Raccoons

Quick Key Points

• Raccoons have been sighted often throughout the city since 2018.
• In winter they look for warm places to hide and go dormant and will often try to live in or under decks, front steps, porches, attics, culverts, chimneys, sheds or other outbuildings.
• Residents are asked to help track raccoons by reporting sightings to City of St. Albert Public Operations at 780-459-1557.

What Are Raccoons?

It might be surprising to know that raccoons have been sighted often throughout the city since 2018. They are very adaptable and take advantage of human activities to survive. Raccoons are nocturnal and omnivorous, meaning they will eat whatever food is available to them, including compost, pet food, garbage and bird seed.

In winter, raccoons will look for warm places to hide; they go dormant, but do not truly hibernate. They will often try to live in or under decks, front steps, porches, attics, culverts, chimneys, sheds or other outbuildings.

Raccoons and You

To prevent raccoon damage in the colder months, remove all sources of food and shelter by: 

• Clearing brush piles, stacked lumber or debris piles from your property.
• Trimming any tree branches that may be hanging close to your home to prevent raccoons from climbing onto your roof and accessing vents.
• Covering roof vents with hardware cloth and ensuring your chimney is equipped with a manufactured chimney cap.
• Ensuring access to sheds, attics, decks, porches and crawlspaces are closed and all sandboxes are sealed/covered. Check to see that there are no raccoons in these spaces before doing this.
• Storing garbage, compost and recycling in lidded containers.
• Feeding pets indoors and storing pet food inside.

Wild About Wildlife Information Session

Presenter and animal control specialist, Bill Abercrombie, shares tips to manage wildlife on private property and best practices for reducing human-wildlife conflict. Fish and Wildlife was also online to answer questions about provincial involvement with wildlife.

The following topics were discussed: 

• Pest species (raccoons, squirrels, skunks, porcupines and rodents) 
• Ungulates (moose and deer) 
• Foxesand badgers 

Watch the video below!

For more details on raccoon behaviour and prevention tips for your property, visit Alberta Environment and Parks

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Related Pages

City Wildlife ›

Reporting Injured or Aggressive Wildlife ›

Wildlife Monitoring ›