Question
Hello, I installed sod about 14 weeks ago. I watered allot....maybe over watered..and have since adjusted my schedule as avg daily temps are about 50 now. Shortly after installing sod...Racoons showed up. Mostly scratching small divots/ shallow holes. And the occasional total roll up. Frustrated, I placed bird netting suspended over the lawn. The coons still come by....allot less scratching...very minimal actually. My question is....once the sod is very knitted and established...and i remove the netting....will the coons still do serious damage? I am willing to keep the netting...remove it for mowing...replace etc..until coons are not interested anymore. But if this is going to happen with or with netting AND fully established sod...I may change my landscape design. Thanks...any opinions are very apreciated. By the way..the neighbors lawns are fine...is it as simple as if the lawn is knitted and establsied....the coons are not a problem at all?  

Answer
The raccoons are digging because they are interested in the grubs underneath. They'll keep digging as long as grubs are present. Since I don't know where you live, I can't specifically say how long that may be before they molt into the beetles and fly away.

You'll need to treat to kill the grubs with a fast acting "24 hour" gryb control, and next year plan to put down a preventative grub treatment in June. This would be labeled as a "Season Long" Grub Control. You shouldn't have a problem with the digging once that is under control.

Good luck!

-C.J. Brown
www.TheLawnCoach.com