10 Tips on How to Humanely Get Rid of Opossums

Posted on May 26, 2023 by Budgetanimal

Do you have opossums living in or around your property? If so, you may be wondering how to humanely get rid of them. Opossums can cause a variety of problems, from digging up gardens and raiding trash cans to introducing parasites and other pests into your home. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to safely remove these animals from your property without causing them harm.

In this blog post, we discuss 10 tips for getting rid of opossums humanely. With the right knowledge and approach, it is possible to keep both yourself and the animals safe while ensuring that they don’t return again in the future. Continue below to delve in!

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Opossum Removal and Control Tips You Need to Know

1. Block Them Out

Block off any possible entrances to your home or property. This is the first step in opossum control, as it will prevent them from coming back once they have been removed. Check around your foundation walls and chimneys for gaps or openings that an animal might be able to squeeze through, and seal these off with wire mesh or hardware cloth.

2. Remove All Food and Water Sources

Remove food sources that may attract opossums to your property. If you have pet food outside, garden produce, compost piles, bird feeders, or other edible items that could serve as a meal for an opossum family, make sure these are secured away where the animals can’t get to them.

3. Illuminate Active Areas

Install lighting at night or motion-activated lights around your yard, as opossums are nocturnal and will be less likely to come onto your property if they know they can be seen.

4. Trap Them – (only if your state allows)

If your state allows non-permitted individuals to trap and relocate wildlife, you can attempt this method: Set up a live trap and bait it with something the animal will find irresistible – this could be anything from fruits and vegetables to pet food or fish. Once an opossum has been caught in the trap, you can relocate it away from your home using a carrying box or cage.

5. Deter Them With Repellent

Use repellents such as predator urine, mothballs, ammonia-soaked rags, or other smells that are unpleasant for opossums but won’t harm them. These should be placed near potential entry points, such as around your foundations or in your garden, to deter the animals from coming back.

6. Outsource Licensed Opossum Control

Call a professional Indianapolis wildlife removal company for opossum control services if all else fails. They will know how to humanely and safely remove opossums from your property without putting you or them at risk.

7. Learn More About Nuisance Wildlife

Educate yourself on how to protect yourself against any diseases that opossums may carry – this includes washing your hands after handling anything that an opossum may have touched and wearing protective clothing when dealing with them directly.

8. Know the Law

Be aware of the laws governing the trapping and relocation of wildlife in your area, as some places may require permits for such activities or restrict where you can release relocated animals.

9. Stay On Top of Outdoor Maintenance

Take extra steps to prevent a recurrence of the problem. This may include eliminating any standing water sources around your property, sealing up any holes or cracks in your foundation walls that could provide entry for animals, and trimming back overhanging tree branches that may be providing shelter for opossums.

10. Implement an Animal Proofing Plan

Consider hiring a professional wildlife expert to assess your property and provide advice on how best to protect it against opossums in the future – this includes identifying potential entry points and recommending ways you can prevent their return once they have been removed from your home.

In Summary

By following these tips, you can humanely get rid of opossums from your property and keep them away for good! Remember to always use caution when dealing with wild animals, and if you’re ever uncertain of what to do, contact a professional wildlife removal service for assistance.

Are opossums becoming a nuisance around your residential or commercial property in Indiana? Contact Budget Animal Removal at 317-875-3099 for DNR licensed and insured opossum removal and control in Indianapolis and its surrounding counties. Request a free estimate or advice, today!

Opossums Facts That Will Stop You in Your Tracks

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Budgetanimal

Even though opossums have a bad reputation, they are actually quite fascinating. For instance, did you know that opossums are a type of marsupial, just like kangaroos? Or that they are one of the Earth’s oldest surviving mammals that has thrived for more than 70 million years? See? Opossums really are interesting! Continue below to learn about opossums so that you may better understand these highly misunderstood mammals!

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Nuisance Opossums and the Damage They Can Do

Here in the United States, opossums are known as scavengers and for good reason. Their very basic and non-specialized biology combined with their flexible diet and steadfast reproductive system makes them very successful at rapid colonization, plus allows them to survive in a wide range of locations and conditions. Consequently, opossums are a common pest problem for various suburban and city areas across the country.

Opossums are notorious for digging up gardens and lawns, pillaging garbage cans, devouring any outdoor food (including pet food and livestock feed), tearing through home siding, building dens underneath porches, and much more. The amount of damage they can cause is limitless, and the longer they are present, the more damage they can do.

All of these reasons are important to consider if you have a possum problem or infestation on your property. It is important to contact a local and trusted Indianapolis wildlife removal company for non-lethal opossum removal services.

Noteworthy Facts About Opossums

Aside from being a pest, there are some worthy attributes and characteristics about opossums that are interesting to learn. Perhaps they are a huge pest problem in many areas, but in the wild, they are just another mammal living in harmony with their surrounding Eco-system. Here’s some notable facts to start with:

The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is also known as the North American opossum. It is the only species of opossum in the United States. Their name stems from the Algonquin word “apasum” meaning white animal, given by Captain John Smith in 1608.

Opossums are basically a step above omnivorous, as they will eat almost anything, including roadkill, dead animals, bugs, rodents, small birds, eggs, frogs, plants, fruits, grains, pet food, and human food scraps. They will even eat skeletal remains for calcium.

Opossums live in agricultural areas, woodlands, rural, urban, and suburban areas. They are generally solitary and nomadic, staying in one place until the food and water run out.

Opossums are nocturnal and crepuscular mammals. They are active from dusk to dawn.

Opossums are marsupials and “pouch” their young. Yes, just like kangaroos!

Opossums are incredible climbers and use their long, bald tail for balancing and handing upside down.

When threatened or injured, opossums will “play possum” by lying still and pretending to be dead. They might also belch, growl, urinate, or defecate.

Opossums have 50 sharp teeth and sharp claws. They are not aggressive by nature but can appear very menacing.

How to Get Rid of an Opossum Problem in Nashville

Posted on December 28, 2020 by Budgetanimal

Opossums are classified as one of the largest nuisance rodent species in Tennessee and the surrounding areas. Because of their size, opossums are capable of doing damage on a much larger scale, compared to other types of nuisance rodents, like mice and rats. Not only can opossums cause an extreme amount of damage to a property, but they also pose several health and safety risks. If you suspect that you have a nocturnal critter wreaking havoc on your property, it very well could be an opossum.

Continue reading to learn how to identify opossum activity, including how to get them to go away for good.

North American Opossum (Virginia Opossum) foraging in a residential property backyard. Santa Clara County, California, USA.

Risks Associated With Opossum Activity and Interference

You do not want opossums hanging around on your property and getting too comfortable. Outside, possums can destroy lawns and gardens in search of anything edible. They will dig up sod, rip apart lawns, tear out plants, and pillage gardens. They will also cause structural damages to fences, roofing, siding, and more. They are excellent climbers, so they can access and damage roofs, and ultimately attics. Indoors, opossums can cause even more damage. Their droppings will soil everything it comes into contact with, and they will rip down insulation for nesting.

In terms of health and safety, opossums can carry and spread diseases (coccidiosis, tuberculosis, lice, etc.) and parasites, which can be transmitted to both people and pets. They can also bite and scratch, which can cause injuries and infections. In the case of an infestation, their urine and droppings can pose several hygienic complications, and even cause lingering odors and stains in the living quarters of your home. Basically, you do not want opossums accessing your home, inside or out.

Where Possums Hide Out

Opossums are nocturnal, so they will do their dirty work behind your back, but right under your nose. The places they will likely target on your property are places where they can hide, such as log piles, compost heaps, playgrounds, tree houses, sheds, garages, open wall voids, basement spaces, and more. They are usually alone, or accompanied by one other opossum; but even in these small groups, they can cause massive amounts of destruction.

Opossums are Likely the Target Nuisance Animal if You Notice:

🐾 Exterior Siding or Roof Damage – Opossums will climb anything they can, leaving behind scratched siding, torn roofing, missing roof shingles, and similar types of exterior structural damages.

🐾 Missing Pet Food – Opossums love dog and cat food. If you have outdoor pet dishes, and notice that the food continues to disappear night after night, it could be a thieving opossum.

🐾 Noisy Nights – Opossums make a lot of noise as they use vocalizations to communicate. They make shrieking and hissing sounds, and even make licking or lip smacking sounds to summon their babies.

🐾 Scratching Sounds – Opossums also make scratching noises when they are making their nests. As they scurry around ripping apart nesting materials, you will hear scratching and more.

🐾 Lingering Odors – Opossums, as mentioned, cover everything with droppings. If you have an opossum infestation, you will likely experience foul, lingering odors in the living areas of your home.

How to Get Rid of Opossums

Opossums are not naturally scared of or intimidated by humans, which makes them more of a challenge to abate. For this reason, and for reasons of safety, it is vital that you contact our TWRA licensed and insured Nashville Tennessee animal removal company for safe and humane assistance. We use non-lethal methods and best practices for opossum removal, and adhere to all state and federal laws that govern wildlife abatement. Trust us to get rid of opossums, repair the damages they left behind, and employ proven strategies to prevent them from coming back.

Call Budget Animal Removal Nashville at 615-337-9165 to speak with a knowledgeable office manager about wildlife removal and control assistance in Nashville, Tennessee, and get a free quote today.