The Many Places Raccoons Call Home

Raccoon den sites can be almost anywhere, under a log, high up in a tree, in an attic and even a race car. Monroe Animal Control Officer Ed Risko will investigate whether or not there is a den on Nancy Drive.

On April 5, a homeowner told him her dog has been obsessed with a tree in her yard, which has a hole 50 feet off the ground. The dog is constantly chewing on the base of the tree.

"All I can think of is a raccoon den site," said Risko. "You can't identify the tree until you see something pop out."

Risko shared photos for this article of baby raccoons sticking their heads out of a hole in a tree on East Village Road two years ago.

Aside from that obvious sign, Risko said another clue is bark debris at the base of tree, which can be evidence that an animal climbed up it. Other signs are claw marks on the tree and scat on the ground nearby.

Officers will only try to find out if there is a den site on Nancy Drive for identification purposes, according to Risko, who said Animal Control only takes action when an animal is sick or injured.

Baby Raccoons on East Village

In June of 2011, an adult female raccoon struck by a vehicle on East Village Road had died from its injuries. Risko said officers searched for a den site to see if it had any kits.

Two days later, a woman driving on East Village Road reported seeing a baby raccoon. When she stopped her car, Risko said the kit immediately crawled inside the bottom of her vehicle and had to by taken out.

After two more days, another driver saw several baby raccoons along East Village Road.

When their mother does not return for a long time, Risko said the kits that are strong enough will climb out of the den and look for her.

"We had been watching some probable trees," Risko said, adding one of them turned out to be the den site.

As he inspected the tree more closely, Risko said, "Those babies are inquisitive. They see me looking around and think it's mom and start coming out."

Raccoons in the Attic

In another photo Risko shared, an attic vent of a house can be seen behind a basketball hoop in a driveway on Maryanne Drive. One of the vent slats had been pried back. A raccoon family had claimed the attic as a den site in May of 2011, according to Risko.

Raccoons will either climb up a tree or bushes alongside the house to reach an attic vent or climb right up the siding, Risko said, adding you can find paw prints.

Other places used as den sites by raccoons include beneath a log, in chimneys, inside walls, in a cabinet inside a barn, in drains, culverts and under porches.

The Racing Car Story

On February 25 of this year, a Gay Bower Road resident lifted the tarp off his race car in the morning and found extensive damage, including ripped up seats and animal feces in one corner of the interior. The guilty party was still in the car.

Risko said a raccoon, who made the window-less race car a den site this winter, was hiding against the passenger side door. (See the photo)

He believes the animal climbed up a snowbank and underneath the tarp before entering the car through the open trunk.

The raccoon tore up the seats to make bedding and used one corner of the vehicle as a latrine, Risko said, adding that raccoons consistently use one area to go to the bathroom just like cats use litter boxes — keeping it a good distance from its nesting space.

Risko said a recommendation was made to the owner that he eliminate the den site by keeping the tarp off the car and letting light shine in. This would make the raccoon uncomfortable and it would leave on its own.

He could also hire a nuisance wildlife control operator to trap and remove the raccoon, then clean up the latrine and seal up the car's entry points, according to Risko.