If you follow my posts you will know I feed a lot of wildlife in my backyard.
Besides the Blue Jays, Dove, Chipmunk, Squirrel there are also other wildlife, such as, raccoons, foxes or skunks visiting at night.
Raccoon that comes by nightly.
I have been told not to encourage the clever raccoons to come around as they have been known to get into out buildings and even in attics. This advice did not discourage me from leaving food out for them at night.
The raccoon has a keen sense of hearing and will hear a grub or earthworm under the soil. They are part of their diet and also they will eat wasps and hornets. How they manage to eat them without being stung numerous times is beyond my understanding.
The raccoon has little paws with claws that he uses to hold his food and also to dig into the ground to retrieve grubs.
I didn’t know until I saw this, one morning by the back deck, the raccoon could hear the wasps/hornets buzzing in their underground hive and decided to make a meal of them.
This is the hole the raccoon dig by the cement step to reach the hornet’s nest.
The Yellow Jacket hornet’s nest by the front deck has been a worry as Hubby and I could see the hornets going in and out of this opening in the mulch. It was right where one passes to come into the house and some folks freak out to be near a hornet, especially a whole nest of them.
I didn’t want to use pesticide on them or build a fire to smoke them out. Hornets, like bees, pollinate our flowers and food crops. They weren’t bothering anyone but it would be nice if the nest was somewhere else.
I was thankful the raccoon took care of our hornet problem. He dug the nest out one night and must have eaten the occupants. All I saw was the empty hexagonal comb shaped cells from the nest scattered on the ground.
Wasps like the Yellow Jackets tend to build their nest in the ground. The raccoon, with his keen hearing, must have heard them moving around and decided to get his protein for the day.
About the Raccoon
They are a medium sized animal with a ringed light and dark bushy tail.
Raccoons are often referred to as the masked bandit because of the area of black fur around the eyes that gives the impression of a mask.
Some people believe the raccoon to have natural spiritual powers with this mask resembling the black and white used in native rituals to connect with the spirit world.
This Wikipedia website gives more information on the clever little critters.
Source
Thanks to the raccoon the hornet’s nest is gone and the residents moved on~ if any left. I hope they can build a new nest somewhere else before winter sets in.
Hubby filled the hole in and the raccoon hasn’t bothered digging it up again. He was a wonderful helper in getting the hornets to move on. I think he deserves extra food left out tonight.
Location: Prince Edward Island, Canada
Photos & Text @redheadpei
Hi Jo,
what a lovely story 😊
I wouldn't have tried to get rid of the hornets neither as long as they behave, and just as you I would have appreciated the raccoons help 😃
These are so cute looking little guys and although they should live in Austria, I haven't seen any yet.
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I’m happy you liked the story, Hannes. I couldn’t believe the raccoon did such a helpful thing. It certainly was worth all the bread with peanut butter and cat food I give the little critters. :)
Hopefully a raccoon will cross your path on one of your outings, dear Hannes. 🦝☀️
Thanks so much for the boost and generosity. Much appreciated.🤗
Have a wonderful Thor’s Day.🌞
Good morning Jo,
it's always a pleasure to read a story from your backyard with one of the many animals or birds which are always around 😃
Yep, if such a little guy would cross my path, both of us would be happy, because I always have some kind of treats with me which usually I would eat, but which I would love to share with it 😁
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An animal I would dearly love to see in the wild.
How helpful the little guy was removing wasps, your own pest removals onsite, in a world of eat or be eaten!
Interesting how keen his hearing is, also did not know they enjoyed a wasp or two.
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I hope you get to see one some day Joan. 🦝 The raccoons and the skunks have excellent hearing. They can hear any grubs moving under the soil. The white juicy grubs make a nice snack for them. That’s why some mornings there might be little chunks of earth tossed around the yard for they dig down in the soil to retrieve them.
I was pleased he heard the hornets and got rid of them with the hive being that close to the entrance to the house.
Thanks Joan for your kind support. Always appreciated .🌸
Red hornets insist on living close up onto our house too, nasty sting if they compromised, ours nest above the ground placing nests in awkward places like outdoor broom cupboard.
Big black wasps come indoor quite happy to try nest indoors, no raccoons here to assist either, you win!
Our hornets/wasps are probably quite small compared to the big black wasps and red hornets. Besides the raccoon, quite a few reptiles, animals and birds eat hornets and wasps. I hope one comes along to help get rid of the ones around your house, Joan.
Big black ones not a problem they tend to cruise around, it's the little red blighters that sting and keep on stinging... especially when agitated on hot days.
We have birds that would eliminate a few, nothing on the scale your raccoon assisted you!
We appreciate your work and your post has been manually curated by zoology team (oscurity,nelinoeva) on behalf of Amazing Nature Community. Keep up the good work!
Much appreciated. 🤗 Thanks so much Amazing Nature Community and the zoology team (@oscurity, @nelinoeva).
Great story but be careful, when you start feeding them a steady supply of food they bring all their buddies over to share the spoils. They can't quickly go from the cute gardener's helper to terrorists that get into everything and tear your garden up. Squirrels can end up the same way, attract a couple and they are cute, attract a dozen? Well not so much then.
Thanks @steelthong. They can be mischievous and can get into a lot of things with those little hand-like paws. Hungry raccoons love to get into the garbage cans and eat any leftovers. This one lives in the forest near the house, making rounds every night and taking what treats I leave out and moves on, probably to the next house.
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Rocky the racoon is great helper. 😀
It sure was a great help and I’m grateful to the little critter.🌸🦝
That is quite the helpful trash Panda and instead of knocking over garbage cans and creating all sorts of terror he is helping out which is really cool and quite a blessing.
Thank you so much Mr trash Panda we really appreciate your help.
Thanks for stopping by @gangafarmer. It certainly was a blessing the big job the raccoon took care of..
It wasn’t good for anyone visiting to have to walk through a swarm of hornets. :)🐝
I have to wonder what a mouthful of stinging hornets taste like to the little critter. 🦝
One word about that and that is SPICY.
This phenomenal trash panda absolutely knew how high of protein source that he was going to get a hold of and all those wonderful grubs as well.
Awesome job trash panda you are someone's hero today!
Hi @redheadpei, when I first saw the thumbnail image in my feed, I thought I was looking at some deformed mule or moose head ha ha ha...
We also have a variety of wildlife Joanne, so far I tried a birdfeeder for a while, had some entertainment trying to keep the squirrels away (I bought a CO2 BB gun for that purpose, wasn't very successful)
My neighbor DOES leave cat food out for her cats, and has a pet door in a window. She says there is a coon that lives here at my house, because it comes from here to feed on her cat food (I think she says it has also come inside through the pet door)
I don't have no coons living here, but I DID see one heading towards my house (and hers) direction from the neighbor (on the other side) a week or so back.
Once I get all my stuff taken care of here at my new home, I may think about starting to feed some.
I DO toss out chicken bones, and I DO take my kitchen veggie cuttings and eggshells out to a kitchen midden I'm building (a good distance from the house though) and I DO have pet doors (previous owners had cats and dogs) but at present they are sealed up.
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I got a chuckle out of your description of the raccoon. :)
Jerry, I’m happy your BBgun it was unsuccessful in getting rid of the squirrels.🐿
Some people do keep a raccoon as a pet but I think it may be illegal in different places. I do love seeing the little critters but think they are best left outside.
Thanks for stopping by Jerry. Much appreciated.🌺
The BB gun wouldn't harm the Tree Rat, unless I happened to strike it in the eye, or maybe directly on the paw.
It would not feel good for them for sure, but... I stood 15 ft away from a cardboard box, a laminated box, fired at it, and it punched a hole through the outer layer of paper.
More a toy that a real weapon. If I were depending on this thing to help supply my larder, I would go hungry for sure
hello dear friend @redheadpei good afternoon
What beautiful visitors you always have in your garden.
It is good to know that the raccoon took care of the wasps, I save you a lot of problems in the future with them. I appreciate that you let us know these beautiful images
I take this opportunity to wish you a splendid afternoon
Hi @jlufer. it was a wonderful thing the raccoon did by digging up and eating our wasp problem away.:) It was a big hive by the looks of the comb shaped cells he pulled out.
Thanks for your lovely comments, my friend. 🌺
Have a wonderful Thursday.
You are right we should help of the wild animal.
I always like to help them when possible. I’m glad you agree.🌹
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