Raccoons
Procyon lotor
 
Raccoons are one of the species that have thrived in America's
growing urbanization. Houses people mean food and shelter. This page is meant to
provide you with concrete information on controlling and preventing raccoon
damage. Information provided here comes from actual field experience. When I
was in the business of
trapping, I had to give my customers results not theories. I hope you will
agree.
Description Natural
History/Life Cycle
"Raccoons,
A Natural History" (Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002)
Weight:
12-20 lbs
Breeding
Seasons: Raccoons mate in January-February. Young open their eyes
in about 23 days after birth. We have reliable data that young can be born as
soon as March 12 in Indiana.
Activity:
Year around (they do not hibernate) and diurnal (They are active in daylight
hours)
Mating:
Females raise 3-5 young alone in the Spring.
Habitat-
Raccoons can live anywhere there is cover and water. They
have adapted very well to suburbia and even urban settings.
They love attics, sewers, tree dens, sheds, etc.
Damage
For Raccoon Damage Control Click Damage Control
Fortunately, raccoons are rarely secretive creatures.
A brief walk around your house
will usually show clear signs of raccoon activity. The bent vent, as pictured
(right), is a classic sign of raccoon. Other signs include, mud and/or scratch
marks at building corners, particularly along downspouts.
Distinguishing
Marks
Brown tail with
black bars, mask like coloration around the eyes.
House
Damage
Unlike many other animals, raccoons tend to defecate at the same
location. A house cat has similar habits. A brief search of your roof line,
particularly troughs, behind bushes, and around wood piles may reveal the presence
of raccoon droppings. Of course the raccoon would have to living in your home
for some time to develop a pile like this. Assuming, it
has been living alone. An inspection of the attic floor may also reveal the
presence of raccoon toilettes.Be careful around these droppings as they may
contain the roundworm known as Baylisascaris Procyonis. Click on raccoonroundworm.php
for more information.
Noises in Chimney-
If you hear chirping
in your chimney in the months of April/May/June then chances are you have raccoon
young in your chimney. Do NOT light a fire. The young will not be able to climb
out. Get a copy of our book, the Wildlife Removal Handbook
Rev. ed. to learn how to get them out or just contact a professional.
Landscape Damage-
Raccoons can do a lot of damage to lawns in their search for worms or grubs.
You can often distinquish their damage from that of skunks by the size of the
damage. Skunks dig specific holes for the grubs, raccoons shred the sod and
in some cases actually roll it up.
Water Gardens with
Fish:
Question
How deep will a raccoon go to get the fish?
A. I don't have actual depth figures. But if your ponds are
standard then I can say, your fish are in for some trouble. Trappers can motivate
raccoons to walk in several inches of water in the winter time. So who knows
how deep they will go in the summer.
You can help protect fish by giving them structures to hid in. You also want
the shallow areas of the pond in the middle not on the edges where raccoons
would be likely to search for fish.
Myths
- Myth #1 The raccoon was as big as my dog!
Fact: The average raccoon weighs only 12-20
lbs. Very few and I mean very few raccoons are the size of a dog. In my
years of animal damage control, I may have caught two raccoons in the forty
pound range. People tend to forget that hair accounts for a large amount of
a raccoon's apparent size.
- Myth #2 A raccoon is trapped in my chimney!
Fact: Adult raccoons are excellent climbers, second only to
squirrels. Adult raccoons can climb down spouts, corners of buildings, sewers,
trees and chimney's. Unless you know that the raccoon is injured or a juvenile,
the raccoon can climb out. Be careful though, young raccoons CANNOT
climb out. Lighting a fire will only cook them.
Visit our store for chimney caps on preventing this from happening in the first
place. chimney_capping.php
- Myth #3 The raccoon doesn't
run away when I turn the lights on so it must be rabid!
Fact: Raccoons have learned to live in an urbanized environment.
They soon adapt to motion lights, noises and even human presence. Some raccoons
no longer see humans as a threat because humans feed them.
- Myth #4 The raccoon is acting strangely so it must be rabid.
Fact: No one can identify an animal as rabid merely by looking
at it. If you can, please let me know I would be happy to hire your services.
The reality is that raccoons also suffer from distemper whose symptoms mimic
those of rabies.
- Myth #5 The raccoon is out in the daytime, so it must be
rabid.
Fact: Time of day is NOT a sufficient indicator as to whether
a raccoon is ill. Raccoons, although nocturnal, occasionally can be seen in
daylight for a variety of reasons. These reasons can range from, the need to
store up food due to an impending storm. Another animal damage control company
may have kicked them out of their previous home. The attic they are residing
in may be too hot and they loaf on the roof to get cool. A more accurate way
to evaluate a raccoon's health is how it is acting. If the raccoon walks like
it is drunk, stumbles, wanders in circles, exhibits matted hair, tremors, or
sores, then the raccoon is definitely sick. You should then contact your local
health department or police department. They can send out a professional to
capture and remove the raccoon. For more information on animal diseases click
animal diseases.php
- Myth #6 Rabid Raccoons attack people.
Fact: 80% of all people who need rabies shots have initiated
contact with the animal. In other words, the animal didn't go to them, they
went to the animal. The public conception that rabid animals are looking for
someone to attack is entirely overblown. Do rabid animals sometimes attack people?
Yes, but it is rather rare.
Infant Survival
and Den Site Selection of Female Raccoons Following Removal and Exclusion from
Residences
4/16/03
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on resolving human/wildlife conflicts. We welcome suggestions, criticisms to
help us achieve this goal. The information provided is for informational purposes
only and users of the information use it at their own risk. The reader must
consult state/federal officials to determine the legality of any technique in
the reader's locale. Some techniques are dangerous to the user and to others.
WDC encourages readers to obtain appropriate training (see our informational
literature at our Store ), and understand that proper animal damage
control involves patience, understanding that not every technique/method works
for every situation or even 100% of the time. Your use of this information is
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