Possum Trapping & Removal

Inspecting for Possums

Before you begin a trapping session or start to set up exclusion devices for possums in your yard, take a good walk aroudn the property and look for signs of possum damage or vulnerability. Damaged fences, holes dug underneath the fenceline, and open gates are invitations for a possum to enjoy your lawn and garden. If you have areas of high grass on your property, you are also making a strong case for a possum to build its nest and family in your outdoor space.

After you have inspected the yard area and the edges of your property, turn your eyes toward the exterior of your home. While possums aren't the animals most likely to enter your home, they will not turn down an open invitation to a cool, dry shelter. If you have possums in the basement, you'll likely find their entrance and exit from your space from doing an outside inspection.

Possum Droppings and Urine

Possum poop is not unlike other wildlife waste in that you should never touch it, and you should make sure that children and pets steer clear of it. Humans remove their own waste and prevent disease by flushing it down the toilet and into a sewer or septic system. Possums aren't house-broken and don't bury or compost their waste as you may do for your pet. If you identify possum droppings in your yard, this can be a sign of a possum infestation. However, as possums tend to roam from yard to yard, you may have just experience one passing through. If this is the case, you can forgo trapping and simply possum-proof your yard to keep them from leaving behind droppings on your lawn.

Damage Possums Can Cause

Possums can enter the home and do serious damage to the inner workings. Inside the walls of your home are vital electrical components, plumbing, and insulation. The presence of possums can mean serious damage to these parts of your home and should be taken seriously. Noises in the wall are not something to ignore, and you should contact a wildlife removal specialist at the first sign of a possum in the walls.

Attic space is a popular but less common place to find a possum. However, once they are there, they are sure to generate tons of waste, both liquid and solid. There is plenty of insulation in most attics, and it is easily ruined by possum waste. Once the waste from a single possum or multiple possums in the attic has soaked through the insulation, it will leave horrible, unsightly stains on the ceilings of your living spaces. This is both disgusting to look at and hazardous for your health. Most times stained ceilings are the result of wildlife waste and not a roof leak. Have a professional examine your attic and roof at the first sign of ceiling stains. Wildlife management pros will know how to get rid of possums effectively, make the necessary repairs, and sanitize the area to keep you and your family sage.

Pest Control for Possums

Extoparasites like fleas, ticks, mites, and lice are not unheard of on possums. Just as much as they may like the lush fur of a possum, these little bugs will spread to textiles in your home, and to you. Carpets should be steam cleaned after the presence of these bugs, as well as textile furnitures, bed linens, and windo coverings. A pest control professional will complete this cleaning with extermination and bug-barrier service to ensure that whatever was borught into your home by a possum or possums is dead and gone.

Trapping Possums

The common method for possum removal remains trapping and relocating these small mammals to an area far away from the trap site. Keep in mind that most states require licensing to move a trapped animal to anywhere besides the property on which it was trapped. This is to prevent sneak folks from making their wildlife critter woes the problem of someone else.

If you feel like you are up to the task of setting a trap, baiting it, and monitoring it to catch a possum, understand that this is something you should research thoroughly before doing so. As strict as their are regulations for hunting popular game like deer, there are guidlines you should adhere closely to when you are trying to catch a possum. Contact local fish and game or a wildlife service professional before you end up with costly fines.

DIY Possum Removal

DIY projects for possum removal involve exclusion work, home repair, and trapping possums. You have a number of options and combinations of doing DIY possum removal, and we recommend doing so without killing the animal. If you have a possum in the house, calling a specialist or wildlife removal service is the safest way to make sure not only the animal is removed, but any bacteria, bugs, and feces are removed properly.

Rats and Possums in Your Home

The presence of possums in and around your home are likely if you live in suburban areas near thick brush, high grass, and empty wooded lots. Possums, like other animals that live in wooded areas, will venture into developed areas in search of food, as possums like to move around a lot. Many a motorist has come across a possum or possum carcass in the road near areas like this because possums are not very smart. For this reason, your possum problems are probably going to be outside of your home.

Possums in the Yard

Your yard may be attractive to a possum if they don't sense the presence of predators, it offers plenty of shade, or the grass is high. Possums usually find their food sources in high grass and will venture into a fenced in area given the opportunity. They like to root around in gardens and take fruits and vegetables to eat. There are some homeopathic remedies for keeping possums from harvesting your hard work in the form of homemade possum repellent, but it's a good idea to trap and remove the possums from your yard, and repair any holes underneath the fenceline or damage to the fence itself to keep the possums out.

Possums in the Attic or Garage

Like most mammals, a mother possum or opossum may take shelter in your garage to give birth. Their natural instint is to protect their young, so an open garage door or window may be the perfect opportunity for a mother possum to find shelter from predators and the elements. If you have a possum in your garage, closing all the entryways and setting a baited trap will be very effective at capturing the possum. Captured possums can be relocated according to local laws, or if this is not possible, some homeowners are able to kill a possum on their property based on legislation that governs their area.

Possums and Household Insect Pests in Your Home

The presence of possums in your homes can also mean the presence of bugs that live in, on, and aroudn possums. While possums can eat insects, some insects that feed off of them, such as fleats, ticks, mites, and lice can end up in your home after the removal of the possums is complete. Read our article on possum pest control for more information.

Further Reading