If you’ve ever wondered how raccoons are able to hunt for food, you’ve probably thought that they have very sensitive senses of smell. And while raccoons’ sense of smell is excellent, they’ve also evolved a very good sense of touch. Raccoons’ sense of smell is far more acute than humans’, and it’s actually the reason that raccoons are so good at finding food in the first place.
The good sense of smell of raccoons makes them extremely useful for inspectors, but it can also make them uncomfortable in malodorous situations. Despite being regarded as vermin by many, raccoons are very intelligent animals and only slightly below human intelligence. While raccoons are able to recognize objects in their environment, they have a strong sense of smell, and their ability to remember which door is open is incredibly impressive.
Raccoons’ keen sense of smell is so powerful that they can even recognize their own mates. The recognizable mask helps raccoons identify each other in a crowd. In fact, scientists have found that urban raccoons outperform their rural cousins when it comes to cunning. Suzanne MacDonald, a psychology professor at York University near Toronto and explorer with the National Geographic Society, has recently studied raccoons and their sense of smell.
Raccoons’ sense of smell is very sensitive, which makes them particularly prone to repellents. They’re sensitive to a range of smells, including household objects. Certain odors, however, may overwhelm their sense of smell and cause them to avoid a home or structure. Fortunately, raccoons’ sensitivity to smell makes them more resistant to repellents than they are to peppers, garlic, onions, black pepper, and cinnamon.
The amazing sense of smell of raccoons has also earned them the nickname of trash pandas, due to their penchant for garbage cans. As such, raccoons will often break into homes when they smell food. They will also open windows and remove objects in trash cans to reach food. They can also gnaw through wood to create a small hole in a roof, and scratch the rest of the wood using their paws.
While most people think that raccoons are blind, a series of studies show that the raccoon’s sense of smell is far more sensitive than ours. Raccoons can actually memorize the solution to a problem, and may even be able to remember it for three years. So, if you’re a homeowner and you notice raccoons in your yard, you may want to call your raccoon control team immediately.
Luckily for us, raccoons have learned to adapt and live alongside people. These creatures are strong, agile, and have excellent hearing. Their only weaknesses are a poor sense of sight, and a poor sense of smell. They’re also extremely strong and dexterous, which makes them more difficult to contain than other animals. If you have a raccoon problem, you can try these methods to keep them out.
