A Raccoon Pooped in My Birdseed

We have a covered patio at the back of our house.  It's great for morning coffee, afternoon wine, bird-watching, and just enjoying the peace and quiet.  Our patio has some plants, a small table and chairs, and a supply of birdseed in a large covered plastic container.  The patio is adjacent to our bedroom.
  
I'm normally a pretty heavy sleeper, but one night I was awakened by a noise outside our bedroom window.  It was coming from the patio.  Of course, I woke up my husband, "Bill, there's SOMETHING OUT THERE!!!"  I ran to the kitchen to turn on the patio light.  By the time I got the light on, the raccoon was retreating.  He/she/it got away quickly.  When we checked the patio the next day, there was no sign of damage.  No problem.

The next night, I heard it again; same deal, raccoon got scared and scurried into the night.  The following morning, I saw the damage.  The raccoon had gotten the lid off the birdseed.  There was plenty of birdseed left in the container, but Rocky (I named the raccoon after a Beatles song)  had deposited a gift for us.  Maybe we scared the poop out of him, or maybe it was just his regular pooping time, but there was a significant "deposit."  

I don't touch poop in the best of circumstances (whatever those may be...), but raccoon poop is especially troubling.  Of course, I Googled it.  I wasn't going to mess with that stuff until I knew how bad it might be.  Turns out, it's pretty, pretty, pretty bad.  According to the CDC, "Raccoons are the primary host of Baylisascaris procyonis, a roundworm that can be harmful to people. Roundworm eggs are passed in the feces of infected raccoons, and people become infected by ingesting eggs."  (see https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/baylisascaris/resources/raccoonLatrines.pdf) Blech. This website also warns of the dangers of cleaning out a "raccoon latrine."  If one decides, for whatever misguided reason, to attempt such a thing, precautions include:  "Preparation • Take care to avoid contaminating hands and clothes. • Wear disposable gloves. • Wear rubber boots that can be scrubbed or cover your shoes with disposable bootie that can be thrown away, so that you do not bring eggs into your household. • Wear a N95-rated respirator (available at local hardware stores) if working in a confined space to prevent accidental ingestion of eggs or other harmful materials."  Fun stuff.

Of course, my husband offered to clean up the poop.  I warned him against it and pointed out all the reasons why he shouldn't go there.  Literally, DO NOT GO THERE.  Of course, he went there.  Men.  He's still alive.  I will let you know if anything changes.