Opossum Prevention Tips

Marsupials are a unique animal species, and most people find them adorable. Koalas and kangaroos are the most popular marsupials, but there are many other members of the marsupial family. The opossum is one of the less popular members and are seen as a nuisance that are carrying parasites.

Opossums or possums are omnivorous and will find shelter in man-made structures. They can live under a porch, shed, or in attics. They will forage for food in trash bins and will eat any pet food that is left outside. Opossum are not that aggressive, but they will cause a huge amount of damage and can spread disease. There ways that you can protect your home from possums. Here are a few opossum prevention tips.

Opossums do not find clean areas very attractive. So, keeping your yard free of garbage, pet food, fruit, and bird seed can discourage them from entering your yard in the first place. However, if there are food sources nearby, there is a chance that they will still try living in your yard.

Possums do not just show up one day living underneath your home or porch. Most times, they will live in wood piles, dry leaves, or other materials that are in your yard, until they can make their way under the porch or chew the siding of your home. Removing these potential shelters reduces the amount of time that a possum has to make a new home in your yard. These items can also be used to make nests once the possum has found or created an entry into your home, so you should just keep your yard clean.

A good fence can keep many animals way from your home, as long as it is kept in good condition. The fence should be several feet tall and at least a foot underground, which will stop animals from climbing over it or digging under it.

You should also inspect your porch and roof regularly. You should look for broken ducts and holes and have these areas repaired. Trees and shrubs should be trimmed to make it hard for animals to jump on to your roof.

There is not a repellent on the market that will work a 100 percent of the time. However, the smell of bleach is very unpleasant for possums. You can also find devices that will flash bright lights on the possum and some will even make noises to scare off the animal. Even using a motion activated sprinkler could be enough to make a possum think twice about if they should come to your yard again.

Opossums are smart and will live just about anywhere. So, preventing them from living in or near your home is the best option for keeping you, your home, and your animals safe. If you have possums living in your yard, you should think about having them trapped live and moved away from your home.