What do racoons eat in the wild?

Hi screwdriver,

Thank you for your question.


http://pelotes.jea.com/AnimalFact/Mammal/raccoon.htm

"WHAT DO RACCOONS EAT?  In the wild, a raccoon is omnivorous, eating
plants and animals.  Its menu includes plants like berries, acorns,
and grapes.  It also eats animals including baby mice, baby birds &
eggs, frogs, crayfish, fiddler crabs, fish, and even some snakes. 
Around people, the raccoon loves to eat the corn in our gardens,
garbage, and even animals that have been killed by cars.  Basically,
the raccoon can live almost anywhere and eat almost anything."

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http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/information/Procyon_lotor.html

What do they eat?

"Raccoons are omnivorous and will eat most things that they find. In
some areas raccoons tend to eat more fruits and nuts than animal prey.
Corn may make up a large part of the diet in agricultural areas.
Raccoons consume more invertebrate prey than vertebrate prey.
Crayfish, insects, rodents, frogs, and bird eggs are all possible
components of a raccoon's diet. In areas populated by people raccoons
also include trash and other foods in their diet."
 
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Best regards,
tlspiegel

Habits

"In the spring and early summer their diet consists primarily of
insects, crayfish, fish, fresh water mussels or clams and frogs. As
the summer passes, their diet also includes all types of fruits,
berries, nuts, acorns, vegetables and grains. During the latter part
of the growing season, raccoons can cause severe damage to garden
crops, especially sweet corn and tomatoes."


Traps And Trapping Regulations

"Traps can be baited with sardines, canned fish-flavored cat food, dog
food, an open-faced peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich, fish,
chicken, marshmallows, oatmeal and honey, apples, fresh fruit such as
strawberries, or any other aromatic bait."
- http://www.hort.uconn.edu/ipm/homegrnd/htms/8racoon.htm

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Population Reduction

"Live traps at least 10 x 12 x 32 inches
constructed of sturdy metal or wire can be
baited with marshmallows to reduce cap-
ture of nontarget mammals."
- http://wildlifecontrol.info/ccewdmp/Publications/Raccoon_factsheet.pdf

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Hope that helps ^_^

Leonis

Hi screwdriver,

Thank you for the tip and 5 star rating.  :)

Best regards,
tlspiegel

And momma-Racoon yells at you, as you observe her with her children
eating cat food on the porch (with the cats snarling up on the shelf,
and the little Tibetan-Spaniel/Pug cross being silently confused).

You don't want to welcome racoons.