Do raccoons burrow or dig holes?

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There are actually a number of animals that could be behind the holes in your lawn, but if they’re really big and super messy, those holes could have been caused by a raccoon. An animal about the same size as a house cat, raccoons don’t dig holes to create dens or burrows. It’ll steal the old and abandoned dens and burrows of other animals to set up home, or find hollowed out logs and tree trunks to use instead. They do dig for food though, and being scavengers, they really will dig some serious holes to get to the task grubs hidden deep in there.



Insects, worms, grubs, beetles, and more live beneath the soil, and this will be even more so after a good rain. Those bugs come to the surface and that’s when the raccoons have a great day - they simply dig for food and eat what pops to the surface. They really will eat everything and anything too - snails, frogs, fish, clams, crayfish, birds, bird eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and even mead products and other dead animals. They are often spotted living alongside water because of the profitable insect hunting ground. In conditions where they are unable to find other food, they will even hunt down and chase squirrels, mice, rats and even young gophers. They’re quite lazy and would much prefer an easier meal, and that’s also why they don't dig for burrows. They’d much rather steal something that had been left by another animal instead!

For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does raccoon removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of raccoons - my main raccoon removal info guide.
Example raccoon trapping photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Raccoon job blog - learn from great examples of raccoon jobs I've done.
raccoons in the attic