Raccoons are found all across the United States, in almost every type of habitat. You can find a raccoon whether you are in a rural, suburban, or city area. If you believe that raccoons are frequenting your yard, there are some signs to look out for.
The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with raccoon tracks. They look similar to a small handprint, with five finger-like toes. If you notice these kinds of footprints in your yard, you might have a raccoon problem.
Other signs of raccoons on your property include overturned garbage cans, food scraps strewn across the yard, nesting materials, and damage to the exterior of your home. Since raccoons can cause damage and carry diseases like rabies, you should always call a wildlife removal company for assistance.
What Do Raccoon Footprints Look Like?
Raccoon footprints tend to be easy to spot. They are a bit different from dogs and cats, as they have long finger-like toes instead of rounded paws. Their front and hind tracks will both have 5 toe prints.
It is important to note that a raccoon’s hind foot tends to have a larger palm and heel pad than their front foot. This difference in size between their front and hind feet makes it easier to identify raccoon prints.
Raccoon prints are hand-shaped and have a diameter of 2 to 3 inches across. Additionally, their trails tend to have a unique pattern. Their steps tend to be 10 to 18 inches apart, distinguishing them from other animal tracks.
Other Signs of Raccoons in Your Yard
While you can determine if raccoons are in your yard by looking for their prints, sometimes the ground is too dry to leave a prominent impression. In this case, you should look for other signs of raccoon presence.
Common signs that raccoons are frequenting your yard include:
Scat
Raccoons often leave behind scat or excrement when they are hanging out in your yard. While this might not be the most appealing way to identify a raccoon problem, their scat tends to be different from other types of animals.
Raccoon scat is usually dark and tubular, with blunted ends. You might find signs of excrement near other signs of raccoon activity like nesting materials or overturned garbage cans.
Garbage or Food Scraps
While garbage in your yard might be litter, noticing that trash is strewn across your yard frequently could be a sign of raccoons. Raccoons often overturn garbage cans to rifle through the food contents and pick out what they want. Unfortunately, this means garbage might be all over the place.
If you notice garbage or scraps of food all over your yard, you might have a raccoon problem.
Nesting Materials
Raccoons like to build houses or nests for safety. This is especially common among raccoons who have babies. Common nesting materials include debris from your yard like twigs, leaves, long grasses, or hay. Raccoons might also make nests out of fabric, paper, or other materials from your garbage cans.
If you notice nests created from garbage or yard debris, you could have a family of raccoons taking up residence on your property.
Damage to the House
Another sign of raccoon activity is unusual damage to the exterior of your home. If a raccoon is trying to get inside your house, you will notice scratch marks on the wooden siding or near entrances like windows or doors. Common areas to find damage from raccoons include the roof, attic, basement, windows, doors, and crawl spaces.
Strange Behavior From Your Pets
It is common to shrug it off when your dog starts barking at nothing. After all, they might just be feeling bored or want attention. However, sometimes household pets notice animals like raccoons before we do.
If you notice that your dog or cat is staring at ceilings or in the direction of your crawlspace, they might be hearing scurrying noises made by raccoons.
How to Get Rid of Raccoons on Your Property
If you have raccoons on your property, you should never approach them yourself. Raccoons can become defensive when approached by humans, especially when they have babies with them. Additionally, raccoons can carry diseases like rabies, which can be extremely dangerous to you, your children, or your pets.
Instead of confronting raccoons by yourself, consider calling a wildlife removal company. At Nuisance Wildlife Rangers, we will trap and relocate animals like raccoons using ethical and humane tactics. In other words, you never have to worry about us harming the animals we remove from your property.
Get Connected to a Raccoon Removal Company
If you are experiencing a raccoon problem on your property, you’ve come to the right place. Nuisance Wildlife Rangers are here to help with all of your animal removal needs. Whether you have live or dead raccoons in your yard or home, we can help you remove them with ease.
Contact us today to learn more about our animal removal, trapping, and relocation techniques. We can help you solve all of your raccoon problems humanely and ethically.