Dumpster Raccoons
One of the biggest raccoon traps out there is the dumpster.
While not designed to specifically catch raccoons, dumpsters make great raccoon traps because they
1) are usually baited well
2) are difficult for raccoons to get out of once inside
Who knows the number of raccoons that go for rides in garbage trucks?
In this post we cover the topic of raccoons in dumpsters, show you how we get them out, and give some general advice on raccoons and dumpsters.
Dumpster Peril for Raccoons
For hungry raccoons, our trash cans are like corner convenience stores full of yummy treats. A dumpster, then, must seems like a cavernous supermarket.
The problem with dumpsters though is their size and construction: they can’t be knocked over & their smooth inner steel walls can’t be climbed. This makes them a trap-in-waiting.
As you can see in this picture, a raccoon at the bottom of a 4 fooot tall dumpster has no way out unless the dumpster is filled up.
When people see raccoons in dumpsters, they often want to know how they can help them out.
We’ll show you how we get them out and suggest some alternate methods.
Quick Dumpster Raccoon Removal
When we get called to remove a raccoon from a dumpster, we want to remove the animal as efficiently as possible. For us that means using a catch pole.
A catch pole is an aluminum pole that has a loop of cable at the end. From the non-loop end, the user can pull on the cable to make the loop smaller, snugging it securely around an animal. Then the animal can be controlled at a safe distance from the remover.
Directly pulling the raccoon out of the dumpster is quick.
See how Ryan removed a raccoon from a dumpster recently:
As you saw, using a catch pole is a straightforward, efficient method.
Alternate Ways to Get a Raccoon Out of a Dumpster
If you don’t have a catch pole, you can still get a raccoon out of dumpster. To do so, all you’ll need a little ingenuity and patience.
We suggest putting something into the dumpster that the raccoon is able to climb. This is only limited by what is at hand and your imagination. An angled 2 x 4, a step ladder, a tree branch, a stair step of boxes, a pallet…these are all examples of items which could enable the raccon to climb to the top. The only limit is your imagination.
Once you put something to climb inside, you will have to give the raccoon some time. Patience is important. Chances are you found the raccoon in the daytime. Even with something to climb, there is a high likelihood the raccoon will wait unti it is dark before it moves. If people keep adding to the dumpster and disturbung the raccoon it make just hunker under whatever cover it can find in the dumpster.
Prevent Dumpster Raccoons
Dumpsters are not good places for raccoons!
That’s why it is important to keep the lids closed!
Though not always a fail-safe prevention technique, keeping the dumpster lids closed definitely keeps the number of raccoons in them down.
