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Raccoons
(Procyon lotor)
Laurene Hall
Horticulture Program Assistant
Cobb County Cooperative Extension Service
IDENTIFICATION
The raccoon (Procyon lotor), also called “coon,” is a stocky mammal about 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) long, weighing 10 to 30 pounds (4.5 to 13.5 kg) (rarely 40 to 50 pounds [18 to 22.5 kg]). It is distinctively marked, with a prominent black “mask” over the eyes and a heavily furred, ringed tail. The animal is a grizzled salt-and-pepper gray and black above, although some are strongly washed with yellow.
The raccoon is found throughout the United States and are more common to the wooded eastern portions of the country. Raccoons prefer hardwood forest areas near water. They usually establish dens in hollow trees, ground burrows, brush piles, muskrat houses, barns and abandoned buildings, dense clumps of cattail, haystacks, or rock crevices. In cases where their natural habitats have been cleared, they will frequent suburbs.
Raccoons are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal foods. Plant, including fruits, berries, nuts, acorns, corn, and other types of grain, are also a part of their diet. Animal foods include crayfish, clams, fish, frogs, snails, insects, turtles and their eggs, mice, rabbits, muskrats, and the eggs and young of ground-nesting birds and waterfowl. Contrary to popular myth, raccoons do not always wash their food before eating, although they frequently play with their food in water.
They breed mainly in February or March, but matings may occur from December through June, depending on latitude. Females can give birth to young anytime of the year from April to August. Only 1 litter of young is raised per year. Average litter size is 3 to 5.
Raccoons are nocturnal; thus seeing one during the day could indicate a raccoon in an extreme case (i.e. a mother hunting for food or a raccoon that is sick). They also do not truly hibernate, but will “hole up” in dens and become inactive during severe winter weather. Family groups of raccoons usually remain together for the first year and the young will often den for the winter with the adult female. The family gradually separates during the following spring and the young become independent. Populations of raccoons may live as long as 12 years in the wild, but such animals are extremely rare.
Statistics are unavailable on the amount of economic damage caused by raccoons, but the damage may be offset by their positive economic and aesthetic values. Raccoons are often valuable furbearer to hunters and trappers. They also provide recreation for hunters, trappers, and people who enjoy watching them. Although raccoon damage and nuisance problems can be locally severe, widespread raccoon control programs are not justifiable, except perhaps to prevent the spread of raccoon rabies.
DAMAGE
Raccoons cause damage or nuisance problems around homes and outbuildings when they seek to gain entrance to attics or chimneys or when they raid garbage in search of food. In many urban or suburban areas, raccoons are learning that uncapped chimneys make very adequate substitutes for more traditional hollow trees for use as den sites, particularly in spring. In extreme cases, raccoons may tear off shingles or boards in order to gain access to an attic or wall space.
Raccoons often roll up freshly laid sod in search of earthworms and grubs. They may return repeatedly and roll up extensive areas of sod on successive nights. This behavior is particularly common in mid- to late summer as young raccoons are learning to forage for themselves, and during periods of dry weather when other food sources may be less available.
They will also disturb and destroy bird nests and eggs in artificial nesting structures such as bluebird and wood duck nest boxes. Raccoons have recently been identified as the major wildlife host of rabies in the United States, primarily due to increased prevalence in the eastern United States.
MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
Habitat Modification and Frightening
There are no practical means of modifying habitat to reduce raccoon populations, other than removing any obvious sources of food or shelter that may be attracting the raccoons to the premises. Raccoons forage over wide areas, and anything other than local habitat modification to reduce raccoon numbers is not a desirable technique for reducing damage.
Several methods of frightening may be effective, but only for a short time. These techniques have included the use of lights, radios, dogs, scarecrows, plastic or cloth streamers, aluminum pie pans, tin can lids, and plastic windmills. All of these may have some temporary effectiveness in deterring raccoons, but none will provide adequate long-term protection in most situations.
Exclusion
Usually
the best method for coping with almost all types of raccoon damage.
Evidence of a raccoon can become
apparent when their distinctive foot tracks are noticed in wet soil, mud, or
snow near trash receptacles. Store garbage in metal or tough plastic containers
with tight-fitting lids to discourage raccoons from raiding garbage cans. If
lids do not fit tightly, it may be necessary to wire, weight, or clamp them down
to prevent raccoons from lifting the lid to get at garbage. Secure cans to a
rack or tie them to a support to prevent raccoons from tipping them over.
Prevent raccoon access to chimneys by securely fastening a commercial cap of sheet metal and heavy screen over the top of the chimney. Raccoon access to rooftops can be limited by removing overhanging branches.
Homeowners
attempting to exclude or remove raccoons in the spring and summer should be
aware of the possibility that young may also be present. Do not complete
exclusion procedures until you are certain that all raccoons have been removed
from or have left the exclusion area.
Homeowners with the patience to wait out several weeks of scratching, rustling, and chirring sounds will normally be rewarded by the mother raccoon moving the young from the chimney at the time she begins to wean them. Homeowners with less patience can often contact a pest removal or chimney sweep service to physically remove the raccoons.
Trapping
Raccoons are relatively easy to catch in traps, but it takes a sturdy trap to hold one. Traps should be at least 10 x 12 x 32 inches and well constructed with heavy materials. They can be baited with canned fish, flavored cat food, sardines, fish, or chicken. Cage traps, body-gripping traps, and foothold traps are very effective, especially in conjunction with exclusion and/or habitat modification. For more information on proper and effective trapping methods, please contact your local Extension Office. Additionally, lethal trapping should be left only to those trained in the operation of such devices and the handling of wild animals.
Other Methods
There are no repellents, toxicants, or fumigants currently registered for raccoon control. Many states have restrictions on the use firearms to hunt and shoot raccoons. It is advisable to check with state and local authorities before using any lethal controls for raccoons.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Nuisance Wildlife Management and Control Guide: Raccoons, Edward K. Boggess, Program Manager, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources St. Paul, Minnesota.
www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/wild/pdf/wildlife/RACCOONS.PDF
The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.
