York Wildlife Control: What Do Wild Raccoons Eat?

When considering different methods of wildlife control in York, it is important to know what the animals in question eat. If you can remove the animals' food from your property, you may be able to persuade them to go away or possibly deter them from entering your property in the first place. However, in the case of raccoons, there isn't just one type of food that you have to worry about. Raccoons are omnivores and eat almost anything, so it can be challenging to remove all sources of food from your property in the hopes of deterring them.

What Do Raccoons Eat in the Wild?

Raccoons are considered foragers and scavengers rather than hunters. If they can catch an animal, such as a small lizard, frog, rodent, or bird, they will kill it and eat it. Small animals that are easy to catch may become prey for raccoons, but raccoons do not necessarily go out hunting for food. They are more likely to feed on the carcasses of dead animals if they come across them. For this reason, you should clean up dead animals on your property if you find any to avoid attracting raccoons and other scavengers. Raccoons are more likely to fish for food rather than hunt for it. They like to eat shellfish and other aquatic animals. They may make dens near bodies of water to make fishing easier. Insects, including their eggs and larvae, are easy for raccoons to catch and a good source of protein if there are no others available. Raccoons may also steal eggs out of birds' nests. As omnivores, their favourite foods also include berries and nuts.

What Do Raccoons Eat in Residential Areas?

Raccoons are highly urbanized animals. Initially, they may have stayed in urban areas out of necessity as their habitat was encroached upon, but some raccoons actually seem to show a preference for living in urban areas. This may be partially because food is more readily available. Raccoons are infamous for eating out of garbage cans. It offers them an easy source of food, but some raccoons display an apparent fondness for the garbage itself, even though it is not very healthy for them and provides little in the way of proper nutrition. Many people have trees in their yards that bear fruits, nuts, and berries. These are among raccoons' favourite foods, so they may tend to linger upon a property where these trees are present. Raccoons are certainly capable of climbing up into the trees to eat nuts or fruit, but they may be more likely to forage what is on the ground. Composting is an eco-friendly way of turning organic waste into fertilizer. While it offers benefits to gardeners, it may also draw raccoons to the yard unless the compost bin is securely closed. Raccoons may also forage for food from vegetable gardens. You should harvest vegetables as soon as possible and clean up any remaining plants following harvest. If you have a pet that you feed outside, raccoons may eat out of the pet's bowl, which could lead to an unfortunate confrontation between the two animals. It is better to feed your pet inside if you can. If this is not possible, you should supervise your pet's meal and take the bowl away as soon as it is finished. Do not leave your pet's dish with food in it out overnight as this is when raccoons are active and foraging for food.

Contact Skedaddle for Wildlife Control in York

Professional raccoon removal is necessary if the animals enter your house. Though typically not aggressive, raccoons may bite and scratch in self-defence if threatened, and they frequently carry rabies. Our trained technicians remove the raccoons humanely, keeping both you and the animals safe in the process.