Raccoons are adorable, particularly the babies (kits). It is easy to forget they are wild animals and as such should be discouraged from taking up residence in and around neighborhoods and homes. Attracting raccoons to your yard, can backfire. They are known to raise havoc with garbage bins, damage homes, raid gardens and spread diseases to both pets and humans.
Contact with pets and humans often results in raccoons being trapped, killed and tested for rabies. Additionally, some raccoons carry a type of roundworm in their intestines. Eggs are shed in droppings and can be accidently ingested by humans, particularly children.