Wildlife // Living in Harmony With Wildlife
Living in Harmony With Raccoons
About Raccoons
Raccoons (Procyon lotor) share a common ancestry with bears (their closest relative being the giant panda) and originally lived in forests close to waterways. Like their cousins, raccoons are true omnivores and eat a wide variety of foods, including nuts, seeds, fruits, eggs, insects, frogs, and crayfish, and they will eat whatever is available using their dexterous paws to pluck morsels from small hiding places.
Raccoons possess acute sight and hearing and a highly developed sense of touch. A raccoon’s forefeet are extremely agile and resemble a human hand with five slender fingers. Highly independent and somewhat solitary creatures, raccoons are nocturnal (active after dusk) and hunt at night camouflaged by their characteristic coats and rest by day in the hollows of high trees.
Though humans have occupied a vast majority of their historic habitat, raccoons are opportunistic animals and have learned to coexist with people. For these reasons, close encounters between raccoons and humans are extremely common in urban and suburban areas. These clever, gregarious animals with characteristic black masks around their eyes have been known to pry tops off of seemingly sealed garbage cans, raid campsites and coolers, and even turn on the tap for a drink of water when thirsty. For these reasons, while some people take great delight in watching raccoons’ nightly antics, others consider the animals’ hi-jinks a nuisance. Thankfully, there are plenty of humane, commonsense solutions to perceived conflicts with these wild animals.
Did You Know?
Raccoons are widely known for their unique habit of “washing” their food or hands in water. In fact, the scientific name for the raccoon is Procyon lotor, the Latin word “lotor” meaning “washer.” Many theories have been proposed to explain why raccoons engage in this interesting ritual, but most scientists believe that it is due to raccoons’ innate tendency to forage for food near water sources.
Solving Conflicts Compassionately
Raccoons give birth from January to June and often use attics and chimneys as dens to raise their young. Should you discover a family of raccoons nesting in or around your home, in order to avoid separating young raccoons from their parents, the animals should not be removed until the breeding season has ended. Not only is it inhumane to let the little ones starve to death, the mother will be frantically trying to reach her young and could damage your property in the process. Young raccoons do not venture out of the nest until they are 8 or 9 weeks old. Trapping and moving the family is not recommended because it will almost inevitably separate the mother from her young. When you’re certain that the young raccoons have left the nest, frightening devices, like a portable radio and a mechanic’s light, can be used to evict the animals. Making the area as smelly as possible by putting a few ammonia-soaked rags in the area is a very useful deterrent. Since raccoons are nocturnal animals, evicting them is easiest when they normally begin their nightly routine around dusk.
Once you suspect that the raccoons have left for the evening, carefully inspect the building for animals before installing exclusion devices. Install a chimney cap and repair and seal attic openings. Never use smoke or fire to drive animals out of chimneys. This will almost certainly kill young animals—whether raccoons, squirrels, opossums, or birds—who are not physically able to leave on their own.
If for some reason you find a raccoon in your home after you seal off points of entry, remain calm—if left alone, raccoons will not cause any harm. The best thing to do is close openings providing access to other parts of the house, open windows and doors through which the raccoon can exit, and then wait quietly for the animal to escape.
Once the raccoons have been evicted, you should not attempt to trap and remove raccoons from the property. Trapping and removing them will do nothing for long-term control, as the newly vacant niche will quickly be filled by raccoons from surrounding areas. Making the area as undesirable as possible is the best deterrent. Open garbage cans, bird feeders, and fish ponds are direct invitations. Putting out garbage on the day that it will be picked up and keeping it in tightly sealed containers will discourage raccoons from frequenting the area. Also, feed companion animals inside or be sure to remove any food placed outside when the animals are finished eating.
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