Opossums are particularly bothersome pests because they are so opportunistic. They can cause a variety of problems around your home and can be difficult to drive away.
Though they aren’t particularly aggressive or dangerous animals due to their size, they will still attack when threatened.
Why Are Opossums Around My House?
As opportunists, opossums will stick around any consistent source of food and shelter that they can find. Outdoor trash cans provide a plentiful buffet for opossums, and they notoriously love to knock them over and root through them for food. This often results in trash being strewn about the area, creating a huge mess and giving homeowners a headache over and over again.
Since they do not like to make their own burrows or nests, opossums love to shack up in attics or crawlspaces. They will go wherever they can find a dark, safe space, whether it is on the outside or inside of your home. You don’t want to share your home with these critters, since they can carry many diseases, can cause damage to your home, and smell terrible. If they aren’t removed, opossums are perfectly happy to live under your roof and eat your trash.
Signs of an Opossum Problem in Sarasota
Opossums, like many of the creatures we encounter, are nocturnal. Unless you see an opossum, it may be difficult to discern whether the critters in your attic or yard are opossums, raccoons, squirrels, or rodents. But something is causing damage or keeping you awake at night with its scampering and vocalizations.
- Strange Noises: Opossums are quite vocal and communicate using a wide range of sounds, including hissing, growling, clicking, and screeching.
- Musky Smell: Opossums secrete a musky smell to mark their territory.
- Gnaw Marks: If in your attic, under a porch, or in a shed, you might see gnawed wood and wires.
- Feces: Opossum feces are about one to two inches long, smooth on the sides, and curled on the ends. Older feces can be covered in a white or yellowish mold.
- Exterior Home Damage: Opossums will get into an attic by climbing up the side of a house or jumping onto a roof from a tree limb or power line. Their sharp claws can damage the roof and siding shingles.
- Disappearing Pet Food and Toppled Garbage Cans: Opossums will eagerly feast on trash and pet food that is easily accessible.
- Tracks: Opossum tracks look similar to human handprints because they have five toes on each foot.
Why Are Opossums Dangerous?
Opossums are shy critters and won’t attack people, but they still can spread diseases and damage your property.
Health Issues
- Carry parasites like fleas and ticks.
- Spread diseases including leptospirosis, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis
Property Damage
- Gnawed wood and electrical wiring
- Damaged gardens from digging and foraging
- Scratch marks on siding or walls from climbing
How Critter Control of Sarasota Gets Rid of Opossums
The most effective way to expel opossums from your property is by trapping them. To do this, you will need either a one-door or two-door animal trap and bait. A one-door trap is preferred by trapping experts because it can capture larger critters like opossums, and the bait is more secure. Two-door traps perhaps encourage reticence in animals by suggesting it is safe to take the bait, since they can see a clear exit once in the trap. Either of these traps will yield satisfactory results if positioned strategically. For bait, use sweet-smelling fruit or wet pet food to attract scent.
Opossum Trapping
Trap placement is the most important aspect of capturing opossums. It needs to be located in a highly trafficked area like near a food source or the animal’s living area. Because they are nocturnal, set traps at night for better results. This will also prevent other critters like squirrels from getting caught in the trap by accident. Once you have caught the opossum, make sure you abide by state regulations on what you can do with captured wildlife.
Professional Opossum Control
Opossums are crafty animals that operate under the cover of night, so an inexperienced trapper often can get frustrated with a lack of results. At Critter Control® of Sarasota, we are industry leaders in wildlife management and can draw on more than two decades of trapping expertise to your aid. Our experienced wildlife experts use the most humane and efficient methods to tackle your opossum problem.
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