A mother raccoon with babies is pretty much the last thing the owner of a luxury yacht would want to find sleeping soundly in the cozy confines of his beloved boat.

But that was the scene that confronted the suddenly surly seaman at a St Pete Beach Marina one spring morning, forcing him to cancel his high-seas getaway while wildlife removal specialists dealt with the masked animals inhabiting his hull.

"They'll get into any place they feel is quiet and secure," says Jeff Norris, whose company, Nuisance Wildlife Removal, removed the mom and babies and relocated them safely.

Norris says that while removal was necessary in this particular case, raccoon problems in most instances can simply be dealt with by identifying and sealing off potential access points such as chimneys, attics, sheds, decks and garages.

"If you remove the raccoon but not the thing that attracted it, another raccoon will soon take its place," says Norris.

Nuisance Wildlife Removal is often recommended by the local animal control because they employ humane removal tactics that take into consideration factors such as breeding season, and they focus on exclusion services.

Still, his company is the last resort for frustrated homeowners. The best way to address a raccoon problem in St Pete Beach is to prevent one, says Ursulla Kendall, administrator of the Wild Animal Rehabilitation Center of Florida. "Ensure your home, yard and outbuildings are well-maintained and clear of any garbage and debris," says Kendall. If you have St Pete Beach fruit trees, don't leave fallen fruit on the ground. Also, cover fish ponds with net and make sure bird feeders are clean.

Raccoons and other animals are attracted to pet food. Any pet food that is stored in a shed or garage should be removed from its original bag and placed in sealed, airtight tubs.

Kendall says garbage, recycling and compost bins should also be well-contained. Diligent St Pete Beach homeowners may even want to build a separate enclosure for these items to further deter raccoons and other wildlife.

"Raccoons don't understand that the food isn't for them, or that they're not allowed in the cozy attic above your warm St Pete Beach bedroom," says Kendall.

One of Kendall's pet peeves are people who feed raccoons, who, she notes, are quite capable of fending for themselves.

"You think you're doing them a favor, but really you are teaching St Pete Beach Raccoons to expect food from humans."

In fact, Norris says the majority of raccoons that are reported to him as "aggressive" are actually just accustomed to humans and have probably been fed by people in the past. He recalls one bold bandit who dragged the bag of dog food right out of the garage. "We get calls about aggressive raccoons approaching people but usually they're just looking for free handouts. They're not aggressive."

When preventive measures don't work, homeowners should not try to trap, remove or otherwise deal with the raccoon on their own, says wildlife manager Mike Dubois.

"Trapping and killing raccoons is not a humane or long-term solution," says Dubois. Instead, call an SPCA branch or humane removal company in the St Pete Beach area for next steps.