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Raccoon Feces


Summary: Raccoons will establish sites where they consistently leave their feces. These raccoon feces collection sites are called latrines and they normally can be found on horizontal structures or surfaces log between logs or rocks, rooftops and gutters.

A reader asks: Can you please tell me why I find so much racoon feces on my garden shed roof? I have checked the internet for this question, but cannot get a straight answer from any of them.

Dear Reader:  Raccoons establish community sites where they repeatedly deposit fresh feces. Areas where raccoon feces accumulate are referred known as latrines. They probably like your shed roof because they prefer latrine sites that are flat and above the ground. But, they also use the base of trees and occasionally, open areas.

Common sites for raccoon latrines are roofs, decks, unsealed attics, haylofts, forks of trees, fence lines, woodpiles, fallen logs and large rocks. Structural features surrounding latrines often are important travel routes or foraging areas.

The latrines consist of piles of raccoon feces of different ages. You can tell if a

Raccoon_latrine.jpg

latrine is active by the color of the feces. Fresh raccoon feces are dark and moist while old feces may look like dried leaves or debris.

The biggest problem with raccoon latrines is that they often contain the eggs of roundworms that can be hazardous to human health. The eggs develop into the infectious form in 2-4 weeks, and can survive in the soil for several years. If the infectious form of the eggs is inadvertently swallowed by humans or other mammals including birds, the larvae hatch out and move into the organs of the body. On rare occasions these larvae may cause serious eye disease, spinal cord or brain damage, or death.

It is best to call a professional to clean up a raccoon latrine. However, if you intend to do it yourself be sure to avoid direct contact with the feces:

  • Wear disposable gloves made of rubber, plastic, or latex. Also wear disposable booties or rubber boots that can be scrubbed and left outside.
  • Wear a N95-rated dust mask available at hardware stores or safety supply stores. The masks will help to prevent accidental ingestion of eggs or inhalation of fungal spores or dust.
  • Lightly spray the latrine area water or bleach to reduce the amount of dust coming from latrine pile.
  • Shovel feces and any other contaminated material into a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag.
  • Disinfect hard, smooth surfaces (including shovel blades) with boiling water.
  • Thoroughly launder clothing in hot water and detergent.

Discourage raccoon latrine activity by using any one of many animal repellents available on the market such as Shake-Away, Get Away and Rid-A-Critter. Multiple and consistent applications of these products are the key to success. If these products don't work you may have to trap and remove the raccoons using Havahart traps. I recommend the Havahart Easy Set trap for this job.





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Comments

Teresa
23 Mar 2010, 14:52
We have a shed that the front is covered with a tarp, would a raccoon leave it's poop on the top of our boxes? Or would this be the work of our cat?
debbie
03 May 2010, 08:33
Help! A raccoon keeps pooping in our inground pool....we clean it out the best we can but it still breaks up and dipurses into the water. How can we sterilze the pool water and stop it from using our pool. We set out a live trap but it won't go in.
Ask the Exterminator
03 May 2010, 09:13
You need to pre-bait the live trap. That means, put bait in the trap, but don't set it to go off. Allow the animal to enter the trap once, then set it to trap him on the second night. This allows the animal to become comfortable around the trap. You also need to bait it properly. Try apply slices.
victoria
15 May 2010, 10:40
i have raccoon feces on my lawn...i took all the neccesary precautions in cleaning it up, but now need to know how to deter the raccoons...also i have a rabbit that enjoys going outside, can i let him out now or is the lawn contaminated.
Ask the Exterminator
17 May 2010, 15:35
There are various repellent products, but the most assured way to control raccoons is to trap and remove them from your property.
LONDA GITTENS
20 May 2010, 10:18
what color is racoon feces because my friend is finding big red feces in her yard.
Ask the Exterminator
20 May 2010, 10:52
I suppose their feces could be red depending upon what they have been eating. Normally, it's dark brown to black.
yancy
03 Jul 2010, 14:59
I'm finding big yellow feces buried in pine needles in my yaRd. Lots and when I treat one area it happens in another. Any ideas? Thanks friends!
Ask the Exterminator
04 Jul 2010, 15:16
To the best of my knowledge, the yellow in the stool is caused by what the animal is consuming. Therefore, I could not ID the animal based upon that description alone.
Deb
15 Aug 2010, 14:43
We had raccoons in our attic. They were coming in through the facia.Now we have had a new roof and facia put on and we do not have them anymore. Who do we call to get the attic cleaned up. My husband thinks that he can just go up into the attic to do some work and I keep telling him we need to get someone in to clean it up first.
Ask the Exterminator
16 Aug 2010, 14:48
If the amount of raccoon feces is not too great your husband can, in fact, do the cleaning. I recommend lightly spraying the feces with bleach, then sweep it up and toss it away. Wear rubber gloves and a dust mask. If it is really dusty you might want to wear goggles, too.
eric THomason
28 Aug 2010, 14:47
We are renting a house. Ther is obvisouly a raccon turning our dogs food cans lid off. Has urinated all over back yard, kids toys, dogs food. Went on roof and found the created hole. has likely been there since before we moved in . What should we have done? Should i move my family out? Is it safe to stay/live in the house?

Thanks,
Ask the Exterminator
28 Aug 2010, 17:49
The raccoon has to be trapped and removed. After he is gone the feces and urine should be cleaned up. Wear a dust mask and rubber gloves. Spray the feces with bleach before sweeping it into a garbage bag. Wash surfaces with a disinfectant to clean up urine.
Rich
07 Sep 2010, 10:20
i have lived in my apartment on the 2nd floor for over 2 years now. we have alot of racoon activity but never any human contact for the most part. i had one use my door mat on the 2nd floor as a place to poop. this is the only time it has happened. is this the signs of a latrine to come? if so, i want to stop it quickly.
Ask the Exterminator
07 Sep 2010, 10:44
If the raccoons return repeatly, it's a latrine. In that case I would recommend using any of the Ropel products.
Jason Borman
10 Sep 2010, 21:03
Raccoons have left a rather large latrin inside my fishing boat around the fuel/oil pump and some wiring. Any ideas as to most effectively get rid of this mess? Thanks.
Ask the Exterminator
11 Sep 2010, 06:49
The cleanup process is clearly written in this article.
Troy Garretson
18 Sep 2010, 16:15
Have you ever heard of anyone becoming sick from breathing Racoon feces that have become airborne.
Ask the Exterminator
18 Sep 2010, 16:44
Not personally. I supposed it is possible.
Daniel
14 Oct 2010, 18:27
To Troy Garretson~
I just read on the King County Website that there are no know cases of someone contracting roundworm through airbonre exposure.
We have a latrine on the playground of our facility and I am looking for ways to discourage its use. I'm thinking of using a spray of some sort as a repellent and if that doesn't work, trapping.
Kate
20 Oct 2010, 17:28
My husband just called me from the woods...while putting up tree stands, he came into contact with racoon feces. Is a simple handwashing a good way to clean himself up before he heads home, or is there something more that you would recommend?
Ask the Exterminator
21 Oct 2010, 10:03
As long as he didn't touch his mouth he should be okay. If you are not certain, contact a doctor.
Katherine McCleary
14 Nov 2010, 13:58
There are 10 pieces of big fat dark raccoon poos on our very sloping garage roof. Why would those raccoon devils go up there, not an easy climb?
Ask the Exterminator
14 Nov 2010, 18:31
I don't have the answer as to why they pick sloping roofs for their latrines. I don't think it's any special reason other than it's near where they happen to have set their route from their nest to their feeding sites.
Donna
16 Nov 2010, 17:14
I just have a comment... Recently I had a raccoon use my deck as a latrine. I talked to a farmer who gave me his recipe for keeping them away, and it worked! In a spray bottle put 1 quart water, 1/2 cup garlic powder and 3 drops of liquid dishsoap. Spray the entire area. I sprayed my deck every day for a week and haven't had any trouble since.
john berryman
20 Dec 2010, 11:04
A friend of mine saw a raccoon defecate on the hood of his car is this a normal behavior?
Ask the Exterminator
20 Dec 2010, 11:10
I've never experienced this, but if the hood was warm it may have attracted the raccoon and, as they say, any port in a storm.
Elaina
10 Apr 2011, 01:20
Ever hear of raccoons digging a hole in a yard and using that as a latrine? Well, I am here to tell you that they do. We are going to fill in the hole..put a rock base in it to see if that works. There are five of them that frequent my neighborhood, and I found out there is really no way to get rid of them! We had cleared out all the poop from last year..but there was still a hole back in the yard..and they came out of hibernation and filled it up. It was funny watching the boyfriend clean it out. We poured some urine out there in it to see if that would work.
ernest
10 Apr 2011, 10:22
i found feces in my pool is it safe to swim if pool is clorinaded regulerly and how do i stop it.
Ask the Exterminator
11 Apr 2011, 15:47
The treated water should be enough to kill off any harmful by-products of the animal feces, but I would speak to a pool supply seller to be sure. Animal repellents are less than perfect. If you want to rid your property of raccoons you must trap and remove the animals.
Kelly
25 Oct 2011, 20:29
I noticed racoon feces in our barn. Does that mean they live near by and just using the barn for a latrine or is it possible that they would be living in the barn as well? Is there a war to repell them?
Ask the Exterminator
27 Oct 2011, 09:55
Certainly living nearby. Repellents are not very effective. I recommend trapping and removing them from the area.
Ellen
09 Nov 2011, 13:39
Raccoons are using my skylights as a laatrine, as well as one of my neighbours' flat roof. We are in a 6-unit row house. One house at the end has the raccoons in their attic and they refuse to deal with the issue. There is no way for me to trap them or stop them because they have a home nearby.

A repellant would have to be reapplied after every rain, no? We are about to enter winter, and I won't be able to get to the snow covered roof.

Now what?
Ask the Exterminator
10 Nov 2011, 04:50
You don't have to place the trap right at the point where the raccoons have created their latrine. Put the traps at the base of a nearby tree. The raccoons you catch will be the same as the ones that are using your roof as a toilet.
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