Wildlife Notes

The Raccoon -- Friend or Foe?

small raccoon The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is an important link in nature's food web. Raccoons are also beneficial to humans because of their consumption of pesky insects and mice, their aesthetic qualities, and their fur. They are an enjoyable and lovable animal; however, they can cause damage and pose health problems to animals and humans. This publication describes precautions that you can take to avoid potential raccoon problems.

Habits and Habitats

Wherever both year-round food and den sites abound, raccoons can be found. The range of the raccoon covers most of the U.S., except for desert areas and some dense forests. Because of its adaptability, it is found in a range of habitats from fields and farmlands to wetlands and suburban areas. This nocturnal (active at night) mammal likes to feed on crayfish, frogs, insects, clams, small mammals, birds and their eggs, turtle eggs, and a wide range of fruits and nuts. This makes it an omnivore--a feeder of both plant and animal matter. Garbage and pet food may comprise a significant portion of its diet in urban and suburban areas. Hollow trees, rock crevices, and rock piles provide good den sites for raccoons. They also use hollow logs or abandoned animal burrows in the winter. Raccoons mate during the winter and have one litter (of 2 to 5 young) per year with birth occurring in the spring.

raccoon tracks

Damage

Raccoons can cause problems by:

  • defacing property and contaminating areas with their droppings (scat);

  • posing a health hazard to humans and other animals

  • raiding garbage cans and pet food;

  • making a meal of corn crops and poultry; and

  • preying on the nests of ground and shrub-nesting birds such as warblers, thrushes, and vireos.
Control
  • Discourage raccoons from living in and around your home and out-buildings. Seal off openings where they can enter, use fencing around chicken coops, and cap or screen chimneys. Check periodically for signs of raccoon presence. Seek professional advice before attempting to clean out raccoon droppings from an area and wash your hands well after contact with contaminated areas.

  • Secure your garbage can lid to the can with a bungee cord, or construct a shed large enough to fit the garbage can(s) inside and attach a lock.

    do not feed wild raccoons

  • Do not leave pet food out.

  • Use electrified wire (electrified by a commercial charger) to exclude raccoons from your garden or commercial crops.

  • Do not adopt raccoons (or other wild animals) as pets.

Abnormal behavior such as appearing sick or disoriented may be a sign of rabies or distemper infection. However, a raccoon can appear to be normal and still be a carrier of these or other diseases. Raccoons may carry salmonella, ringworm (fungus), tularemia, and also serve as host to the deer tick, which can carry lyme disease.