Raccoons are cute little masked bandits that will rummage through trash cans late at night. They are one of the most adaptive animals in the world and are capable of causing lots of damage to your property. They measure about 3 feet long with their 12-inch bushy ringed tail. They have a hunched appearance as their back legs are longer than the front. Their front paws have five dexterous toes that allow them to manipulate and grasp food and other items. They can weigh 15 to 40 pounds and can be heavier in urban areas as they have become comfortable living on handouts, pet food, and leftovers found in trash cans.
Raccoon Facts; Diet, Habitat & Lifespan
Other than extremely cold spells, you can observe raccoons throughout the year, usually at night as they search for food. Raccoons will eat just about anything they get their little paws on but are very fond of water creatures like frogs, fish, crayfish, clams and snails. They will also eat insects, birds and their eggs, dead animals along with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. They will also eat pet food and garbage. Dens are used for shelter and raising young and they will have no problem taking over abandoned dens of other animals under large piles of rocks, hollow logs or holes in trees. In urban settings, they will use dens to rest during the day and tend to move around from one site to another. In the wild, raccoons live for about 2-3 years.
Signs of Raccoons in the House or On Your Property
Raccoon Paw Prints & Tracks – the most obvious sign you’re dealing with raccoons. They are easy to identify as they are similar to our footprints, but measure 3 to 4 inches long. Look for these tracks in soft soil. They can also be found around the areas they will look to climb, like along fences and the sides of buildings.
Raccoon Poop – Droppings, also known as scat, is another sure sign but not as obvious as the tracks because many other animals can leave similar-looking droppings. You will find raccoon droppings at the base of trees or on piles of wood or on logs. Finding the droppings in these areas means raccoons are on your property.
Messy Trash Cans – Finding garbage cans tipped over and trash bags torn open is a good indication you have raccoons running around at night. There are other animals that may dig through your trash, but chances are high it was a raccoon.
Raccoon Calling Sounds – Raccoons are capable of making up to 50 distinct sounds. The most often heard sound of a raccoon is the low growls they make when they are fighting for the food they’ve discovered. If they manage to make it inside, you can hear shuffling sounds on the roof or inside walls.
Raccoon Scratch Marks – Raccoons will leave marks at the base of trees that are very distinct and will send you searching for other signs once you see them.
Raccoon Control in Austin, Round Rock, Leander, Pflugerville & Cedar Park, Texas
You’ll want to put an end to raccoons as quickly as possible, so know the signs to get an upper hand. Raccoons are very intelligent and have become very skilled at avoiding methods that we use to remove them from our property. It’s best to contact professionals to take care of them to ensure you won’t have them coming back. Give A-Tex Pest Management a call to get rid of them.