Looking at whether raccoons can jump over houses or fences

Raccoons are seriously interesting creatures, especially when you consider that they stroll around with their bandit-mask eye markings and topple garbage cans everywhere. They remind you of a group of thugs that want to spread chaos.

However, the reality is that they are mellow creatures with their behavioral quirks (dipping everything in water before eating it, for instance) and generally want to survive in the urban environment where they have been introduced.

A huge issue most homeowners have with them is that they somehow make their way into their house, where they then proceed to wreak havoc. How do these creatures get into the houses in the first place though?

Do they jump over fences?

The masses assume that the average raccoon gets into a house by simply jumping over fences. Let’s consider that in light of what we know about raccoons. They are very agile creatures that can jump impressive distances horizontally, and even vertically.

In this regard, their strong hind legs help them immensely, while their overall body weight also enables them to be more athletic. However, raccoons aren’t as good as cats when it comes to jumping, and at the end of the day, if it’s a seriously tall fence, these creatures won’t be able to leap over it. They can jump over short or medium-sized fences, but the taller than average ones are going to stump them. So, how else do raccoons get into houses? Let’s explore a few methods below.

Do they climb walls?

Raccoons have opposable thumbs which enable them to have a good grip on walls thereby making it easier to scale them. Their limbs are structured like that of a monkey’s, and this allows them not just to balance themselves on the walls, but also jump from one to the other. Therefore, if the fences are too complicated, they will have no qualms about climbing up a wall instead.

Do they climb up trees?

Once again, a raccoon’s anatomy plays a vital role in allowing it to climb up a tree or any other similar structure. Its claws are excellent for giving it a good grip on the bark, while its hind legs are longer, which gives it a hunched over look, and keeps it stable as it determinedly scales trees. Furthermore, it is a small creature hence the very act of climbing a tree is made simpler.

Conclusion

Once you've decided to get raccoons out of your house then simply heightening the fences won't do the trick. These creatures have a whole host of ways by which they can get in therefore you should focus on eliminating the things which attract these pesky creatures in the first place.


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