What Do Raccoons Eat in the Winter? 10 Common Foods

What does a raccoon eat? Anything it can find. And since they’re active year-round, these crafty mammals are always searching for food to get their paws on.

Unlike bears, raccoons aren’t a true hibernator. Instead, they enter into a state of inactivity called “torpor”. During torpor, the raccoon becomes dormant, their metabolism drops, and they fall into a deep sleep with their tails curled up around their bodies to stay warm. However, as cozy as things are, raccoons still stir when hunger calls.

What does a raccoon eat in the winter? Read on to find out.

What Do Raccoons Eat in the Winter?

In the winter, raccoons forage for any type of sustenance they can find. Garbage, fruit, bird eggs, mice, insects, dead animals, nuts, berries, and pet food are all common for a winter diet.

Here are some of the foods that make up a raccoon winter diet:

• Garbage
• Bird Eggs
• Rodents
• Insects
• Dead Animals
• Nuts and Berries
• Leaves
• Fish
• Frogs
• Pet Food

The more scarce food sources become, the more creative a raccoon will be. As opportunistic omnivores, raccoons will eat whatever they can get their paws on. This can mean raiding garages for a stash of pet food, dumpster diving, and even eating dead animals.

1. Garbage

When winter rolls around your garbage cans start looking extra tasty to racoons. All of the different odors wafting from the trash bags smell irresistible, making it more likely they’ll attempt to break in. These dexterous critters can easily lift trashcan lids that aren’t well sealed. Some of their favorite things to take from the garbage include meat scraps, vegetables, and sweet tangy grapes.

2. Rodents

Raccoons are better at foraging for food than they are at hunting. But this doesn’t stop them from targeting rodents every now and again. Raccoons ambush mice, rodents, muskrats, squirrels, and more. First, they watch their prey from a distance, like high up in a tree. Then they slowly close in, until an opportunity for attack presents itself.

3. Insects, Slugs, Worms, and More

Raccoons eat insects in the winter and during the rest of the year. They also eat invertebrates like worms. Here’s a list of the different creepy-crawlies that raccoons like to dine on:

• Grubs
• Snails
• Worms
• Beetles
• Wasp larvae
• Beetle larvae

Beetles are a big part of the raccoon’s diet, and Japanese beetles are one of their favorite kinds. They’ll gobble up any adult beetles they come across. They also use their dexterous paws to turn over rocks or dig for beetle grubs and other insect larvae.

4. Bird Eggs

Raccoons are infamous for raiding bird nests for eggs. Since they’re usually high up in the trees anyways they come across a lot of different options.

When the opportunity presents itself for a sneak attack they’ll also devour adult birds. As nocturnal creatures, raccoons do a lot of their nest-raiding and bird-eating at night. Along with songbirds, raccoons also target unsuspecting ducks and chickens.

5. Dead Animals

Raccoons are willing to eat dead animals, similar to how a vulture scavenges for meat. When a predator makes a big kill, they usually don’t finish every last bite. For instance, if a hawk kills a squirrel, it might not pick it clean. Raccoons take advantage of this opportunity by scavenging the leftovers, being sure to devour every morsel of meat.

6. Trash Fruit

Trash fruit is always on the menu for raccoons. Here are some of the different types they prefer:

• Apples
• Plums
• Cherries
• Apricots
• Blackberries
• Peaches
• Mulberries

The riper the fruit the the more likely it’ll attract a raccoon. The over-ripe odors are what grabs their attention.

7. Nuts

During the winter, many fruits are only available to raccoons by going through the trash. If they want to find a tasty snack in the wild, they’ll have to turn their eyes towards nuts and grains. Acorns and beechnuts are a couple of the most popular choices for raccoons during the cold season.

8. Fish

Raccoons are decent at fishing and will wait patiently by the shore for the right fish to swim by. They’re also infamous for stealing backyard pond fish, especially during the winter when food’s scarce. Fish become less active during the cold season, making them an easy target for a hungry raccoon.

9. Frogs and Toads

Raccoons will eat all sorts of frogs, including wood frogs, tree frogs, and toads. It’s often the breeding behaviors that make these amphibians easy to catch. For instance, raccoons usually catch wood frogs when on the move, hopping from one breeding site to the next.

Toads are also easy targets, by giving away their position with loud mating calls. One raccoon can eat as many as 20 to 30 toads in one night. They’ll devour every part of the amphibian, except for the paratoid glands and head.

10. Pet Food

Last but not least, raccoons are also fond of eating pet food. While they’ll eat pet food year-round, they’re more likely to steal food during the winter season. If a raccoon knows there’s food on the back porch or in the garage, they’ll attempt to break in. The best way to keep raccoons away is to secure food in containers they can’t open. It’s also helpful to remove uneaten pet food rather than leaving it out to tempt them.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/GlobalP