Often the necks of birds will be bitten in this effort. Legs or feet of the birds may also be missing. Eggs may be removed completely from the nests or eaten on the spot with only the heavily cracked shell remaining. Raccoons can also destroy bird nests in artificial nesting structures such as wood duck boxes. They also climb and may destroy bird feeders.
Raccoons can cause considerable damage to garden and truck crops.
Damage to sweet corn is characterized by many partially eaten ears with the husks pulled back. Corn stalks will also be broken as raccoons climb or try to pull them down to get to the ears. Raccoons damage watermelons by digging a small hole in the melon and then hollowing and raking out the contents with their paws. Raccoons are a considerable nuisance around houses and outbuildings when they seek to gain entrance to attics or chimneys or when they raid garbage areas in search of food. Uncapped chimneys make very adequate substitutes for hollow trees.