How to Bait Raccoons
Raccoons are a North American mammal known for both their intelligence and pesky nature. Raccoons are nocturnal creatures and have a tendency to raid people's trash cans for food. While it's not advisable to keep a raccoon as a pet or even to feed wild raccoons, sometimes the only way to get rid of one is to bait it and catch it. Raccoons are omnivores and eat a variety of foods, so selecting a bait shouldn't be too difficult. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Raccoon trap
- Gardening gloves
- Fish
- Honey
- Sugar
- Vegetables
- Sweet corn
- Watermelon
- Bacon
- Marshmallows
Instructions
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1
Set the trap in the area where you've seen or suspect to find raccoons. Follow the instructions included with the trap when putting it together.
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2
Select your bait. According to Havahart, "a leading manufacturer of caring control products for wildlife," raccoons love fish (smoked, canned, or fresh), vegetables coated with sugar or honey, sweet corn, cooked fatty meat (like bacon), watermelon and marshmallows.
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3
Set the bait at the end of the trap to make sure the raccoon isn't able to just grab the bait and run, evading capture.
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4
Check the trap at least twice a day. Since raccoons are nocturnal mammals, check every morning to see if a raccoon was caught the previous night. Always bring a pair of gardening gloves with you when checking the trap. If you caught another animal by mistake, you'll need to let it go.
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5
Change the bait every two days to keep it fresh and more appealing to the raccoon.
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Tips & Warnings
Release raccoons at least ten miles away from your area to ensure they don't come back.
Call your local animal control center if you capture a raccoon or any other animal. They'll be more than happy to take care of it for you.
Raccoons are wild animals and sometimes carry diseases that can transmit to humans and pets. Handle raccoons at your own risk.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit raccoon image by masteraz from Fotolia.com
