Raccoons exhibit a highly specific pattern of repeatedly using the exact same location for waste disposal. Unlike many mammals that defecate randomly, this non-random activity is a deeply ingrained ecological behavior. This habit creates a concentrated area of waste, known as a latrine, which can be found in both wild and suburban environments. Understanding this particular habit is important for anyone who shares their space with these adaptable animals.
Defining the Raccoon Latrine
The concentrated area where raccoons repeatedly deposit their feces is known as a latrine. This communal site can accumulate large piles of droppings over time, making it distinct from scattered animal scat. Fresh raccoon feces are typically dark, cylindrical, and blunt-ended, often containing visible seeds or remnants of their varied diet.
Raccoons prefer elevated, flat, or sheltered surfaces for their latrines, which offers them a degree of safety while they are vulnerable. Common locations where people encounter these sites include flat rooftops, the crooks or base of large trees, woodpiles, large rocks, and elevated decks or patios. Finding a significant accumulation of these tubular droppings in a single spot is the definitive sign of an active raccoon latrine.
Behavioral Reasons for Consistent Location
The repetitive use of a single location for defecation is primarily a form of chemical communication among raccoons. Latrines function as scent-marking posts, broadcasting information to other individuals in the area. The accumulated feces contain hormones and individual scent cues, signaling the presence and status of the animals using the site.
Multiple raccoons often visit a single latrine, making these spots important for social signaling within a local population. This communal defecation helps delineate territorial boundaries and acts as a central hub for social interaction and information exchange.
Significant Health Risks from Feces
The concentrated nature of a raccoon latrine makes it a significant public health concern due to the high risk of parasitic contamination. The primary danger comes from the eggs of the raccoon roundworm, Baylisascaris procyonis, a parasite commonly carried by raccoons. These microscopic eggs are shed in the animal’s feces and become infectious after developing in the environment for approximately two to four weeks.
Once infectious, the eggs are highly resilient and can survive in soil and on surfaces for several years. Humans and other animals become infected by accidentally ingesting these eggs, often through contact with contaminated soil or materials. In non-raccoon hosts, the ingested eggs hatch into larvae that migrate aggressively through the body’s tissues.
This larval migration can cause severe disease, known as larva migrans. Migration into the central nervous system (neural larva migrans) is a grave concern, especially in young children, and has a poor prognosis once symptoms appear. The larvae can also invade the eye (ocular larva migrans), resulting in blindness, or migrate to internal organs (visceral larva migrans). Other pathogens like Salmonella and Giardia may also be present in the feces.
Safe Removal and Prevention Strategies
Cleaning a raccoon latrine requires specific safety precautions to prevent exposure to the infectious roundworm eggs. It is imperative to wear protective gear, including disposable gloves, shoe covers or rubber boots, and an N95-rated respirator, especially when working in confined spaces. The feces should be carefully scooped using a shovel or inverted plastic bag and sealed in a durable plastic bag for disposal in a landfill, avoiding any method that aerosolizes the material.
Latrine Removal
Never sweep or vacuum dry feces, as this can launch the microscopic eggs into the air, increasing the risk of inhalation or ingestion. For disinfecting hard surfaces, the most effective method for killing Baylisascaris eggs is extreme heat, such as boiling water or a propane torch. Contaminated soil should be removed to a depth of several inches and replaced, as chemical disinfectants like bleach are generally ineffective against the tough egg casing.
Prevention
To prevent raccoons from returning, all potential food attractants must be removed or secured. Garbage cans should be fitted with locking lids or stored indoors, and pet food should never be left outside overnight. Deterrence also involves exclusion, such as sealing any openings into crawl spaces, sheds, or attics with sturdy materials to eliminate sheltered sites where a new latrine might be established.