Viewing post #1144687 by JuneOntario

You are viewing a single post made by JuneOntario in the thread called Raccoons.
Image
May 10, 2016 8:03 PM CST
Name: June
Rosemont, Ont. (Zone 4a)
Birds Beavers Lover of wildlife (Raccoon badge) Native Plants and Wildflowers Dragonflies Cat Lover
Region: Canadian Cactus and Succulents Butterflies Deer Garden Ideas: Level 1
All is not sweetness and light when it comes to raccoons. They, like many territorial animals, sometimes make a statement by leaving a pile of poop. Sometimes they use poop to say, “This is part of my territory”, in which case it is usually left in a prominent place such as the middle of a bridge or log that they use to cross a stream, or on a raised deck or stump where they sit to view their territory. Their poop can also express displeasure or anger. When I am late delivering food to the bird table, and a raccoon arrives to find the table empty, sometimes I arrive to find poop. When I set out my cactus collection on my deck for the summer, if a raccoon investigates the pots and pricks its sensitive palms, it may turn around and poop on the plants.

Dispose of raccoon poop as if it were mildly radioactive. Raccoon poop may contain the eggs of roundworm parasites. If the poop is dry the eggs can become airborne, and you don’t want to be breathing them in, so if you find dry excrement, handle it very carefully. Raccoon poop may also contain leptospirosis bacteria, which can enter the body through cuts. When removing raccoon poop always wear gloves, and preferably use a tool such as a trowel so that even your gloves do not touch the poop, and afterwards disinfect the tool you used. Dispose of the poop in a place where no-one will accidentally touch it. I’ve been cleaning up after raccoons on this property for twelve years and never had any health problems from it, but I would worry if I had young children, outdoor pets, or farm animals that might come into contact with raccoon poop.

« Return to the thread "Raccoons"
« Return to Gardening for Wildlife forum
« Return to the Garden.org homepage

Member Login:

( No account? Join now! )