The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, except maybe Google.
Ah, the raccoon, aka the Trash Panda. The bane of garbage cans and general irritation in cities nationwide. And potentially rabid, or suffering from other diseases that may make them a danger.
"Raccoons are well adapted to urban living," according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources nuisance species entry. They raid gardens, tip over trash cans and make a home in your attic or chimney. Some can be bold enough to come in through a pet door looking for an easy meal, and can cause real damage if they panic while indoors.
So if you're dealing with a nuisance or sick raccoon, there's good news. Ohio law allows you to trap raccoons without a permit, according to ODNR. The question then becomes, what do you do with them?
You may not like the answer.
What can you do in Ohio with a raccoon you live-trapped on your property?
While you can legally trap nuisance raccoons in Ohio without a permit, you are limited as to what you can do with raccoons once they're trapped.
Per ODNR, it's illegal to relocate a raccoon in Ohio. This is to prevent the spread of raccoon diseases like rabies or distemper in the state.
Your choices when trapping a live raccoon, according to ODNR, are to release it back onto your property, which likely won't solve the nuisance issue, or humanely euthanize it.
Raccoons can spread diseases like rabies, distemper, parvovirus
Raccoons can transmit rabies, canine distemper and parvovirus to domestic animals and humans.
ODNR recommends avoiding any raccoon that is active during daylight hours, has lost its fear of humans or appears uncoordinated, confused or listless. If you encounter such an animal, report it to an ODNR district office. If you are exposed to a potentially sick animal, contact your local health department and/or your personal physician.
Tips for keeping raccoons away from your house or property
If you're looking for other methods to keep raccoons out of your trash and away from your house, here are a few tips from ODNR and Native Animal Rescue:
Keep a radio playing in your garden or by your garbage cans to discourage raccoons from approaching.
Keep trash cans in a shed or garage overnight.
Coat garbage cans in a weak cayenne pepper solution or place a dish of ammonia nearby.
Install chimney caps to keep raccoons out.
Seal any holes or access points they may use to enter your attic.
Trim tree branches, keeping them at least three feet from the house.
Do not leave pet food or water dishes out overnight.
Call a professional trapper
Don't want to deal with a nuisance raccoon yourself? ODNR maintains a list of licensed commercial nuisance wild animal control operators in Ohio.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Just askin': What to do if you trap a live raccoon on your property?
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