Last updated on October 8th, 2022
If you have an orange tree in your garden or backyard, you should first protect it from raccoons.
Unfortunately, I learned it the hard way! Raccoons can be significant pests and as a result, I lost a significant part of my orange harvest. But here is what I learned about raccoons eating oranges.
Raccoons do eat oranges but they don’t have to wait until the fruit drops to the ground because they can climb the tree to get it. Oranges are relatively easy for raccoons to peel with their hands because they have fingers but lack thumbs to properly grasp the fruit, hence why they use both hands simultaneously.
A raccoon’s keen sense of smell makes them excellent at finding food sources.
Can baby raccoons eat oranges?
When raccoons are bred in captivity, you must be careful about the food you give to the creature.
For example, one of the reasons you should avoid giving oranges to baby raccoons is that these are high in vitamin C, and an excessive amount of the vitamin can cause digestive distress.
Another factor you should consider while giving oranges to baby raccoons is that the seeds in the fruit can be a choking hazard. Hence, you should avoid giving oranges to baby raccoons.
Can raccoons climb orange trees to reach the fruits?
The answer to this question is yes. You will find that raccoons are excellent climbers, and they can get fruits even in the upper reaches of the trees.
Raccoons have learned how to climb trees as it helps them escape from predators.
But in the case of urban raccoons climbing trees, it can help them find suitable food.
They are opportunistic feeders and scavengers; hence, climbing trees is an added advantage for raccoons.
So, even if the oranges are on the upper branches of the trees; these are not out of the reach of raccoons.
Can raccoons eat orange peels?
Raccoons are pretty smart, and they can peel oranges like humans. You will find that they eat the flesh of the oranges and discard the peels simply because it’s bitter.
Hence, if you find orange peels in your garden near your orange tree, you can be assured that it was attacked by raccoons.
Moreover, if you have orange peels in your garbage that was not appropriately discarded, it can attract raccoons.
The creature will not consume the peels but can overturn the garbage bin in search of the fruit.
Are oranges healthy for raccoons?
Raccoons love to eat sweet fruits. However, when the creature is bred in captivity, you need to be careful about the calories it consumes as the movement of the raccoon is limited.
In the case of oranges, a single large orange has only sixty calories and is rich in protein and vitamins.
Hence, if you want to restrict the calorie consumed by the creature, you can include a limited number of oranges in its diet.
Similarly, the vitamin and protein in the orange can help the creature build a robust immune system. But it would also help if you were careful about the number of oranges you give to your pet raccoon.
Can you give orange juice to your pet raccoon?
If you are planning to give your pet raccoon store-bought orange juice, you should avoid doing so.
Storebought orange juice has high sugar content, which is unhealthy for pet raccoons.
Moreover, storebought orange juice also contains chemicals that are harmful to animals.
Giving it to your pet raccoon can lead to digestive distress. Hence, you should avoid giving orange juice to your pet raccoon.
Are raccoons regarded as pests by orange farmers?
Farmers growing oranges commercially often consider raccoons pests. The primary reason for this is raccoons can destroy an orange harvest significantly.
The creature will not distinguish between ripe and unripe fruits.
They can create a complete mess by destroying the trees breaking the branches, and pulling off the unripe and ripe fruits. Thus, a raccoon attack can destroy farmers who grow oranges commercially.
Can farmers keep raccoons away from their orange orchards?
It is essential to keep raccoons away from your orange orchard if you want to protect your harvest.
One way would be to use pesticides, as raccoons are pretty sensitive to smell.
Raccoons are also kept away from orange orchards with specialized pest-repellent sprays.
Sometimes installing ultrasonic sound wave emitters or lights in the orchards can keep raccoons away.
Farmers have also been known to install nets to keep raccoons away from their orange orchards.
What simple precautions can you take to prevent raccoons from getting attracted to the orange tree in your garden?
If you have an orange tree in your garden and do not want to use any pest repellent to keep the raccoons from getting to the oranges, then there are a few simple precautions you can take.
The first thing you can do is to ensure that no oranges are lying in the garden. Oranges in the yard attract snails and bugs, which can also attract raccoons.
Hence, one of the simplest ways to prevent raccoons from entering your garden is to remove any oranges that might have fallen from the tree.
Secondly, you can put a fence around the tree to prevent the raccoons from climbing it.
These are the most straightforward solutions to prevent raccoons from getting attracted to the orange tree in your garden.
Do raccoons eat other citrus fruits?
Raccoons are scavengers, and they will eat almost anything edible. Therefore, any citrus fruit like lemons and lime is attractive to raccoons.
The only time raccoons avoid eating limes and lemons is if these fruits are sour. As raccoons prefer sweet fruits, extremely sour citrus fruits can deter raccoons.
What are the fruits that raccoons like to eat?
Other than oranges, raccoons love to eat cherries, different types of berries, and plums.
Raccoons are partial to sweet fruits; hence, if you have such fruits in your garden, these are bound to attract raccoons.
If you are an amateur gardener and have planted such fruits near your orange tree, raccoons can attack the orange tree while attacking the berry plants.
Hence, you will need to take added precautions to protect your harvest. The smell of the berries can also draw the raccoons to attack all your fruit plants.
Still curious? Check out this article to learn more about what animals eat oranges.
Further reading:
Pestech – Why Are Raccoons Pests?
