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March/April 2000 issue	In this issue Table of Contents Editor’s Notebook Inside Story Feature: Raccoons Curious by nature

RACCOONS ARE ATTRACTED to urban areas by plentiful food supplies and living spaces. This can cause problems for people, as raccoons build dens in chimneys, attics, sheds, under porches and in other spaces.

If you suspect you’re sharing your home with raccoons, the City of Toronto Animal Services recommends the following:

• Try to find where the animals have been entering. (The entrance to a typical raccoon den is between 18 and 43 cm in diameter.) To verify, sprinkle flour around it and watch for footprints. Alternatively, stuff the suspected entrance with a rag and see if it gets removed.
• If you find you do have some unwelcome guests, encourage them to leave by using strong odours, lights or loud sounds. Use a bright light to illuminate the raccoon den, hang ammonia-soaked rags in or around the entrance, or leave a blaring radio nearby tuned to a talk-radio station.
• Remember that between March and June young raccoons that are not yet mobile enough to leave a den may be present.
• The best way to ensure raccoons don’t return is to remove the incentive: ensure that garbage cans have tight-fitting lids, and that entrances into attics, sheds and other spaces are sealed. Also, keep pet food indoors, barbecues clean and wherever possible use enclosed composters.

For more tips on dealing with raccoons, please refer to The City of Toronto Animal Services.

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