Pest Management Professional, November 2015

PhotoS Dr StePhen VantaSSel The Wild Side Raccoons By Dr Stephen M Vantassel CWCP Contributor Raccoons unmasked Vantassel owns Wildlife Control Consultant LLC He can be reached at stephenvantassel@ hotmail com Because this pest can be found in the city suburbs or country managing raccoons can help boost business W ith their black burglarstyle mask and striped tail raccoons are among the most recognizable native species in the United States Tips for recognizing the presence of and dealing with Procyon lotor are idenTificaTion TipS Inspect structures carefully Raccoons only need a 1 in thick overhanging branch to access a roof If there are no branches available raccoons will just climb a downspout or the corner of a building Look for the telltale smudge marks and scratches see Fig 1 Although they prefer heights for their dens raccoons will use ground level dens under porches and sheds and even in abandoned woodchuck holes Clients often complain of birds chirping and chattering in their attic or fireplace This sound is usually indicative of raccoon young Ensure your technicians know what it sounds like a search of chattering raccoons on YouTube can offer examples because raccoon births are not restricted to the spring By contrast grinding noises are indicative of chimney swifts a federally protected species Raccoons tend to defecate repeatedly in the same location creating what is commonly called a raccoon latrine or toilette Check the roof attic and other open areas for piles of dark feces that are tubular in shape segmented and approximately 05 in wide TReaTmenT TipS Always use professional grade cage traps because their sturdier doors and treadles and tighter mesh 05x1 in reduce a raccoons ability to reach and damage the trap and nearby objects see Fig 2 Always set at least three traps per site and position them as close as possible to the den entrance or along the raccoons travel route Multiple traps provide the opportunity to use various baits Dont translocate move and release raccoons outside their home range unless your state regulations mandate it Translocated raccoons suffer terribly trying to reorient themselves to their new environment and translocation risks moving diseases to new areas Additionally translocated raccoons learn to avoid cage traps forcing you to employ alternative and often riskier methods to capture them Never secure access points until youre certain raccoons are no longer using them Place movement indicators over holes such as duct tape in an X pattern or use wads of newspaper as a plug Monitor the holes for at least three days of fair weather to verify the opening is no longer used PMP Fig 2 A raccoon dug up the soil around this trap and pulled in the trap cover This is why you want to use professional grade traps Raccoons and disease Raccoons are signifcant vectors for rabies and raccoon roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis Be sure technicians are informed and follow the rabies protocols and carcass submission guidelines in your state Provide clients with literature from the U S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC or your state health department Obtain their signatures on a form to keep on fle confrming they have received this information Raccoon roundworm eggs can survive in the environment for years Clients with raccoon latrines on their roofs or in the landscape should be educated about the risk these toilettes pose particularly to children Handling toilettes in attics can be complicated CDC research Stacks cdc gov view cdc 16492 shows that the eggs die when exposed to temperatures above 144 F for up to a minute Eggs shielded by soil or other insulating materials likely need higher temperatures but dont assume attic temperatures get high enough to kill roundworm eggs While we know dry heat can desiccate eggs over time we dont know how long roundworm eggs survive in the hot dry conditions typical in attics I have proposed a protocol for cleaning up raccoon toilettes For more information download the fle at icWdm org publications pdf diseases Baylisascaris 20procyonis Vantassel 20 20raccoon 20latrines2011 pdf S V Fig 1 Note the subtlety of raccoon prints on a downspout 62 November 2015 Pest Management Professional mypmp net