What Do Raccoons Eat? You Won't Be Surprised

What do raccoons eat when they’re rummaging around at night like masked bandits?

These clever critters, sometimes lovingly dubbed "trash pandas," have one of the most diverse diets in the animal kingdom. From urban garbage cans to backwoods hollow trees, raccoons are true omnivores who make mealtime an all-you-can-eat adventure.

Whether it’s a curious baby raccoon nibbling on its first piece of solid food or a seasoned adult raiding bird feeders, raccoons are the poster animals for opportunistic feeders. That means if it smells edible and they can gain access, raccoons will eat it.

Raccoons Eat Just About Everything

Let’s start with the basics: Raccoons are omnivores. That means their diet includes both plant material and animals, kind of like us humans. In the wild, wild raccoons munch on:

Fruits like apples, berries and grapes
Vegetables and nuts
Insects such as beetles and grasshoppers
Small animals including frogs, crayfish and the occasional fish
Bird eggs, baby birds and even small mammals

Yes, they’ll catch fish, gobble up dead animals — and in rare, stressed-out cases, raccoons eat cats or eat rats. But those moments are far from their usual dining preferences. They’re more likely to scavenge than to hunt other animals.

Urban Raccoons Love Human Food

If you live in a city or suburb, you might know raccoons for their nightly escapades in trash bins and open garbage cans. Thanks to their nimble paws and problem-solving smarts, raccoons can unzip tents, open jars, and even turn doorknobs. Basically, if they want your leftovers, your lid better be locked.

They go for:

Pizza crusts
Sandwich scraps
Fruit peels
Anything in the “smells delicious” category

This access to human food gives urban raccoons a big buffet, but it also brings risks for raccoons and for other wildlife that share these residential areas.

Baby Raccoons Start With Milk

Like most mammals, baby raccoons start life nursing on their mother's milk. But by about 8 weeks old, young raccoons start experimenting with new textures and flavors — just like human toddlers. They’ll nibble on bugs, fruits, and whatever their mother raccoons drag back to the den.

By the time they’re 12 weeks old, baby raccoons can eat solid food and may tag along with mom on foraging trips, especially as mating season winds down and the focus shifts to growing up strong.

Are Raccoons Picky Eaters?

Not at all. Raccoons might be one of the least picky eaters in the animal kingdom. They’re curious, tactile, and led by their super-sensitive front paws—think of them as furry five-fingered food testers.

Because of their nocturnal habits, raccoons usually forage at night when the world is quiet and trash cans are ripe for the picking. Their ability to find food wherever they are—whether it’s the woods or urban environments—makes them survival champs.

How to Deter Raccoons From Your Home

If raccoons have turned your backyard into their personal diner, don’t panic. You can prevent raccoons from freeloading with a few smart moves:

Secure garbage cans with raccoon-proof lids.
Bring pet food indoors at night.
Keep bird feeders high and hard to reach.
Seal entry points to crawl spaces and attics.
Trim tree branches near your roof.

Raccoons are clever, but a little effort goes a long way in helping them find dinner in the woods — not in your kitchen.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.