May 2011 - The Masked Bandit

The Masked Bandit

Raccoons are a familiar sight just about everywhere, because they will eat just about anything. Commonly referred to as the “masked bandit” for good reason, they can get into about anything. They are adaptable and use their dexterous front paws and long fingers to find and feast on a wide variety of fare. They will open garbage cans to dine on the contents. They can open doors, pull out drawers, and because of their nimble little hands, sheer determination, and natural curiosity when it comes to food, raccoons are notorious for making a mess as they search for something to eat.

In the natural world, raccoons snare a lot of their meals in the water. These nocturnal foragers use lightning-quick paws to grab crayfish, frogs, and other aquatic creatures. On land, they pluck mice and insects from their hiding places and raid nests for tasty eggs.

Raccoons are nocturnal, but can sometimes be seen during daylight hours. They are solitary animals and the only social group raccoons form consist of a mother and her young. Females have one to seven cubs in early summer. The young raccoons often spend the first two months or so of their lives high-up in a tree hole. Later, mother and cubs move to the ground where the cubs begin to explore on their own.

Raccoons will often enter homes in the spring and early summer to raise their litters - and in the cold winter months to seek shelter, most commonly inside attics. Entry points on a home include roof vents, rotten boards, louver vents, soffit vents and chimneys. Raccoons have been known to tear roofs made of soft wood. They can also cause damage within attics, including contamination of the insulation from feces and urine, damage to the insulation, damage to wiring from building nests, staining of drywall from urine and water damage at the animal entry point, and damage to the shingles, fascia board, soffits and vents that they enter through.

If a raccoon, or any other critter gets too close for comfort, call the professionals at Critter Control for assistance by dialing 1-800-CRITTER.


For animal removal, animal exclusion and animal damage repair services, call the professionals at CRITTER CONTROL anywhere in the U.S., by dialing 1-800-CRITTER (274-8837).

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