Raccoons are highly adaptable animals that frequently interact with human environments, and their feces can carry significant health risks. Identifying raccoon droppings is important for public health and property integrity. Clear identification of this scat is the first step in managing a potential problem and protecting your family and pets from exposure to harmful pathogens.
Physical Characteristics for Identification
Raccoon scat is cylindrical and tubular, measuring between two and three inches in length, and roughly the diameter of a nickel or a dime. The ends of the droppings are usually blunted or rounded, distinguishing them from the tapered ends seen in the scat of animals like coyotes or foxes. Fresh feces are generally dark brown or black, but the color can vary based on the animal’s omnivorous diet.
Raccoons consume a wide variety of foods, and their scat frequently contains easily visible undigested materials. These include seeds from berries, small insect shells, or fragments of bone and fur. This segmented, granular texture is a strong indicator, as is the presence of a pungent, musky odor that can accompany the droppings.
Understanding Raccoon Latrines
Raccoons repeatedly defecate in the same location, creating a communal toilet area known as a latrine. Finding a concentrated, recurring pile of feces, rather than scattered individual droppings, is the most definitive sign of a raccoon’s presence. These sites often contain scat of various ages, ranging from fresh, dark pieces to older, weathered droppings that may appear bleached or dried out.
Latrines are typically established on elevated, flat surfaces, providing the raccoon with a vantage point and a sense of security. Common outdoor locations include:
- The base of large trees, stumps, fallen logs, and rocks.
- Raised structures like the roofs of sheds, garages, or decks.
Indoors, raccoons often create latrines in secluded areas like unsealed attics, crawl spaces, or haylofts, which indicates they may be nesting nearby.
Health Hazards Associated with Raccoon Scat
The primary public health concern associated with raccoon scat is the presence of the parasitic roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis. Adult roundworms live within the raccoon’s intestine and shed millions of microscopic eggs into the feces daily. These eggs are not immediately infectious, but they become highly resilient and infective within two to four weeks once exposed to the environment.
The main route of transmission to humans and pets is through accidental ingestion of these infectious eggs from contaminated surfaces, soil, or water. While inhalation of the eggs has not been documented to cause infection, disturbing dried scat can aerosolize other harmful material. Once ingested, the larvae hatch and migrate through the host’s tissues, a condition known as larva migrans.
If the larvae migrate to the brain, they can cause a severe and potentially fatal neurological disease known as Neural Larva Migrans. This condition can lead to severe symptoms such as loss of coordination, lack of attention, liver enlargement, and blindness. The eggs are extremely durable and can survive in the environment for several years, maintaining the hazard long after the raccoon has left the site.
Safe Cleanup and Prevention
Due to the significant health risk posed by the roundworm eggs, cleaning a raccoon latrine requires specific safety measures and equipment. Personal protective equipment is mandatory and should include disposable gloves, rubber boots, and an N95-rated particle respirator, especially when working in confined indoor spaces like attics. It is important to avoid stirring up dust by lightly misting the area with water from a spray bottle before beginning the removal process.
The contaminated feces and material must be scooped up gently with a shovel or inverted plastic bag and sealed tightly in heavy-duty plastic bags for disposal in the trash. Chemical disinfectants like bleach are ineffective against the roundworm eggs, so surfaces must be disinfected using extreme heat. Hard, non-flammable surfaces, such as concrete or metal, should be treated with boiling water or a propane torch to instantly kill the infectious eggs.
Prevention involves removing attractants and sealing potential entry points to discourage raccoons from establishing new latrines. Securing garbage cans with tight-fitting lids eliminates a major food source, while trimming tree branches away from the roof can restrict access to elevated surfaces. Sealing all exterior openings into attics, crawl spaces, and sheds is an important step to prevent raccoons from nesting and defecating inside the home.