Leave six to eight inches of wire at the bottom and bend it out at a 90 o angle. Attach 1/2″ x 1/2″ mesh hardware cloth or 1″ x 1″ welded wire from the top of the outside joists to the bottom of the trench. For porches or decks built within two feet of the ground, dig a trench at least ten inches deep around the deck’s perimeter. Prevent raccoons from getting under porches or decks.If the newspaper was not moved overnight after a couple of days, it is safe to proceed with repairs and to close off the raccoon’s access points. To be sure the animal is out, loosely stuff newspaper into the openings during the morning or afternoon when the raccoon may be asleep inside. Make sure all raccoons are out of the building before sealing openings. Repair holes and close all openings to attics.Attach heavy duty, commercial grade chimney caps at the top of chimneys.Check to make sure that animals are not in the dumpster before closing the lid. It may be necessary to secure the lid with wire or a clamp. Store garbage in metal or tough plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.Do not leave pet food outside overnight.Remove tree branches that overhang the roof to limit access to chimney or attics.Raccoons are most likely to cause problems by denning under decks or porches or inside attics or chimneys, raiding garbage cans, digging up lawns or taking fruit or vegetables from gardens. In urban areas, they will supplement their diet with garbage and pet food.Ĭlick to expand. They also eat acorns, nuts, fruits, berries, corn, other grains, grasses and sedges. Raccoons will eat insects, crayfish, fish, turtles, voles, mice, birds and eggs. They are opportunistic feeders and their diet varies based upon what is available in their environment. Raccoons are omnivores, meaning that they eat both plant and animal material. Males typically have larger home ranges than females since they often travel during the breeding season to search for mates. The size of a home range varies based on habitat quality, season, population density, and the sex and age of the raccoon. Researchers have documented raccoon home ranges of 53 to 92 acres in suburban areas of northern Illinois. Home ranges of urban and suburban raccoons are typically smaller than those of rural raccoons because of the concentration of available water, food and shelter in many urban areas. They have several den sites in their home range. However, they will readily use barns, chimneys, attics or the space under decks and porches for shelter if they can gain access. Raccoons normally den in hollow trees or abandoned woodchuck or fox burrows. Raccoons are less common in grasslands or in agricultural areas with few trees since these areas provide fewer sources of shelter. Today raccoons can be found living in urban and suburban areas and in areas with a mixture of farmland and woodland. Historically raccoons lived in wooded river bottoms and were less abundant in the uplands. The raccoon is a generalist species and can be found nearly wherever food, water and shelter are available. Contact an IDNR District Wildlife Biologist.Hikers: Be alert for "aggressive" animals.Rare Visitors to Illinois: Large Carnivores.Repair Damage: What to Know Before Making Repairs.
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