College students aren’t the only ones who are making the most of local apartment complexes’ Dumpsters.

Apartment managers and renters alike have complaints about raccoons, who seem to think trash bins are a great place to look for leftovers.

“Raccoons are smart critters,” said Patrick Chitty, of Ames, owner of Chitty Garbage Service.

If raccoons are hungry and smell food, they’ll think of all sorts of ways to get a hold of it, Chitty said. Trash bins offer easily attainable food, so it isn’t unusual to find raccoons there.

“Raccoons live where we live and eat what we eat,” said Jason O’Brien, ISU Extension program specialist and coordinator of Iowa NatureMapping program.

If yesterday’s doughnuts are available in a trash bin, O’Brien said, “They have a heyday with it. They love it.”

If tenants would be better about closing the lids to the garbage bin after they use them, Chitty said, raccoons would be less of a problem.

Wendy Baxter, senior in elementary education, said shutting the trash bin at her apartment complex isn’t enough to keep raccoons out.

“Even if [the garbage lids] are shut, they still get in there,” Baxter said.

Baxter lives in an apartment complex on Squaw Creek Drive, in a heavily wooded residential area.

She said there are a number of raccoons outside her building every night, rummaging through the trash from dusk until dawn.

“They’re mean,” Baxter said. “They hiss, they’re not afraid of anybody, either. It’s kind of scary, you don’t know if they have any diseases.”

O’Brien said in this part of the country, raccoons aren’t considered a health risk.

“Generally, wildlife can be considered nonhazardous to people’s health as long as you don’t harass them,” O’Brien said.

Digging through trash bin is pretty typical of raccoons, O’Brien said.

“They’re just doing their thing,” he said.

There are a number of ways to prevent raccoons from being such a nuisance, said Lorna Lavender, Animal Control supervisor. Lavender recommends tenants take trash out only on pickup days, so there is less temptation for hungry raccoons.

“Make sure the Dumpsters and trash are secure,” Lavender said.

Matt Vermillion, facilities supervisor at Haverkamp Properties, said he’s seen different types of tie-downs devised to keep trash bins shut – and raccoons out.

“If there’s a way to get Dumpsters to stay shut, that would be best,” Vermillion said.

Many property management companies are choosing to put large brick or wooden enclosures around their trash bin areas, Vermillion said.

“But raccoons can still climb,” he said. “Shouldn’t there be a hunting season for raccoons in town?”

To deal with raccoons, Lavender suggested installing fences and bright lights, using ammonia to ward the animals off or leaving talk radio to prevent raccoons from wandering too near.

Lavender said animal control frequently receives calls about raccoons, but she doesn’t think they’re much of a problem.

“We’re pretty lucky that we’re dealing with smaller animals,” she said. “Other states have to deal with elk and bear.”