🦝What Does a Raccoon Eat: A Comprehensive Guide

🔍 Why Understanding Raccoon Diet Matters

Understanding what raccoons eat gives valuable insight into their behavior, foraging habits, and interaction with human environments. As adaptable omnivores, raccoons thrive in forests, farmlands, and even cities—thanks to their incredibly varied and opportunistic diet.

This guide explores the complete range of raccoon food preferences, seasonal habits, and practical strategies to manage raccoon encounters safely and humanely.

🌿 What Do Raccoons Eat?

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) are omnivores, meaning they eat both plant and animal-based foods. Their diet depends heavily on what’s available in their environment, changing with the seasons and proximity to human activity.

🍎 Plant-Based Foods

🍓 Fruits and Berries

Raccoons are especially fond of sweet, seasonal fruits, including:

• Apples

• Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

• Grapes

• Cherries

• Persimmons

🍂 Fun Fact: Raccoons rely on fruit more in summer and fall to build fat for winter.

🥦 Vegetables and Nuts

Common plant-based foods raccoons forage include:

• Corn

• Squash

• Beans

• Acorns

• Walnuts

• Pecans

These provide essential carbohydrates and fats for their energy-intensive, nocturnal routines.

🐛 Animal-Based Foods

🐞 Insects and Invertebrates

Raccoons frequently eat:

• Beetles

• Grasshoppers

• Caterpillars

• Earthworms

• Snails

They forage under leaf litter, rocks, and logs—making insects a critical protein source in spring and summer.

🐭 Small Animals and Birds

While not a primary food source, raccoons will consume:

• Mice, voles, squirrels

• Bird eggs and nestlings

• Ground-dwelling birds like quail and doves

Their nimble paws and sensitive touch help them raid nests with surprising precision.

🐟 Aquatic Prey

Raccoons are skilled at catching:

• Small fish (minnows, trout)

• Crayfish

• Frogs

• Clams and snails

They typically hunt at night near streams, lakes, and wetlands using their tactile paws.

📆 Seasonal Raccoon Diets

Raccoon diets vary seasonally based on food availability:

🧊 Note: Raccoons don’t hibernate but become less active in winter, relying on stored fat and scavenged food.

🏙️ Urban Raccoon Diet: How They Adapt

In cities and suburbs, raccoons are resourceful scavengers that take advantage of human food waste and pet supplies.

🍽️ Common Urban Food Sources:

• Garbage bins

• Pet food (especially left outside)

• Bird feeders

• Compost piles

• Fallen fruit from gardens

🧠 Raccoons can remember food sources and return repeatedly unless deterred.

🛡️ How to Manage Raccoon Encounters

✅ Secure Food Sources

• 🗑️ Trash Cans: Use raccoon-proof garbage cans with locking lids.

• 🍽️ Pet Food: Feed pets indoors or remove dishes at night.

• 🐦 Bird Feeders: Install on poles with squirrel baffles.

• 🌽 Gardens: Use protective fencing or netting around crops.

🚫 Effective Deterrents

• 💡 Motion-activated lights

• 🔊 Noise-makers (radios or ultrasonic repellers)

• 🌿 Natural repellents: Ammonia, predator urine, or raccoon repellent spray

🧰 Recommended Products

🧑‍🔧 When to Call a Professional

If raccoons become aggressive, destructive, or nest in your attic or crawl space, contact a licensed wildlife control specialist. Humane removal and exclusion methods are often the safest long-term solution.

🧠 Final Thoughts

Raccoons have one of the most adaptable diets of any North American mammal. From fruits and insects to fish and garbage, they’ll eat almost anything that’s accessible—and edible.

By understanding their eating habits, especially in your region or home, you can take smarter steps to prevent raccoon problems before they begin. A well-informed approach helps ensure both coexistence and safety.