I love the raccoons. We lived with this one for 6 months or so or until she had four babies and weaned them. They never tore up anything and stayed hidden under the shed during daylight hours. They have to eat and since man has destroyed most everything they normally eat, they are reduced to eating wherever they find food. Garbage bags is their number one source of food. So, we bought cheap bags of dogfood. - 50 pounds for 7 dollars and fed them that twice each day. They fed at night and finished up in the early morning hours. Put your trash in a metal trash can with a lid and that should keep them out. Or put some food out for them. Please don't poison them like some people do. They are god's creatures like me and you and deserve a place to live.