Kids & Family

Animals Give Greenbelt Trash Cans 4 Star Ratings

Animals are doing what animals do when they bust into garbage, says a Greenbelt official, who shares ways to stop them.

As an animal control officer in a highly wooded area, Susie Hall has become accustomed to calls about animals digging into Greenbelt, MD, garbage cans. She says she gets complaints every week.

From squirrels to raccoons, to feral cats and opossum intruders, she's heard the gamut. Hall says people jump to assumptions that a sick or rabid animal is raiding their garbage, but usually, "these are healthy animals doing what healthy animals do."

Your everyday raccoon is much more likely a culprit than a rabid animal. A few raccoons have even broken through lidded trash containers with bungee cords wrapped around them, according to Hall, who points to their opposable thumbs as the reason.

Find out what's happening in Greenbeltwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Unlike raccoons, foxes are not in the habit of breaking into people's trash containers, according to Hall. She has never had a case of a fox getting into a garbage can.

The local animal most likely to do a sleepover in a trash can is the opossum. They are notorious for getting into garbage containers and falling asleep, Hall says.

Find out what's happening in Greenbeltwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Our throwaway food is easy game for local animals, according to Hall.

"We set up our neighborhood with our garbage like a fast food restaurant. So we can't expect them not to take advantage of it," she says.

As for fears of rabid animals raiding garbage, Hall says not so. A rabid animal suffers a loss of appetite, plus it loses coordination and motor skills, according to Hall. These animals are not taking time and effort to get in garbage cans, she says, "It's highly unlikely."

Hall says a few safeguards will stop most animals. Make sure you're not just setting your bag out, Hall says. And secure containers properly, usually a lid is enough to prevent problems.

If that doesn't work, Hall said strapping bungee cords over the lids usually does. How to do it depends on the make and style of the can, she added. If an animal breaks through all that, Hall says it's usually a raccoon, but it doesn't happen a lot.

Animal control can help educate residents who find animals busting into trash containers, but it doesn't trap and deal with healthy wildlife, according to Hall. On the other hand, if an animal gets stuck, or an opossum decides to sleep in, she said animal control will remove animals from trash cans or dumpsters.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Greenbelt