How Raccoons Adapt During Winter

As winter bears down on us, the nation’s wildlife species prepare to endure a season of unfriendly temperatures and diminished food supplies. Many animals change the way they behave to ensure their survival throughout the winter. Chief among these animals are raccoons. In order to implement effective methods for raccoon control, Ajax property owners must first understand how the animal adapts to deal with the winter.

Raccoons and Winter Dens

When raccoons sense that winter is coming, they start to seek out ideal places to establish dens to ride out the winter. In populated places like Ajax, this usually means garages, attics, crawl spaces and sometimes basements. Winter also coincides with raccoons’ birthing and nursing phases, the raccoons who establish dens in Ajax homes may also be taking their offspring with them. [caption id="attachment_15577" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Raccoons do not gather and store food for the season, they remain active all year.[/caption]

Do Raccoons Hibernate?

Instead of full-on hibernation, raccoons go into torpor mode. Some biologists would consider torpor to be a mild version of hibernation. This is because animals in torpor spend most of their time resting in a deep type of sleep where their body temperature and breathing rates drop, triggering a reduction in metabolism. The thick winter coats that their bodies develop just before winter help to keep them warm during torpor. This allows the animal to conserve its body’s energy stores.

How Raccoons Cope with Scarce Food Supplies in Winter

Raccoons’ bodies adjust to prepare them for the winter. In the weeks leading up to winter, raccoons increase their food intake to build and store body fat. This stored fat helps to sustain them during the cold season. When they do need food in the winter, scarcity does not impact them the way it affects other animals because they have a diet that biologists consider opportunistic. This means they eat a wide range of things. These omnivores eat fruits, nuts, vegetables and other items they find in nature, but they will also chow down on meats and fast food or any other leftover that is in your garbage bin. When there is an increase in temperature through winter, the raccoons will venture out to forage for food. They will then retreat to their dens and slip back into torpor. [caption id="attachment_15578" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Raccoons fur will adapt to battle cool temperatures.[/caption]

Keeping Raccoons Out of Your Ajax Home this Winter

Since raccoons have a reputation for foraging through garbage bins it is wise to store garbage securely to keep the animals away. This may mean mounting the bin so that it is out of their reach or locking it safely away in your garage - of course your garage would need to be raccoon-proof for this to work. Alternatively, you can dispose of your garbage at a greater distance from your home. To really keep raccoons away from your Ajax property this winter, you need the experts on your side. Skedaddle stands ready to provide the efficient raccoon control Ajax residents need. If it is too late for prevention, we can still help. We humanely remove raccoons as well as their offspring and clean any remaining signs of infestations (droppings, urine etc.) before securing your property from future invasions. Our services also come with a lifetime guarantee so that you can feel confident knowing your home is protected for years to come.