RELEVANT NATURAL HISTORY
Raccoons provide free pest control services by eating small snakes, mice, rats and grubs. They are intelligent, fascinating and highly adaptable mammals. Though characteristically nocturnal, they may be active whenever it makes sense for them to be. Please do not assume that a raccoon seen during the day must have rabies.
Suburban and urban landscapes suit them perfectly. Chimneys, attics and decks provide great denning sites; pet food and trash left outside provides a free buffet. They adapt easily to our lifestyles, yet people often have wrong ideas about raccoons.
As we destroy more and more wildlife habitat, we force native animals like raccoons to come into closer contact with us. There’s no need to panic or pay hundreds of dollars for trapping services because most problems can be easily resolved with some simple eviction and exclusion advice and household materials.
Most conflicts occur in spring and summer when raccoons take advantage of cavities in human dwellings to raise their young. Therefore, it’s vital to solve problems in a way that doesn’t separate a mother from her cubs. Trapping is strongly discouraged as a way to solve a “nuisance” problem, especially during baby season. There are humane ways to evict unwanted wildlife (see “ Nuisance” Wildlife Problems for additional information).
