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Raccoons genus Procyon, family Procyonidae characterized by a bushy, ringed tail and a black mask on the face. Many of us when we see a raccoon think about how cute they are. It is hard to have a conversation with anyone about racoons with out comments of their black masked bandit faces around their eyes .The raccoon is known by other names like coon, ringtail and some mispell it with one "c" as racoon. The North American Raccoon Procyon loto has a stout body, short legs, pointed muzzle, and small erect ears. The raccoon is a mammal native to all parts of North America except parts of the Rocky Mountains and in deserts. The raccoon is comfortable both in wooded areas, along the shore areas of rivers, lakes and oceans, and do best now living amongst humans in their own urban surroundings. Raccoons have very manipulative paws, which means they can open up jars, rubish or garbage cans and can even open door latches. They are also quite strong and have been known to rip up shingles, soffit, flashings and aluminium. On average, there are 10-25 raccoons per 2 square miles in many established urban areas. Do Raccoon Problems Go Away? Not until all the offending raccoons in your area have been removed.Most people make the mistake of stopping at trapping all the raccoons but without profesional help the den sites will continue to be used year round by another raccoon in the area. Why Not to Let Raccoons Live in Your Attics Long Raccoons like to set up latrines where they live and in the case of your attic this means making an attic unaccessible to humans in a very short period of time. The presence of a heavily contaminated attic from raccoon latrines can run into thousands if left unattended over a period of time and can eventually affect the value and sale of a home or building.If raccoons are presnt in your attic do not touch anything and where the right kind of mask raccoon latrines can be very dangerous to either come in contact with or to breath in an affected area. You can become infected by accidentally ingesting or inhaling infectious raccoon roundworm eggs. The eggs are passed in the raccoons stool and may contaminate surrounding soil or water. Hands can become contaminated through touching these areas, either through play or gardening. Infected raccoons can shed millions of eggs per day, and these eggs survive in the enviroment for months or years. The microscopic egg has a thick outer shell that protects it in the enviroment and makes it difficult to destroy. The eggs are not visible to the naked eye, so it is not possible to tell exactly what areas are contaminated. Precautions must be taken in all areas where there has been heavy raccoon activity, especially if latrines are seen. For more on Raccoon Roundworm Please visit the Centers For Disease Control Web site: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol9no12/03-0039.htm |
Raccoons genus Procyon, family Procyonidae |
Photos Courtesy Robb Russell, North Florida Wildlife Control Gainesville Florida 352-575-0121 |
The raccoon is found throughout North America and is the most common nuisance wildlife control problem found in buildings and in structures nationwide and in Canada. The raccoon is very intelligent and has adapted to have an appendage, similar to a thumb on all primates including man. The raccoon is very destructive and without professional help hard to keep out of structures. many homewoners often say they will close off the access points and quickly learn raccoons can re-enter most stuctures casuing even more damage. The average contractor lacks the experience to raccoon proof a home and I am amazed at when hoeowners called frustrating after trying every option possible other then hirting a "Wildlife Pro". -Robb Russell |