I’ve been experimenting with nest boxes and predator protection lately and thought I’d share what I’ve learned so far. Maybe it’ll be useful to someone.  
This nest box was intentionally mounted low for this test and had only been out for about 1.5 nights.

**A few things I learned so far:**

• Raccoons investigate new nest boxes incredibly fast. Most other wildlife takes days or even weeks to approach. The raccoons found this one almost immediately.

• They’re extremely persistent. Several individuals kept coming back and tried multiple different ways to get inside.

• They’re ridiculously strong and dexterous. Watching them in action really puts into perspective how they manage to open gates, bins and other supposedly “raccoon-proof” things around gardens.

• A deep entrance tunnel with enough distance to the nesting chamber makes a huge difference. If they can’t physically reach the nest, the box has a much better chance of protecting it.

• Studies and field observations suggest that raccoon scent and hair alone have little effect on whether cavity-nesting birds continue using a nest box. I haven’t been able to find good data on what happens after an actual failed raccoon attack, though.

• In areas with high raccoon pressure, good placement is still the best defense. Mounting nest boxes on smooth metal poles with predator baffles is far more effective than relying on the box design alone.

These are just my observations and what I’ve found in the literature so far. I’d love to hear what you’ve learned from your own experience, especially if you’ve found other effective ways to protect nest boxes from raccoons.

Maybe I should also mention that I’m located in Germany. Raccoons are still relatively new here and not yet present everywhere, but they’re spreading quickly and becoming more common every year.

This is what happens to a poorly mounted nest box at night