.
The active ingredients in wasp and hornet killers are pyrethroids, which are synthetic versions of pyrethrins. Pyrethrin is an extract from chrysanthemums, and is an ideal pesticide for agriculture and many home uses due to its high toxicity to insects, even at low doses, while being very safe to mammals and birds.??Len?? said:I haven't had to use it, but I keep a few cans of wasp and hornet spray outside to use on any unwanted stray or wild animal that may venture into the yard and is not seen by one of my dogs (which is very unlikely) unlike mace it is legal everywhere and it doesn't cost much and it will stop just about anything that is sprayed with it.-----I wish it was sold in pocket size cans---- also .22 shorts don't make much noise. Sorry about your Loss
supremelysteve said:Probably what worked well for you was simply that the raccons were startled by you squirting them with a foamy spray all of a sudden.??Len?? said:I haven't had to use it, but I keep a few cans of wasp and hornet spray outside to use on any unwanted stray or wild animal that may venture into the yard and is not seen by one of my dogs (which is very unlikely) unlike mace it is legal everywhere and it doesn't cost much and it will stop just about anything that is sprayed with it.-----I wish it was sold in pocket size cans---- also .22 shorts don't make much noise. Sorry about your Loss
emysemys said:Hi Diane:
That might work just the opposite of what you want, that is...bringing them into the house by starting out at the end point.
I stand corrected!Baoh said:supremelysteve said:Probably what worked well for you was simply that the raccons were startled by you squirting them with a foamy spray all of a sudden.??Len?? said:I haven't had to use it, but I keep a few cans of wasp and hornet spray outside to use on any unwanted stray or wild animal that may venture into the yard and is not seen by one of my dogs (which is very unlikely) unlike mace it is legal everywhere and it doesn't cost much and it will stop just about anything that is sprayed with it.-----I wish it was sold in pocket size cans---- also .22 shorts don't make much noise. Sorry about your Loss
What probably worked well for him was simply that it burns like Hellfire in the eyes. Strong irritant to mucous membranes and sometimes skin if the concentration is sufficient.
As for the safety profile, synthetic pyrethroids are relatively safe, but by no means very safe and that includes humans and birds. Pyrethroids target the same sodium channels that you and I possess and not "specific biological processes that only ectotherms possess." We simply are better at enzymatically deactivating them on a relative scale, so they are far less toxic for a given given concentration upon exposure, on a relative scale, to us. That is the source of the aforementioned relative safety, with toxicity of any substance being a matter of dose.