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.
In extreme cases, shingles or fascia boards may be ripped off to gain access to an attic or wall space. Damage Prevention And Control Methods Control measures can either be reductional or protective. Reductional methods include removing offending animals by live-trapping or hunting. Protective measures include traditional fencing, electrical fences, screening and exclusion methods, frightening devices and the use of repellent chemicals. Exclusion is the best method of coping with raccoon damage.