Raccoons  are very adaptable, medium-sized mammals. You can easily spot them by their black "mask" around their eyes, ringed tails, and skillful front paws. In Kentucky, they live almost everywhere—in cities, suburbs, and rural spots. They do best in places near water, forests, or human areas where food is easy to find. Under state wildlife rules, raccoons are listed as furbearers. They often become pests because they take advantage of any chance to get food, which leads to problems with people.

 

Raccoons commonly break into homes, attics, chimneys, and crawl spaces. This causes damage like ripped insulation, chewed wires, and weakened structures. They dig through trash cans, gardens, and pet food, making big messes and drawing in other pests. In city areas like Lexington, raccoons can get too used to humans if people feed them. They lose their natural fear and might come close to people or pets, leading to bites or scratches. The health dangers are serious—raccoons can carry rabies (a deadly virus spread through saliva), distemper, and parasites. These threaten humans, farm animals, and pets. In spring, you might see orphaned or hurt raccoons, but don't touch them because of disease risks. It's against the law to try raising them, and it can make them into ongoing pests. Contact us today to schedule an appointment!