The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is an exceptionally intelligent and adaptable omnivore. This widely distributed species thrives across diverse environments, from urban centers to forested wetlands, due to its opportunistic feeding habits. Its diet is highly varied, shifting based on what is locally abundant and easiest to acquire. Ripe fruit, with its sweet, high-calorie content, becomes a significant component of their diet as seasons change.
Preferred Tree and Vine Fruits
Raccoons prefer soft, sweet fruits commonly found in North American gardens and orchards. Vine fruits, particularly grapes, are highly palatable due to their high sugar content. Raccoons are adept climbers and will ascend arbors and trellises to reach the ripe fruit, often consuming entire bunches in a single sitting.
Raccoons are significant consumers of bramble fruits, targeting wild and cultivated varieties such as blackberries and raspberries. These small fruits offer a dense source of simple sugars during late summer. Raccoons use their highly sensitive front paws to select the ripest berries from the canes, often stripping the bushes clean.
Stone fruits, including cherries and plums, are another favored category accessed directly from tree branches. Raccoons are agile climbers and will often strip trees of fruit just as it reaches peak ripeness, sometimes leaving behind only the hard pits. The primary attraction is the fleshy pulp surrounding the seed.
In cultivated areas, raccoons readily exploit apples and pears that have fallen to the ground, though they prefer softer, sweeter options when available. Their combination of climbing ability and manual dexterity allows them to forage both on the ground and directly from the plant. This concentrated consumption of high-calorie produce represents a dietary shift away from lower-energy sources like insects or small vertebrates.
Seasonal Availability and Nutritional Strategy
Fruit consumption peaks during late summer and early fall, coinciding with the natural ripening of most fruits. This timing is tied to the raccoon’s annual biological cycle and its need to accumulate significant body mass. High-sugar fruits provide a dense concentration of carbohydrates that are efficiently converted into fat reserves.
These fat stores are necessary for survival during colder months when food scarcity is common and the animal may enter periods of torpor. Building up this subcutaneous fat layer helps the raccoon maintain body temperature and energy levels throughout the winter. This seasonal consumption ensures the raccoon is nutritionally prepared for breeding and periods of resource scarcity.
Foraging for fruit during this peak season offers a high-reward, low-effort nutritional strategy compared to searching for insects or small vertebrates. Ripe fruit is easily digestible and provides immediate energy, supporting the metabolic demands of reproduction and survival. This opportunistic behavior drives the animal to exploit temporary abundance of high-calorie foods to maximize energy gain.
Protecting Fruit Crops from Raccoons
Protecting cultivated fruit requires implementing physical barriers and removing the primary incentive that draws raccoons to the area. Installing heavy-duty plastic or fine-gauge wire mesh netting over grape arbors and berry bushes can physically exclude them from the produce. The netting must be secured tightly to the ground or trunk base to prevent the animals from crawling underneath.
For larger areas or orchards, a low-voltage electric fence installed around the perimeter provides an effective deterrent. The fence should consist of two or three strands, with the lowest wire positioned four to six inches above the soil. This low placement is necessary because raccoons often try to burrow under obstructions, and the mild, non-lethal shock teaches avoidance.
Cultural practices also reduce attractiveness by removing the food source promptly. Harvesting fruit immediately when it ripens prevents the signal of abundance that attracts nocturnal foragers. Regularly clearing any fallen fruit from the ground eliminates an easy meal opportunity that would otherwise draw the animals back.