Though cute, raccoons can be a nuisance.
With bandit masks and banded tails, raccoons are curious and inquisitive creatures. Averaging 2 to 3 feet long and weighing 10 to 30 pounds, raccoons are frequently found in neighborhoods bordering woodland areas. While cute, they can also be a nuisance, raiding trash cans and gardens, invading attics and storage spaces and threatening pets and people. One of the most effective ways to relocate raccoons to a more remote area is with a live trap. A wireframe box, the live trap has a trigger that releases a trap door when the raccoon enters, safely and securely capturing the animal.
Instructions
1. Place the trap in an area that raccoons are known to frequent. Gardens, areas where trash cans are kept and patios were pet food is left out are prime locations. Camouflage the trap by covering it with leaves and branches.
2. Set the trap. Test the trap a couple of times to ensure that it is working properly. Set the trap a final time. Choose a bait that will attract raccoons, such as dry cat food, fish, watermelon, bacon, marshmallows or corn.
3. Scatter the bait along a path from the outside of the trap all the way to the back of the inside of the trap. Do not place bait only on the trigger pan, as a raccoon will simply eat it off the the pan and fail to trigger the trap.
4. Check the trap at least twice a day to see if raccoon has been caught. This is especially important during very hot or very cold weather.
5. When a raccoon has been captured, cover the trap with a blanket or other cover to calm the animal and limit human interaction. Tip the trap up and examine the underbelly of the raccoon to determine if it is a nursing mother. If so, immediately release the raccoon to ensure her babies will survive.
6. Take the raccoon to a remote location if you plan on releasing it. Remove the cover and carefully open the door to the trap. Stand behind the trap and hold the blanket out in front of you as a shield. The raccoon should head for the nearest cover.
7. Retrieve the trap and wash and disinfect it thoroughly with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Allow the solution to remain on the trap for about a half hour. Rinse and dry the trap before storage.
Tips Warnings
Contact your local Humane Society or game commission to determine rules and regulations concerning the release of nuisance raccoons before you begin trapping.
Never leave unattended children near a captured raccoon.
Raccoons can carry rabies and other diseases. Handle each captured raccoon with care. If you suspect that the raccoon you have captured is ill, do not release the animal. Leave the raccoon in the trap covered with a blanket or other cloth and contact your local animal control for assistance.
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