The raccoon is one of the most misunderstood and unwelcome pests that can ravage our property and cause ceaseless headaches. They are also known as the ‘coon, ringtail, or, most endearingly, the trash panda. It’s a mystery why we gave them an affectionate nickname because there is no love with what they do to our trash. Also known as the masked-bandit, they get this nickname from the distinct black marking around their eyes. Theory has it that the dark fur reduces glare and helps with night vision. This is similar to a substance that athletes use under their eyes called eye-black.
Their facial markings aren’t the only comparison to thieves in the night that raccoons have garnered. Their scavenging nature and ability to maneuver themselves into places and containers they shouldn’t be in are practically unrivaled in the animal kingdom. The masterful use of nimble, dexterous fingers allows them to get into secured garbage cans, food bins, and open doorknobs. In a 1908 study, they were able to open 11 out of 13 complex locks.
They get their name from the Algonquian “arakun,” meaning “he scratches with his hands.” Their reason for much of their exploring is, unsurprisingly, food. Raccoons are omnivorous carnivores, as meat is their nutrition of choice. If there’s none around, they can dine on fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, tree bark or grasses like mistletoe or cordgrass, and unfortunately, our trash. They are opportunistic scavengers, and while they’re famous for the garbage-picking, that is only one small part of their diet.
In Native cultures such as the Iroquois and the Lenape, they were known as tricksters who engaged in lighthearted mischief. One Lenape children’s tale says that long ago, as the weather cooled, the other animals convinced the baby raccoon to go around asking for wood from nearby camps. Instead of asking to borrow the wood, the thief grabbed their sticks that had been charred on one end without asking and ran away. In his haste, he fell and marked his face with soot, forever staining it with the shame he felt.
As creatures of habit, they tend to pick a place to relieve themselves and use it repeatedly, and because they hide their droppings in water, they’ve developed an affinity for leaving it in people’s swimming pools. Besides being, let’s say, aesthetically unpleasing, this can spread disease or parasites such as Baylisascaris procyonis, which can cause severe neurologic issues, as well as roundworm and giardia. Once a latrine is designated, members of the social group go to the bathroom there, not just the individual.
Inside attics, they tear up insulation for bedding, and to make comfortable nests where they can birth up to five kits. They can also contaminate the surroundings with feces and urine. If one should make its way into your living space, it should be looked at as threat, as they are capable of transmitting rabies, leptospirosis, and dangerous parasites.
No matter how great a property may look during the day, if the little burglars get into your garbage cans at night, they can surely mar that beauty. Residents of Northern Illinois and surrounding areas, if you’re ready to rid your rubbish of these ridiculous ring-tailed robbers, it’s time to
contact Wildlife Services for an estimate and put and end to the mess.
