Raccoons truly love to raid garbage cans. A dumpster is a smorgasboard for hungry raccoons, especially those behind restaurants. Juvenile raccoons can sometimes become trapped in dumpsters which can lead to death for the unfortunate little fellow.
Raccoons will also be attracted to birds, nests, and bird feeders. Garden crops are often raided, too, Raccoons will roll sod for worms, grubs, and insects. Raccoons enter your attic or crawl space for shelter in the winter and to raise their babies in the spring and early summer. They often cause damage to vents and shingles when entering attics. They will enter chimneys (both fireplace and furnace) and sleep and have babies on the damper in the fireplace. Typical entries are roof vents, louver vents, soffit vents, construction gaps, rotten fascia boards, and chimneys. Raccoons may even rip through the roof if the wood is soft.
Raccoons have paws shaped almost like human hands and are very dexterious. They are incredibly strong and can tear into almost any type of housing if it is not properly sealed against such wildlife.