Wildlife Removal Company

Opossums Near the Home: What You Need to Know

Opossums are a common sight in many neighborhoods, especially in areas close to wooded regions or water sources. These nocturnal marsupials are known for their scavenging habits and their ability to adapt to suburban environments. While opossums play a beneficial role in the ecosystem by controlling pests and cleaning up waste, their presence around your home can sometimes cause concern. Understanding the habits of opossums, the risks they may pose, and how to safely manage their presence near your home is essential for peaceful coexistence.

What Attracts Opossums to Your Property?

Opossums are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will eat almost anything they can find. Several factors might attract them to your home:

1. Food Sources: Opossums are drawn to easily accessible food. Open garbage cans, pet food left outside, compost piles, and fallen fruit from trees are common attractants. They may also be interested in bird feeders or garden vegetables.

2. Shelter: Opossums look for quiet, protected areas to nest. Spaces like attics, crawl spaces, sheds, or under decks provide perfect hiding spots for them to rest during the day.

3. Water: If you have a pond, birdbath, or other accessible water sources, this can draw opossums to your yard, especially during dry weather.

The Benefits of Opossums

Despite their somewhat unsettling appearance and tendency to scavenge, opossums provide several benefits to the ecosystem and can even help keep your yard pest-free:

1. Natural Pest Control: Opossums eat insects, slugs, small rodents, and even snakes. They help reduce populations of harmful pests, including ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. An opossum can consume thousands of ticks in a season, which makes them a valuable ally in controlling these pests.

2. Waste Management: As scavengers, opossums help clean up decaying plant matter, fallen fruits, and even dead animals, reducing potential breeding grounds for bacteria and disease.

3. Non-Aggressive Behavior: Opossums are generally non-aggressive animals. If threatened, they prefer to “play dead” rather than attack. They pose little danger to humans or pets as long as they are left undisturbed.

Potential Risks and Concerns

While opossums are beneficial in many ways, their presence near your home can sometimes lead to issues:

1. Property Damage: Opossums may seek shelter in attics, basements, or under porches. Their nesting behavior can damage insulation, wiring, and structural components of your home. They may also raid gardens or compost bins in search of food.

2. Health Concerns: Opossums can carry diseases like leptospirosis, tuberculosis, and salmonella, though the risk of transmission to humans is generally low. They may also host parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, which can spread to pets or other wildlife.

3. Nocturnal Activity: Opossums are active at night, which means they can be noisy as they rummage through garbage or move around your yard. While they typically try to avoid human contact, their nighttime activity may cause disturbances.

Signs of Opossum Activity

If you suspect an opossum is hanging around your property, here are some signs to look for:

• Tracks and Droppings: Opossums have distinctive tracks with opposable thumbs and spread-out toes. Their droppings may also be found near feeding or nesting sites.
• Noises: Scratching or rustling sounds in the attic, walls, or under the deck at night may indicate an opossum presence.
• Damage: Tipped-over garbage cans, garden damage, or holes in fences or sheds can be signs of an opossum searching for food or shelter.

How to Keep Opossums Away

While opossums are generally harmless, you may want to discourage them from hanging around your home. Here are some steps to help keep them at bay:

1. Secure Food Sources: Ensure that garbage cans have tight-fitting lids and that pet food is not left outside overnight. If you have a compost pile, consider using a secure compost bin to prevent access.

2. Block Access to Shelter: Seal entry points to attics, basements, and crawl spaces. Repair damaged vents, holes, or gaps in your foundation or roofline. If you have a deck or shed, consider installing fencing or mesh to block access underneath.

3. Trim Vegetation: Overgrown trees or shrubs provide cover and easy access to your roof. Keep branches trimmed away from your home to reduce opportunities for opossums to climb and enter.

4. Eliminate Water Sources: Make sure there are no standing water sources, and consider using a motion-activated sprinkler to discourage animals from entering your yard.

Humane Removal of Opossums

If you find that an opossum has taken up residence in or around your home, it’s essential to handle the situation humanely. Here are the steps you can take:

1. Identify Entry Points: If the opossum is inside your home, such as in an attic or crawl space, locate how it got in. This will help in sealing the area after removal.

2. Live Traps: Live trapping is a safe and humane way to capture an opossum. Place the trap near its entry or feeding site, baited with something appealing like fruit or cat food. Once captured, the opossum can be relocated away from residential areas.

3. Call a Professional: If you’re unsure how to safely handle the situation, or if the opossum is in a difficult-to-reach spot, contacting a wildlife removal professional is the best course of action. Professionals can safely remove the animal and prevent future issues.

Conclusion

Opossums can be both a blessing and a nuisance, depending on the situation. While they help control pests and clean up waste, their presence around your home can lead to property damage and potential health concerns. By taking preventative measures, you can reduce the likelihood of attracting opossums to your property. If an opossum does make its way into your home, humane removal options are available to ensure both your safety and the well-being of the animal.