In order to effectively deter the nocturnal visitors, you have to know which animal the legacies come from. We’ll show you how to spot raccoon droppings and the best way to get rid of them.
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The raccoon (Procyon lotor)
No obstacle is too high for the raccoon. Without much effort, he overcomes fences and walls, climbs trees or over the gutters on house roofs. The animals like to penetrate basements and attics. The cute climbing artists often leave behind enormous damage in buildings. The dirt from urine and faeces make up only a small part.
Distinguishing feature latrines
Raccoons create shared toilets, so-called latrines. These are shared by several raccoons in an area.
In addition to their original purpose, these latrines are a communication aid. With the help of the legacies, the raccoons recognize who is currently in the vicinity.
Raccoon latrines are located at elevated locations. This is considered a key feature in distinguishing raccoon droppings from the droppings of other animals. In the garden, the raccoon looks for boards or branches for his business, even in a basement room he would choose an elevation as a latrine.
It is typical of the raccoon that it continues to use places once it has been chosen as latrines.
Appearance of raccoon droppings
- resembles the feces of a small dog
- Visible admixtures of hair, as raccoons clean themselves thoroughly
- it often contains cherry stones, other indigestible leftover food or leftovers from household waste
- pungent smell
- characteristic paw prints in the perimeter
risk of confusion
Various wild and domestic animals are out and about in the garden at night. It is therefore not easy to identify the culprit. The legacies of hedgehogs, rabbits, squirrels, rats and mice are significantly smaller than those of raccoons. the
Feces from cats and martens are similar and can eventually be confused. Cats have a habit of burying their droppings in soft soil. Sable droppings have a very strong smell.
Dogs do not defecate in raised areas, which makes it easier to tell them apart from raccoons. Foxes, on the other hand, leave their droppings in raised places, as does the Procyon lotor. Fox droppings are black to gray in color. Characteristic are the pointed sausages and the biting smell. Badgers are just as clean animals as raccoons. They deposit their droppings in latrines, but not in elevated places. Badger droppings can be recognized by a rough surface and a distinctive cylindrical shape.
Clean up raccoon droppings
Contact with raccoon feces can transmit diseases. As with all wild animals, the droppings contain worms and other parasites.
Please note:
- Wear disposable gloves, shoe covers and a face mask when removing.
- Treat the affected areas with disinfectant spray.
- Put the leftovers in a plastic bag and seal it.
- Throw away the plastic bags, gloves, shoe covers and rags in the trash.
Even if the droppings are no longer visible, unpleasant odors remain. These must be removed as completely as possible, because raccoons always return to places that they have marked with their scent marks. Chemical cleaning agents are used here. After cleaning, odor fresheners or vinegar can help.
Tips for repelling raccoons in the garden:
- Don’t put food leftovers on the compost
- Do not leave cat food unclosed on the patio
- Close the rubbish bins tightly, weigh them down with a stone if necessary
- Yellow bags should only be left out for collection
- do without green facades
- Close garages and summer houses tightly
- Remove fallen fruit immediately
- Close skylights
- Cut back branches from trees near the house
- Repair loose or broken roof tiles
- Coat gutters and downpipes with special sleeves
