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Raccoons cause
damage or nuisance problems around houses and outbuildings when they seek to gain entrance to attics or chimneys or when they
raid garbage in search of food. In many urban or suburban areas, raccoons are learning that uncapped chimneys make very adequate
substitutes for more traditional hollow trees for use as denning sites, particularly in spring. In extreme cases, raccoons
may tear off shingles or facia boards in order to gain access to an attic or wall space.
As new homes begin to appear in formally
forested areas, humans now provided a food sourse for wildlife. This sourse comes as roadside trash, household garbage, compost,
gardens, fruit trees, bird seed, suet, lawn grubs, pet food, road kills, ETC... . These food sources enhance the food supply
for adaptable species like raccoons and skunks.
What to do? If you're concerned
about potential conflicts with wildlife, make your home and yard as unattractive to animals as possible. Eliminate all artificial
food sources, take in bird feeders, enclose the compost pile, and secure your trash in covered containers. Eliminate the
shelter and potential den sites by screening off crawl spaces and capping the chimney
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