Being omnivores animals raccoons tend to eat plants along with animals to satisfy their hunger. So if you don’t know whether or not flowering plants fall into the categories of raccoon’s food source list, probably you would like to know about it.
Especially, if you have had heard of raccoons eating roses, this can make you think about do raccoons actually eat roses or not.
Therefore, let’s look into the explanations ahead related to these queries to find out the exact answers.
Do Raccoons Eat Roses?
Raccoons indeed eat roses. Raccoons are omnivores, so they don’t take roses as any decorative plant, rather they see these flowering plants as a source of their food to fill their hunger. Thereby, no matter how thorny roses are, raccoons will just munch on roses if they get the chance to reach them.
Being a nocturnal and omnivores animal, these furry cute-looking raccoons will devour foods from both plant-based and animal-based origins.
Therefore, flowering plants such as roses are no exception, raccoons will happily eat roses while raiding in the garden at night if they get the chance to eat them.
The rose plants make a susceptible food source for raccoons because most people grow roses and garden flowering plants are raccoons’ favorite food source.
Moreover, the beauty and sweet scent of roses highly tempt raccoons to go near them. And when raccoons go near roses, they don’t see them as ornamental flowers because to them roses are nothing but another good and easy source of food.
As a result, no matter how much thorny roses are, these eating machine raccoons will just eat the roses anyway.
Do Raccoons Eat Rose Bushes?
Raccoons eat rose bushes too, even though they are mostly known for eating rose flower heads and the rosebuds that haven’t bloomed into pretty rose flowers.
Raccoons almost devour any flowering plants that come in their reach, so they aren’t going to leave rose bushes without chomping on them.
Except for the delicate rose flower petals and young buds, raccoons are seen to munch on a whole rose bush too.
Regardless of the pricky sharp thorns on the stalks, raccoons being omnivores eating machines just munch on both the rose stems and leaves of a rose bush.
3 Reasons Why Raccoons Eat Roses?
Rose plants truly are a good food source for raccoons and the following are the most potential reasons that will explain to you very precisely why raccoons eat roses.
Raccoons Are Omnivores:
Raccoons are omnivores animals which means they live on by consuming both animal and plant-based foods and it’s the primary reason why raccoons eat roses.
Raccoons are those furry creatures that literally eat almost any plant and the list of those plants includes roses too. In fact, roses are among all of those flowers that raccoons prefer eating anytime they get.
Raccoons Are Attracted By The Scent Of Roses:
The sweet and lovely fragrance that roses emit highly tempts raccoons. Thereby, whenever raccoons will smell the fragrance of roses while sneaking into a garden, instantly they will be drawn to the rose bush and will start eating them.
Roses Are An Easy Source Of Food:
Roses are one of the particular flowering plants that raccoons really enjoy eating as almost all garden owners tend to plant roses in their garden as decorative flowers, so, for these omnivorous raccoons roses become an easy food source.
Besides, being plants naturally rose bushes stay in one place, so roses don’t require to be searched, chased, and caught. And this is why raccoons prefer eating roses over other food as they get to eat roses more easily.
Do Raccoons Eat Flowers?
Since raccoons are omnivores, they feast on almost any plant and it includes flowering plants too which means raccoons eat flowers. In fact, raccoons consider flowers as their easiest source of food as they can enjoy eating flowers at one place without chasing and catching flowers like prey to eat.
As raccoons eat flowers, naturally you may like to know what are those particular flowers that raccoons eat. So apart from roses, the following are the particular flowers that raccoons enjoy eating.
Petunias:
Raccoons like to feast on any petunia variety as these colorful flowers attract raccoons and raccoons enjoy the delicate flowers and young leaves of petunias.
Not only the flowers or leaves but raccoons also can devour an entire petunia plant overnight if they are hungry.
Water Lilies:
Water lilies make another favorite flower to eat for raccoons. While trying to catch fish from the water bodies, if raccoons spot water lilies, they will never leave this easy source of food behind.
Instantly, they will eat the water lily’s top. Raccoons will also eat the succulent and tender lily pads too.
Water Hyacinths:
Water hyacinths are perennial floating flowers that raccoons equally enjoy eating. Raccoons just love munching on those big, thick, succulent, and bulbous water hyacinth leaves.
Remember that raccoons can eat up any flowers, so only these that are listed above aren’t the only flowers that raccoons eat.
Petunias, water lilies, and water hyacinths are listed here because these 3 are the most common flowers that raccoons are seen to eat.
Do Raccoons Eat Flower Buds?
All the flowering plants that raccoons eat, they tend to eat the flower buds of those flowering plants as well along with the matured flower heads.
Especially when raccoons are really hungry and not finding enough food to fill themselves up, they will never leave the flower buds behind without eating them.
Why Do Raccoons Dig Up My Flowers?
Below the main three reasons are listed and described for you to understand the motives of raccoons behind digging up flowers.
To Find Grubs:
Grubs living in the soil of your potted flowering plants or flower beds in your garden make a quick and protein-filled snack for raccoons.
And to find these grubs to eat, raccoons are grabbing your flowering plants with their front paws and plucking them out to get a way to the soil to dig up and find grubs to eat.
To Find Seeds:
Many flowering plants drop their seeds on their own when the plants are matured and apart from eating grubs or other insects raccoons eat these dropped seeds too.
Therefore, to eat those seeds, raccoons may be are digging up your potted flowers or flowers in the plant beds.
Attracted By Scents:
Slugs, grubs, snails, or many other insects crawl around the soil where your flowering plants are planted and leave their own scent in the soil.
Since raccoons tend to eat these insects and pests, the scent attracts them while roaming around the flowers and to find these insects and pests, raccoons dig up the soil around the flowers.
How Do I Keep Raccoons Away from My Flowers?
Raccoons surely do create a nuisance by eating and damaging the flowering plants. So, to keep them far away from your flowers, check the following solutions described below.
Ammonia:
Raccoons particularly dislike the scent of ammonia. Thereby, you can soak rags in ammonia solution and place the rags around the flower pots or flower beds.
Or else, you can soak a long rope in ammonia solution and place it around the boundary of your garden. Either way will keep raccoons away from your flowers.
Predator Urine:
Raccoons are afraid of the scent of their predators. You can purchase predator urine (dog, coyote, wolf) from the market or online and spray it around the flowers.
The scent will make the raccoons feel that the predators are around them so they will not come near the flowers.
Use Scents That Raccoons Dislike:
You can sprinkle hot pepper around the flowers or can mix crushed garlic and hot pepper together and then sprinkle them. Either way will keep raccoons away.
Spraying garlic juice and peppermint oil+water solution will work effectively too.
Scare Them Away:
Raccoons avoid loud noise, therefore, you can keep a radio playing loud noises/songs between the flower plants. Raccoons will get afraid and not will go near the flowers.
Install Bright Lights:
Raccoons avoid bright lights too, you can install motion-sensor floodlights and stop their nighttime strolling around your flowers. But make sure that the light directly shines over the garden.
Fence Them Away:
Install a double wire electric fence around the boundary of your garden or around the flower beds to keep raccoons away. Install the first strand of electric wire 6” up from the ground and the second strand 1 foot above the ground.
And then connect both the wires with straight stakes that should be standing about 6” apart, also the stakes should be 4-6” deep in the soil.
Final Thoughts
Raccoons practically eat almost any variety of flowers and the list includes roses too. It’s because raccoons take these roses and other flowers as their easiest food source. Besides, raccoons are omnivores, they naturally are attracted to any flowers including roses, so they eat them.