Raccoons are incredibly adaptive and intelligent critters, capable of surviving in the hustle and bustle of the urban environment. They are often considered the ultimate urban explorers, taking advantage of the plentiful food sources and the array of hiding places for them to explore.
This guide will explore the fascinating raccoon and their habits, providing a better understanding of these mischievous creatures that have become so ubiquitous.
Overview of Raccoons
Raccoons are highly intelligent omnivores native to the forests of the Northern Hemisphere. As one of the few mammals able to open things with their hands, they have adapted incredibly well to urban environments and are commonly found in cities and around homes. These adept explorers inhabit parks, alleys, backyards, and garbage bins across North America, daringly scavenging for food in their search for sustenance.
Their varied diet consists of various fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, insects, fish, birds, and other small animals. While technically classified as wild animals, they are often perceived as mischievous due to their habit of pillaging through garbage cans seeking unclaimed booty or raiding an unwatched vegetable garden. Despite this trait, they can also be viewed positively when providing entertainment or controlling pests around residential areas.
The origin story of the raccoon is shrouded in mystery. Still, its standard black mask feature has always struck a chord with people – likely because it dramatically resembles our facial features. Though primarily nocturnal, these masked marvels can occasionally be seen during daylight hours going about their business – providing locals with great delight at such a sight in most cases!
Where do Raccoons Live?
Raccoons, or Procyon lotor, are small mammals belonging to the genus Procyon of the family Procyonidae. They are found naturally throughout North and Central America and some parts of Asia and Europe. In North America, raccoons can be found from northern Canada down to Panama.
Raccoons inhabit various environments, including forests, wetlands, grasslands, tundra, mountains, deserts, and even urban areas. They tend to make their homes in hollowed-out trees or other secluded areas with access to food and shelter. Raccoons are also very adept climbers and use this skill to escape predators or access food from high places—including man-made dwellings such as attics or crawl spaces!
Urban settings often offer a reliable food source, such as unprotected garbage cans and gardens and an abundance of places to den. As a result, raccoons are increasingly becoming comfortable inhabiting urban environments across many countries—causing much trouble for homeowners along the way!
Raccoon Habits
Raccoons are known for their naughty behavior, often rummaging through garbage cans in the middle of the night. Raccoons are strong climbers and are often found along the sides of buildings or trees, looking for food. They are also nocturnal animals, mainly coming out at night and resting during the day.
In this section, we’ll discuss the habits of raccoons and why they’re so misunderstood.
Raccoon Behaviors
Raccoon behavior is dynamic and complex, reflecting their highly adaptive and flexible life history strategies. Understanding the habits of this species can provide valuable insights into how people might cope with them.
The most common behaviors observed among raccoons are foraging, interaction with other animals, exploration of new areas, and mating. Raccoons are omnivorous animals that eat plant materials and a variety of small prey items, including insects, amphibians, reptiles, eggs, fish, small mammals, and birds. This broad diet allows them to thrive almost anywhere humans have introduced them. They are generally active at night and feed on various food items, from garbage cans to bird feeders.
Regarding interactions with other animals, such as cats or dogs, they can be pretty standoffish but generally escape confrontation by running or climbing away when they perceive danger while remaining alert at all times. Hence, they know when it is safe to return to ground level. Aside from feeding, raccoons also demonstrate curiosity by exploring crevices for places to rest or take shelter during the day and engaging in playful behavior such as wrestling in groups which helps young pups prepare for defending themselves later in adulthood.
During the mating season from late winter through early spring, males will compete against each other over territory to secure access to multiple female partners, while females will start preparing dens and nests weeks prior so that when newborns do arrive, they are taken care of right away usually giving birth five weeks after the mating season has ended leading up six kits which will stay close with mom following her around until late summer or early autumn when pups become independent learning how the urban world works before winter truly sets in signaling another year has gone by with yet more adventures just around the corner!
Raccoon Diet
Raccoons are omnivores and opportunists. They eat plants, animals, and human garbage. Their diet consists of a wide variety of foods such as fruits, grains, nuts, and seeds, as well as amphibians, fish, birds’ eggs, and even small mammals.
In urban areas, they look for food in gardens and compost bins in search of succulent vegetables or overripe fruits. They also feed on pet food and can often be seen rummaging through dumpsters searching for leftovers from fast-food restaurants, making them one of the most adaptable animals able to survive in urban environments.
Raccoons avoid live prey but occasionally take them if the opportunity presents itself. However, it rarely catches a bird or rodent much slower than other predators such as foxes or springhares. When hunting in water, raccoons consume frogs, crayfish, and crawfish, which can make up about half of their diet during certain times of the year.
Additionally, raccoons are known to eat:
- Crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, grubs, larvae, snakes, lizards, turtles, eggs, mollusks, centipedes, scorpions, earthworms, centipedes, spiders, fish, rats, mice, rabbits, squirrels, opossums, muskrats, insects, salamanders snails crustaceans clams voles woodchucks shrews snakes bullfrogs minnows carp leeches slugs ay eels other reptiles.
- Fruits including apples pears cherries strawberries mulberries blackberries raspberries blueberries peaches grapes huckleberries elderberries currants plums hawthorn juniper figs wild cherries cranberries prickly pear cactus swordfish prickly ash sumac dogwood service berry hoary puccoon bunchberry manzanita gooseberry nightshade wild grape honey locust pawpaw Oregon grapes juneberry madrone hackberry choke cherry dewberry persimmon elderberry plantain groundnuts plaintain pokeweed greens banana passion fruit oranges hucklekeg acorns corn kernels peanuts squash pumpkin vegetable cooking oil grains cereals oats cornmeal wheat rye barley sorghum rice buckwheat millet mesquite pods cattail roots arrowhead tubers cattail shoots cudweed wire grass sweet fern mushrooms fungi witherod greenbriar bark blake cherry apple tree bark spicebush root sagebrush roots sand birch inner bark tea berry raspberry primrose yarrow clover shepherd’s purse watercress wild onion dandelion couchgrass poison ivy hops dog bane yucca sunflower petals chickweed plantain soybean sprouts milkweeds ragweed buttercups butter ‘n’ egg queensdelight poke coltsfoot plaintain woolridge dock chicory shepherds purse beebalm jewelweed smartweed lamb’s quarters peppergrass purslane knotweed marshmallow fire weed bracken fern bedstraw redroot mustard mignonette sheep sorrel mesentery pigway spiderwort lousewort horsetails star thistle thistles knot grass burdock panicgrass malva althea ivyleaf glad new shadows rose geraniums wetland plants barnyard grasses pasture weeds slide moss horse nettle wood sorrel bulb flowers tall yellow daisy chamomile wall lettuce parsley curly dock ordinary mustard goldenrod beggar tack catnip red oak white oaks black oaks dottle oak shagbark hickory guyandotte chestnut post oak white walnut pecan shellbark hickory American beech elm cottonwood willow boxelder sycamore tulip poplars.
Raccoon Interactions
Raccoons are well known for their naughty behavior in urban areas. They have been seen rummaging through trash cans in search of food or tipping over bird feeders in pursuit of a snack. Although their actions can be annoying, it’s essential to understand what motivates their behavior and how to interact with them responsibly.
Let’s explore raccoon interactions and the potential effects on people and their environment:
Raccoon Interactions with Humans
Although raccoons are perceived as a nuisance due to their propensity for rummaging through urban areas, their interaction with humans is not typical; raccoons prefer to keep their distance from humans. Unfortunately, human activity such as feeding, housing availability, or water sources may encourage wild raccoons to linger in residential areas and backyards.
If you encounter a healthy-looking raccoon who doesn’t appear too frightened of your presence, running away is the natural response and can be enough to stop most action from occurring. Generally speaking, a wild animal will do its best to stay away from humans because conflict can lead to injury on either side, so keeping your distance is always the safest route.
In extreme cases, when the animal cannot be chased off or hazed away by loud noises, it may be best to call local wildlife services, who have granted access to go into otherwise off-limits areas and deal with the situation safely.
Raccoon Interactions with Other Animals
Like many wildlife species, Raccoons play an essential role in their environment. They are opportunistic feeders, meaning they eat various things they can find. While they prefer to dine on fruits, insects, nuts, and other plant matter, they also consume small animals like fish, mice, and frogs. Raccoons have been known to scavenge dead animals and may even compete with foxes, trying to steal their meals.
Occasionally, raccoons will hunt in pairs or small groups because their cooperative behavior helps them out-maneuver prey or find the food better than if each acted independently. This type of group behavior usually forms either temporarily or during mating season; in the adult population, it is mainly limited to mother-offspring interactions and raising young kits together.
Raccoons do not usually interact with other animal species but can when feeling threatened by predators or other raccoons trying to enter their territory. In these cases, the creatures become very aggressive to claim their space and mark it as theirs for others to know, not to trespass. Raccoons may attack dogs that wander into their territory but generally shy away from larger predators such as bears or wolves. Additionally, raccoons may battle with cats over food sources if resources are limited, but this rarely occurs due to the cohabitation of these animals being more common within urban areas.
Raccoon Damage
Raccoons are urban explorers notorious for causing extensive damage to homes, businesses, and other buildings. They can build their dens in attics, sheds, and cellars. They can also tear up insulation, tear apart wiring, and damage furniture as they search for food.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the specific types of damage they can cause:
- Breaking into attics, sheds, and cellars to build their dens.
- Tearing up insulation.
- Tearing apart wiring.
- Damaging furniture.
Raccoon Damage to Property
Urban populations of raccoons have adapted their behaviors to accommodate human lifestyles, often living near populated areas. As such, they have been known to damage and destroy property while searching for food or shelter. Common examples of damage caused by raccoons include:
- Ransacking dumpsters and garbage cans: Raccoons are solid and agile creatures and, given the opportunity, will eagerly ransack trash cans and dumpsters, turning over containers that are not securely affixed to the ground in search of leftover food.
- Breaking into buildings for shelter or warmth: Raccoons often seek out buildings with easy access points, such as unscreened vents, gutters, or loose siding. They can squeeze through openings much smaller than their body size due to their flexible bones and can cause extensive structural damage if allowed access.
- Destroying gardens for food: If your garden contains fruits, nuts, or other tasty vegetation likely to attract a hungry raccoon, you will likely find destruction from their digging or clawing throughout the site. They may also tear away turf for food buried beneath the surface.
- Managing pets aggressively: While rare compared to some larger wildlife species such as coyotes, raccoons can be aggressive towards pets they encounter in an urban environment if threatened or scared away from their den site. Well-fed raccoons with no courage left after losing an altercation against a pet will sometimes remain to loiter around the area and potentially cause more trouble before finally leaving the vicinity altogether.
Raccoon Damage to the Environment
Raccoons are often viewed as harmless urban explorers, but these animals can cause significant damage to the environment. From trashing garbage cans and tearing into gardens to denning in attics or sheds and spreading diseases, raccoons cause thousands of dollars of damage every year, along with a headache for pest control professionals. For all the mischief caused by their forays into the human world, there is much that we can do to coexist peacefully with these furry creatures.
Raccoon behaviors that lead to environmental damage are typically innate, such as their automatic digging habits and attraction to complex objects. Additionally, if food sources such as pet food or garbage remain easily accessible close to a property’s perimeter, they will continue returning even when they become accustomed to human presence. This damage is further intensified when raccoon groups reach unsustainable numbers due to repeatedly unsuccessful management plans.
Beyond just making a mess, raccoons’ sharp claws can also cause physical harm. Digging around a home’s foundation can create opportunities for other pests like rats or snakes looking for shelter; evicting raccoons from a den site may require not just removal but also professional repair of the structure itself; and holding too many animals on one property increases competition over food sources which can result in aggressive behavior among them and harm inflicted on humans trying to intervene.
In situations where raccoons become too numerous or cause considerable discomfort or harm through their actions (sometimes considered “nuisance wildlife”), humane trapping may be necessary to reduce their population numbers before further damage occurs.
Raccoon Control
Raccoons are one of the most mischievous urban explorers, getting into garbage cans and damaging property. In addition, they can transmit diseases and be a danger to humans and pets alike. Therefore, it is essential to understand raccoon control and how to prevent them from invading your property.
This article will discuss natural approaches to raccoon control and options for professional raccoon control.
Raccoon Deterrents
Deterrents are essential in controlling nuisance raccoons and keeping them away from homes and businesses. While deterrents such as siren broadcasts, light flashings, and sound recordings can be effective in specific scenarios, other methods have been proven to deter raccoons.
Some of the most successful strategies to keep these crafty creatures off your property include the following:
- Fencing – As a physical barrier, installing a fence with fine mesh openings around your yard or building will prevent access to food sources and den sites where a female may nest. Fencing should be at least 6 feet high and designed with an overhang of 4 inches so that the animals do not easily climb it.
- Visual Deterrents – Sprinklers set on motion sensors, plastic owls or snakes, or aluminum sheets flapping in the wind make good visual deterrents for raccoons if placed correctly; however, these must be regularly monitored for effectiveness due to habituation with time.
- Chemical Repellents – Environmental-friendly repellents based on predator urine scent or predator-mimicking noises may be used to frighten away raccoons from areas where they threaten property damage or human health. Repellents should always be applied according to manufacturer instructions and never directly onto edible vegetation.
- Exclusion 24/7 – The best tool in preventing future risk of unwanted entry is exclusion – completely blocking off possible points of access into structures through vents, chimneys, and crawlspaces, and securing pet doors when not in use. This will significantly reduce potential interactions between people and unwelcome wildlife invaders like raccoons while ensuring everyone’s safety.
Raccoon Repellents
Raccoons are fascinating animals with an uncanny ability to adapt to new environments, often living in urban and suburban areas. To many people, raccoons appear mischievous, and sometimes they can even be destructive or dangerous. This can lead to considerable nuisance problems and the need for methods of controlling raccoon populations.
One way of deterring unwanted raccoons is to use repellents or deterrents. Repellents create an unfavorable environment for them by utilizing the animals’ senses of taste, smell, hearing, vision, and touch. The most commonly used repellents are odor-based and taste-aversion products containing capsaicin, mint oils, and ammonium soaps of higher fatty acids (such as putrescent egg solids). Foul-smelling sprays such as fox urine are also used in some circumstances and have proven effective in some cases.
Other repellents include:
- Ultrasonic noises that can activate a response causing the animal to leave a particular area or stop a behavior.
- Flash tape creates a sudden flash when it reflects light from the sun or a light source at night, which can startle them away from your home.
- Certain visual devices containing bright lights have been known to cause distress for raccoons when used intermittently during nesting seasons or when they are frequently seen in certain areas around homes and businesses.
It is important to remember that these repellents work best only if you consider all factors influencing raccoon behavior in your particular location on a case-by-case basis before choosing any repellent option. For this reason, it is always advisable to consult with professionals specializing in wild animal control or extermination before attempting any form of the residential or commercial control measure.
Raccoon Removal Services
It is important to note that passing legislation/bylaws to keep raccoons out of respective neighborhoods is difficult due to people’s love for the adorable critters. However, understanding the risks associated with having them in your neighborhood and living nearby can help homeowners make an informed decision regarding handling trash and protecting their properties. Many removal services are available, and most use safe, humane methods such as trapping, relocation, and trapping with hooks.
When facing a raccoon problem in your neighborhood or home, it is essential to consult a professional who can provide you with the best options for raccoon control. A licensed wildlife removal specialist should know state laws regarding relocation migrations or relocation of captured animals; they will also be able to properly inspect the area to check for any damage caused by raccoons or other wildlife without negatively affecting them. The removal specialist will offer precautions required while working on your property; they’ll be able to trap any possible intruders using humane tools and methods and relocate them safely away from residential areas. They may use a combination of exclusion techniques, such as fixing fences or prohibiting food sources onsite to deter future problems.
Raccoon control requires more than just trapping animals; proper exclusion solutions can prevent problems from reoccurring, keeping animal populations healthy and keeping humans safe from potential threats like rabies transmissions, disease vectors, or property damage that can occur by these mischievous explorers of our cities and neighborhoods.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Are raccoons dangerous?
A1: Raccoons are typically not dangerous, but they can be if they feel threatened. If a raccoon feels threatened, it may become aggressive and try to bite or scratch. It’s best to keep your distance and avoid interaction with raccoons.
Q2: What should I do if I find a baby raccoon?
A2: If you find a baby raccoon (kits), the best thing to do is leave them alone. If the kits appear to be in danger, then contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator for help. Refrain from attempting to relocate or care for the kits yourself.
Q3: Do raccoons carry diseases?
A3: Raccoons can carry a variety of diseases and parasites, but the most common is rabies. It’s essential to avoid contact with raccoons and never attempt to handle them. If you believe you have been exposed to a raccoon, seek medical attention immediately.
