Raccoon Poop
OK, so let's talk about POOP! HA, did you ever really think you would be google-ing about poop? Well chances are you were in your attic looking for something and lo and behold there is a pile of Poop, eww! But hmm, what animal left this nasty mess behind? Well let's take a few minutes and go over Raccoon poop and its main characteristics, this guide will help you determine if it is indeed a raccoon that is in your attic or if based on the poop, feces and dropping could it be another animal? Read through the article and if it is indeed a raccoon then click through to see how to control and remove it. If you determine that it is not a raccoon infesting and pooping in your attic, then check out the other Animal Control and Poop Identification articles I have written about in the Poop Gallery!
One of the biggest questions most customers ask me in the field is what kind of feces is this? How can I tell what kind of animal left these droppings in my attic? How do I know whether or not this group is indeed raccoon feces and not possum poop or squirrel poop or rat poop? There a lot of distinguishing factors when it comes to determining raccoon poop, as you can tell from the pictures on this page.
How big are raccoon droppings? Raccoon poop is about the size of dog poop; raccoon droppings are notorious for having what appears to be seeds inside of the raccoon poop. It almost looks like pieces of berries are present in the raccoon poop. The explanation for why raccoon poop includes seeds and berries is that raccoons spend the majority of their time outdoors eating berries, fruits and nuts. You can find anything edible from the wild inside raccoon droppings. If you look closely at the pictures of the raccoon poop on the right, you'll see how raccoon feces are blackish in color.
If you were trying to identify raccoon poop or trying to figure out how you can tell if you do indeed have raccoons in the attic (based on the poop that's on the insulation), you're going to look for the following distinguishing factors. Generally raccoon poop is about the size of dog poop; it is about a half inch to an inch in diameter, depending on the size and the age of the raccoon that is in your attic. Most of the time when you have raccoons in the attic, it's going to be a female that is pregnant and about to have her babies. Like I said earlier, the biggest giveaway with how to tell if it is raccoon poop is going to be the berries in the poop itself. Generally raccoon poop will break in the middle (not a continuous string of poop), as seen in this picture of raccoon poop on the left. This is one way to distinguish raccoon poop from opossum poop: opossum will generally be one continuous pile.
If you are in your attic and you notice that the raccoon poop you find is in piles with urine spread around, this is called the latrine. Raccoons, unlike most other animals, will only poop in one area. Almost think of this as a toilet bowl. Whenever rats, opossums and squirrels poop, they will defecate wherever they're walking. There is no rhyme or reason why raccoons will only poop in certain areas collectively. Raccoon latrines are also referred to as “the train” because raccoon feces in the attic will pile up.
Regardless of what animal your poop belongs to, you want to make sure that you DO NOT touch feces you find in your attic. You should call a professional for wild animal poop removal. If you do decide to remove poop you find in your attic without the assistance of a professional wildlife control team, you definitely want to make sure you have a respirator on because raccoon feces contain several different types of bacteria and insects that can harm you and potentially lead to death. One horrible health issue that stems directly from raccoon poop is roundworm. Roundworm, if ingested, leads to a variety of symptoms and can become fatal. Raccoon roundworm can become ingested by simply breathing it in if you are around raccoon feces. If you do not treat the roundworm that you ingest from raccoon poop, you can eventually die. There are also other bacterias affiliated with raccoon poop such as histoplasmosis and hantavirus, which are both diseases that can lead to severe respiratory issues.
Another frequent question that customers call me and ask me about is what does raccoon poop smell like? To be honest with you, it smells exactly how it sounds terrible. Feces from raccoons have a very strong odor mixed in with urine, so the feces will start to smell like ammonia as well as rotting feces. Flies, larvae and other parasites will gather around this raccoon poop in your attic, so you want to make sure you're extremely careful. Remember that diseases can easily and instantly become ingested or inhaled from simple proximity with raccoon roundworm. Eggs can also be found in feces and urine from raccoons, which can also be inhaled. Larvae that is inside this parasite will start to affect the central nervous system of a human, causing diarrhea, dehydration and can lead to further health issues. For this reason, you should hire professional raccoon trappers and professional raccoon removal companies when dealing with raccoons in the attic. A professional raccoon company like Centurian Wildlife Control uses proper respiratory safety equipment, including hazmat suits, to protect the working technicians during raccoon feces removal. Professionals will remove the entirety of raccoon poop and raccoon urine in the attic that safely to ensure the environment is clean and sanitized and prevent any inhalation of hazardous diseases. Once raccoon poop is removed by a professional wildlife control company, your raccoon trapper will sanitize the attic and all of the areas where the raccoon poop was in order to guarantee the safety of our customers clients and family.
Raccoon droppings around your property, home, lawn or attic need to be removed immediately. Raccoon poop does smell; raccoons are wild animals that live outside. Raccoons also tend to defecate in residential, as well as lakes, rivers and ponds. If you find raccoon poop in any of these places or around your house or attic, stay away from it and make sure your dogs, cats and kids don't touch it, eat it or play with it. You do not want your children or pets to ingest any of the harmful bacteria and diseases that are affiliated with raccoon poop or raccoon urine. Excrement found your attic commonly belongs to raccoons; if you think you may have an issue with raccoon infestation in your attic, please inspect the images on the left to confirm that what you have found indeed belongs to raccoons. You'll be able to get a good idea of what species you're found feces belong to. There are a lot of features of raccoon poop that makes it different than other animal feces, so please pay a lot of attention to these. These raccoon feces pictures will help you when trying to identify whether or not you are dealing with raccoons in your attic or raccoons pooping on your lawn.
2017 Updates on Identifying Raccoon Poop!
Procyon lotor is the Latin name for the bandit faced, fuzzy adorable creature commonly known as the raccoon. “Lotor" is neo-Latin for "washer". In the wild, raccoons often dabble for underwater food near the shore-line. Additionally one behavior of our four legged friend includes washing their food before they eat. For this reason, many Florida homeowners report raccoon sightings in or around their pool area. More often than not, the raccoon is not actually visible, but its droppings are a unique identifier that will confirm a raccoon has been taking a few late night dips in the family pool, a walk through the garden or a nap in the attic.
Raccoon droppings are unique in texture and shape. The diet of an adult raccoon varies, but the poop is easily identified. The droppings are crumbly, flat ended, and can contain a number of different undigested food items. Because a raccoon’s diet is determined completely by its environment, it can include fruits, plants, nuts, berries, insects, rodents, frogs, eggs, and crayfish. In urban environments, the animal often sifts through garbage for food.
Raccoon droppings may carry several potentially dangerous diseases. Rabies is one of the worst, but rarely reported. Viral canine distemper is periodically the gravest concern. As raccoon populations grow, crowding leads to exposure and spread of this threatening condition. Other types of infections include raccoon parvoviralenteritis (parvo), infectious canine hepatitis, and pseudorabies. Because these microbes are hidden in the poop, contact should be completely avoided.
As the canine distemper virus builds, the cuteness fades. Raccoons are often observed foraging in the daytime and acting more aggressively than usual. Other animals, including house pets, are vulnerable to the virus. Distemper can be spread through contact with a diseased animal or through their droppings (which dogs find fascinating). Additionally, avid gardeners often come into contact with raccoon droppings, unknowingly.
Sightings of raccoon poop in the attic are common in Florida. Homeowners find that these unwelcomed guests have made themselves at home to protest litters and stay warm during the winter. Calling a local wildlife removal company is the best advice for removing the threats associated with raccoon poop.
Living with raccoon poop is never easy. Humans and pets need to be protected against the variety of infections that can result from exposure and contact. Wildlife removal companies are easily accessed through common internet search engines. The dangers of attempting removal can be completely avoided by calling a wildlife removal professional. The solution to unwanted raccoon poop is just a few clicks away.
If you think you are having an issue with raccoon poop and want to get an expert opinion, give me a call! We are always available to help identify what kind of feces you have found and would be happy to send one of our technicians out to assist you.