Do Raccoons Hibernate? Understanding Their Winter Behavior and How They Survive the Cold
Do Raccoons Hibernate? Understanding Their Winter Behavior and How They Survive the Cold
Raccoons do not fully hibernate like bears and groundhogs do. If faced with severe temperatures and a lack of food, raccoons can enter a state of torpor, or decreased activity, to conserve their energy. Raccoons will only enter torpor when necessary, and they prefer to seek out warm shelter and abundant sources of food to survive the winter. Unfortunately, this often means that they will break their way into your attic in order to build nests inside, often ripping up your attic insulation and tearing through any ductwork inside the attic in the process. If you need raccoon trapping and removal in Westchester County, Putnam County, Dutchess County, Fairfield County, or Litchfield County, contact the wildlife removal experts at Westchester Wildlife today at (800) 273-6673 for a FREE estimate!
How Raccoons Survive the Cold
Raccoons do not hibernate during the winter, so they have several other body processes to help them survive the freezing temperatures and harsh conditions of winter. Raccoons, when faced with no other options, will enter a state of lowered activity called torpor, which is distinctly different from hibernation.
Torpor is involuntary and happens when faced with environmental challenges, while hibernation is a process that animals prepare for. Additionally, torpor doesn’t last for a long time, typically only a few hours to a few days, and raccoons will wake up to forage during this time. Hibernation on the other hand, lasts for months, and animals in hibernation do not wake up to forage. Raccoons often rely on stored body fat to survive the winter, and may engage in less activity in order to conserve their energy. Raccoons also have a thick, grey coat of fur that provides them with insulation against freezing temperatures and snow. However, raccoons still need to find sources of shelter during the winter, which might lead them to your home.
Where Raccoons Seek Shelter in Winter
During the winter months, raccoons will seek shelter to escape the freezing temperatures and precipitation. Sometimes this can be a natural shelter, like the inside of a hollow tree or log. Raccoons will also seek shelter inside rock crevices, and they will oftentimes take over burrows that were originally dug out by groundhogs, skunks and foxes but have since been abandoned. However, nowhere is more perfect for a raccoon den than your home.
What Drives Raccoons Indoors During the Winter
During the winter, food sources are much more scarce for raccoons. Plants are dead and insects are underground, so the pickings are slim for a hungry raccoon. This often drives them into urban and suburban neighborhoods, as our homes and businesses provide them with plenty of food. Unsealed trash cans, full of food scraps, provide a perfect food source for a hungry raccoon, as do compost piles. If you leave pet food outside, this provides an easy meal for a raccoon, as do bird feeders.
Raccoons will build their nests underneath your deck/porch, inside a shed or crawl space, or especially inside your attic, for the warmth, safety, and seclusion these places provide. Your attic provides a perfect nesting spot for a raccoon seeking to escape the cold, as it offers protection against predators and the elements. However, raccoons aren’t a house guest you want to willingly shelter, as these mischievous critters can tear through HVAC ducts, destroy your attic insulation, and spread harmful diseases and bacteria.
Signs of a Winter Raccoon Infestation
Raccoons are one of the most destructive nuisance wildlife in the Westchester area. Raccoons will exploit the tiniest cracks in your soffit, gable vents, ridge vents, or roof shingles. When a raccoon is nesting inside your attic, you might see damaged soffits, bent or destroyed vents, and missing shingles, signifying where the raccoons are entering and exiting from. Once inside, these critters will start ripping up and shredding your attic insulation, tearing through HVAC ducts, and scratching/gnawing on wooden beams and wires. Raccoons are mostly active at night, so if you are hearing scratching or loud shuffling sounds coming from your attic space, this is a sign that you have raccoons spending the winter in your home.
Raccoons dig latrines inside your attic insulation to deposit their waste, so a foul smell coming from the attic can signify a problem. This can get even worse if the waste accumulates in such large quantities that it begins to seep through the floor.
If you come outside and see your trash cans knocked over with trash strewn about your yard, or pet food missing from your dog’s bowl despite him being inside all night, you might have a raccoon feasting on your food scraps. It’s important to deal with a raccoon invasion as soon as possible, as these nuisance animals can spread harmful diseases, bacteria, and parasites, like rabies, raccoon roundworm, tularemia, leptospirosis, and more.
How To Prevent Raccoons from Invading Your Home This Winter
There are several easy ways to prevent raccoons from setting up shop in your home this winter:
- Secure all trash cans with a tightly-fitting lid, and remove all outdoor food sources
- Trim tree branches near your home to reduce easy access to the roof for raccoons.
- Contact a licensed wildlife removal company like Westchester Wildlife to locate, seal and fortify all potential entry points on your roof
- Contact Westchester Wildlife to install chimney caps and roof vent guards to keep raccoons out
How Do I Get Rid of Mice in Westchester?
Mice are drawn to food, clutter, water leaks and insulation inside the home, and they can contaminate your food supply, create fire hazards with their gnawing habits and lower the effectiveness of your insulation. Westchester Wildlife can help. We offer effective mice control solutions in Westchester County, NY as well as Putnam County, Dutchess County, and Fairfield County, CT. We will use a combination of mice control techniques including snap traps, bait stations, and exclusion work to eliminate your current mice problem and keep any more from popping up. Contact us today at 800-273-6673!