Do you know what to do if you discover raccoon waste in your yard? Raccoons in your yard are entertaining to watch until they start using it as a bathroom. Whatever you want to call it—raccoon scat, excrement, or feces—it is a major issue for your yard.
You can learn everything you need to know about raccoon waste from this tutorial. Additionally, you’ll discover how to safeguard yourself and prevent it from happening again.
All right? So let’s get going.
What does Raccoon Poop look like?
Finding raccoon excrement can occasionally be challenging. It can resemble dog excrement a lot. Having a dog only makes things more confusing.
Raccoon feces typically has blunt edges and is shaped like a long sausage. If raccoons have eaten berries, their waste may resemble little pellets.
It typically measures about 2-3 inches in length and about a dime’s thickness.
The hue is a very dark brown that is almost black, but depending on what they’ve eaten, it can change.
Searching for uneaten food is the most frequent method of telling dog poop from raccoon excrement. In raccoon waste, you’ll find sizable pieces of food.
You might also notice that there is a pile of human waste. That indicates that the raccoon frequently visits the same location. A latrine is the location that the raccoon selects to return to.
Near trees, stumps, decks, pools, and patios in your yard, raccoon latrines are most frequently discovered.
The dangers of raccoon poop
The health of people and pets is a danger of Raccoon poop.
You, kids, or a pet could become quite ill from raccoon poop. The cost of the medical and veterinary care will be expensive.
Let’s examine the dangers that raccoon waste poses to human health.
Roundworm
The most common parasite discovered in raccoon feces is the raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris Procyonis).
The parasite’s eggs can even last for years in the soil and are found in raccoon waste. If consumed, they have the potential to:
- Nausea
- Tiredness
- Liver issues
- Confusion
- Muscle Control Loss
- Blindness
- Coma
Raccoon roundworm is especially dangerous to young children and animals. This is due to the fact that they are more prone to burrowing in the ground and eating the dirt.
Children who came into contact with raccoon faeces were found to have lifelong developmental impairments.
Other animals that wander into your yard could get sick or possibly pass away from this parasite infection.
The good news is that it takes 2-4 weeks for raccoon poop-derived eggs to become contagious. Therefore, the sooner you have raccoon poop cleaned up, the lower the risk of illness.
Giardia
In the USA, giardiasis is a very widespread digestive illness. It spreads swiftly and effortlessly. The raccoon dung will probably be contaminated with giardia if it comes into touch with water, dirt, or other surfaces.
This parasite results in vomiting, cramping in the abdomen, diarrhea, and dehydration. even if other individuals might not have symptoms.
Giardia typically has little effect on pets. Although there is a small chance, that pets could pick up the parasite from raccoon dung and pass it on to humans through their own feces.
Giardia can endure extremely frigid temperatures for months. That means there is a chance of getting this illness even from wintertime raccoon waste.
Leptospirosis
Raccoon urine contains a bacteria that causes leptospirosis. Raccoons will urinate and defecate in the same area, which is a problem.
Therefore, you run the chance of coming into contact with both raccoon urine and dung when you find poop.
This bacteria has the potential to badly illen both people and animals. Fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or diarrhea are the first symptoms. Meningitis, liver damage, and kidney failure may occur if they are not treated.
Mold
Raccoon waste left untreated may begin to build mold, which is bad for your health. Numerous diseases can live in mold. These pose a particular risk to the well-being of your respiratory system.
Additionally, this growth may harm the plants and animals in your yard.
If raccoons are using your decking as a bathroom, the mold that develops on the waste can harm the wood over time.
Odor
The smell of ammonia is especially strong in raccoon waste and urine. Once the poop begins to build up, it will emit an awfully strong odor.
Your backyard will become virtually intolerable to be in until it clears.
strong scents might result in headaches, nausea, disorientation, and respiratory problems. If left untreated, it can also have an impact on your mood.
Even more nuisance species, like mice or rats, may be drawn to your yard by these overpowering odors.
Why do raccoons poop in your yard?
Raccoons will urinate in your yard because they have discovered a location where they feel secure and at ease to relieve themselves.
A raccoon will return often once it finds a secure place to poop. The excrement then begins to accumulate.
Worse than that, though?
Raccoons do their business together!
Therefore, all raccoons enjoy using a particular poop spot when one raccoon discovers it.
Therefore, if you discover one Raccoon scat in your yard, it won’t take long for there to be several every day.
How to get rid of raccoon poop
The best course of action if a raccoon latrine is found in your yard is to clean it up right away.
As much as possible, the transmission of disease can be stopped by a swift clean-up.
When it comes to getting rid of raccoon poop, you have two choices.
- Engage a pest control expert.
- You should clean it.
Hiring pest control for raccoon poop
The safest way to protect yourself is by doing this. By avoiding contact with raccoon waste, you will avoid getting sick.
To ensure that all the feces are safely disposed of, a pest control firm will perform a thorough deep clean of the area. They’ll advise cleaning up the surrounding yard as well.
Depending on what needs to be done, a raccoon yard clean-up service might cost anywhere from $200 to $700.
The cost per square foot for excrement cleanup alone ranges from $1.50 to $3 on average. If you have a sizable yard, that might add up rapidly.
How to Clean up Raccoon Poop
The CDC suggests that you use a professional to remove raccoon waste. However, he offers instructions for doing it yourself.
Preparation
- Wear reusable items of clothing and footwear.
- The safest choice is to use disposable shoes and clothing.
- Put on reusable gloves.
- To avoid inhaling infectious particles when in a confined location, wear a respirator with a N95 rating.
Step by Step
1. Use a shovel and bag or an inverted plastic bag to collect the raccoon waste.
2. If the latrine is on dirt, dig off a layer of earth that is 2-4″ thick and put it in the bag.
3. Thoroughly close the bag.
4. The bag can be burned or thrown away to be dumped in a landfill.
5. Boiling water can be used to clean up any areas that have been contaminated by excrement. A propane torch can be used if necessary. The roundworm eggs will perish in the heat.
6. Use hot, soapy water and a damp (not wet) sponge to clean up any remaining excrement. Rinse typically.
7. Put the sponge in the trash in a plastic bag. Any leftover soiled water from the bucket should be flushed.
8. Boiling water should be used to disinfect every surface that has come into touch with excrement, such as shovels, trash cans, boots, buckets, and toilets.
9. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
10. Put your clothing in a hot, detergent-filled washing machine.
Burying Raccoon Poop
The CDC suggests burying the raccoon waste in bags. This still entails some risk, therefore I would advise against it.
Roundworms in raccoons can live for several years. The area could potentially become exposed in the future. Consider yard construction projects or a pet that enjoys digging.
I would strongly advise either burning or dumping the bagged poop in a landfill because it isn’t worth the risk.
The best disinfectant for raccoon poop
Roundworm eggs cannot be destroyed by chemicals such as bleach or disinfectants. This can only be accomplished by heating the region with hot water or flame.
However, other infections are present in raccoon waste and urine, which can be eliminated by applying disinfectant to clean the area.
These disinfectants will be effective on the raccoon latrine-affected hard outdoor surface regions.
- Deodorizer and disinfectant cleaner in one step, REScue
2. Virex All-Purpose Cleaner with Disinfectant
3. RMR-141 Cleaner and Disinfectant
How to prevent raccoons pooping In Your Yard
Everyone is aware that what goes in must come out. It’s the same with raccoons. You don’t want it to emerge in your yard, and that is the only issue.
The best course of action is to gently persuade raccoons to relocate their urination sites. The simplest solution is to avoid placing food that raccoons enjoy eating in your yard.
There are a few things you may do to make them feel a little uneasy about visiting your yard. Check out my guide on 14 non-physically harmful natural raccoon repellents for more information.
Raccoons don’t show a lot of loyalty to their latrine location. Encouragement to move on is therefore, possibly simpler than you believe.
Final thoughts
The presence of raccoon waste in your yard might be a nuisance.
If you don’t solve the issue right away, you risk harming your health or your finances!
To avoid giving roundworm eggs a chance to become contagious, the best course of action for dealing with raccoon spit is to rapidly clean it up. Either hire an expert or do it yourself.
Self-executing this is fraught with danger. Therefore, take additional safety measures to reduce the possibility of contamination. Boiling water, soap, or bleach should be used to clean up all the contaminated areas. This will protect against any infectious stuff present.
You won’t need to repeat the operation frequently if you put safeguards in place to keep the raccoons from returning.
FAQ
Do raccoons poop in one place?
Raccoons are creatures of habit, thus they frequently use the same area—referred to as raccoon latrines—to urinate. If you find raccoon waste on your property, the raccoons in the area usually won’t stop using it until you take other steps to deter them. The most crucial thing to keep in mind is that it can be dangerous to handle raccoon waste.
How do you stop Raccoons’ latrine?
By deterring raccoons from visiting your outdoor living area, you can avoid having a raccoon latrine on your property. Refrain from leaving pet or human food out where raccoons may access it, and keep your garbage cans locked. Cover any openings that could lead to your attic, the space beneath your house, or the decks.
Do raccoons poop in yards?
Raccoons will urinate in your yard because they have discovered a location where they feel secure and at ease to relieve themselves. A raccoon will return often once it finds a secure place to poop.
Do raccoons poop where they live?
A raccoon latrine is what? Raccoon latrines are the places where raccoons deposit their waste. Raccoons frequently return to the same latrine. The typical locations for latrines are at the base of trees, in tree forks, or on elevated surfaces like huge boulders, fallen logs, or stumps.
What do you do if you find raccoon poop?
Place hot, soapy water in a bucket. Feces and debris that have been contaminated by raccoon feces should be removed (with a shovel or a plastic bag flipped upside down) and burned, buried, or packaged and thrown in the trash to be dumped in a landfill. Wipe the area with a sponge that is damp but not soaked.