Coexisting With Porcupines and Raccoons

City of St. Albert residents have many wildlife neighbors to consider and watch out for, including porcupines and raccoons. It is important to understand their behaviors and tendencies so you can keep them from invading and damaging property . Below is key information and helpful tips to keep you and your home safe and clear of these opportunistic creatures.

Raccoons

It might be surprising to know that raccoons have been sighted often throughout the City since 2018. Residents are asked to help track raccoons by reporting sightings to City of St. Albert Public Operations at 780-459-1557.

Raccoons are very adaptable and take advantage of human activities to survive. They are nocturnal and are 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.

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 the space before doing this.
• Storing garbage, compost and recycling in lidded containers.
• Feeding pets indoors and storing pet food inside.

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

Porcupines

Porcupines are part of the rodent family and are commonly found throughout Alberta. They do not hibernate in the winter and are more frequently seen at night as they are primarily nocturnal, resting in trees during daylight hours (yes, they are climbers!).

A threatened porcupine will vocalize, display their quills and chatter their teeth. They cannot throw their quills, so they can only be embedded if you are close enough to be slapped by their tail. If you encounter a threatened porcupine, keep a safe distance and leave the area slowly.

If you own a dog, check to make sure your yard is completely sealed so your pet does not have an accidental run-in with a porcupine. It is also important to keep your dog on-leash unless in one of the City’s two dog parks or other designated off-leash areas. All dogs must be leashed on or within one metre of trails, including trails in an off-leash area. Many of the City’s trails are near ravines and wooded areas, so it is likely that porcupines will be nearby.

In winter porcupines may feed extensively on woody plants, needing to sharpen their teeth, much like beavers. They primarily eat plants, leaves and inner tree bark and are fond of spruce, pine, poplar, elm, fruit trees and many different shrubs. It is likely they will enter your yard to chew on any trees and shrubs.

Porcupines also like salt and salt residue and may chew on leather items or even the brake lines of vehicles.

How do I keep porcupines out of my yard and prevent property damage?

• To protect your trees and gardens, use fencing or aluminum flashing at least 30 inches high to prevent climbing and chewing. Exclusion fencing can be used in other areas you wish to protect.
• Block all potential entrances or access holes to sheds to prevent damage to beams.
• Keep tools and leather goods locked away.

Interested in learning more? Find other helpful information about wildlife at albertaparks.ca
 

Want to stay informed?

Receive weekly updates by subscribing to City Highlights

---

Related Pages

Wild About Wildlife Information Sessions ›

City Wildlife ›

Environment ›