Raccoon-Proofing a 16 x 24 Foot Garden with a Floppy-Top Fence and a Tie-Wired Apron: 48-Inch Fabric Clipped Only to 30 Inches, a 24-Inch Buried Apron, and 160 Seam Ties

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Hang 48-inch welded wire on posts that stand only 30 inches tall, so the top 18 inches flops outward when a raccoon climbs. Join a separate 24-inch apron to the bottom edge with 16-gauge tie wire every 6 inches, then bury the apron flat on the outside.

How do you build a garden fence raccoons cannot climb or dig under?

Leave the top 18 inches of a 48-inch fence unattached so it folds back on a climbing raccoon, and bury a 24-inch horizontal apron on the outside so digging hits wire. If the apron is a second roll, fasten its edge to the fence with tie wire or hog rings.

The University of Georgia Extension garden fencing guide recommends a 24-inch horizontal apron buried several inches on the outside, with the top 18 inches of a 36- or 48-inch fence left unattached. It says the apron and fence can come from two rolls fastened together with hog rings or tie wire.

University of Arizona Cooperative Extension's critter management summary notes raccoons can climb almost any fence. It says an electric strand on a UL-listed charger at the top will likely discourage them, and that raccoons also dig under fences.

Tie-Wire Count for an 80-Foot Perimeter

Tie job Spacing Ties Wire at 8 in. per tie
Apron-to-fence seam 6 in. 160 106.7 ft.
Apron-to-fence seam (light duty) 12 in. 80 53.3 ft.
Fence to posts, 3 per post 10 posts 30 20.0 ft.
Total at 6-in. seam - 190 126.7 ft.

The 16 x 24 foot garden has an 80-foot perimeter, and 8-foot post spacing puts 10 posts around it.

Materials and Tools

  • Galvanized 16-gauge tie wire, at least 130 feet
  • 80 feet of 48-inch 2 x 4-inch welded wire for the wall
  • 84 feet of 24-inch 1-inch welded wire or poultry netting for the apron, with 1 foot extra per corner
  • Ten 5-foot T-posts and a post driver
  • Fencing pliers or a tie-wire twister, a flat spade, and gloves

Build Steps

  1. Drive short posts. Drive each 5-foot T-post 30 inches deep so only 30 inches stands above the soil.
  2. Cut ties. Snip the tie wire into 8-inch pieces, about 190 of them.
  3. Lay out the fabric. Unroll the wall fabric on the ground outside the posts, with the apron strip laid edge to edge beside it.
  4. Tie the seam. Wrap a tie around both bottom edge wires every 6 inches and twist 3 full turns with the pliers.
  5. Fold the tails in. Bend each twisted tail toward the garden so it cannot snag gloves.
  6. Stand the wall. Lift the wall onto the posts with the apron flat on the outside.
  7. Tie to posts low. Fasten the fabric to each post at 2, 14, and 26 inches only.
  8. Leave the top loose. Do not tie anything above 30 inches; the top 18 inches must flex.
  9. Bury the apron. Lift the sod, lay the apron flat, notch each corner, and cover it with 2 to 3 inches of soil.

Give the gate its own apron flap and keep its top rail low so the floppy edge still works.

Where Raccoon Fences Fail

  • Ties above 30 inches stiffen the top so raccoons climb straight over
  • A gap at the corner notch lets them dig through
  • Overhanging branches give a bridge over any fence
  • Twisted ties with fewer than 3 turns pull apart under a digging animal

A deeper anti-dig skirt is detailed in installing a dig-under hardware cloth apron. Rabbits slip through larger mesh, which is why rabbit-proofing a vegetable garden with a 24-inch hardware cloth wall uses smaller openings.

The hardware cloth mesh size and gauge guide compares apron materials by opening and gauge.

Overlapping two pieces of mesh is covered in overlapping hardware cloth seams with a 2-inch lap.

FAQ

Should I add a hot wire?

It helps. Mount it on an offset insulator just outside the floppy top.

Why tie wire instead of hog rings?

Both work. Tie wire needs no special pliers and bends around mismatched edge wires.

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