Live Animal Trappings Opossums / Possums
Opossums, or possums as they are commonly known, are common pest animals. They become a nuisance when they move into houses (under porches or in attics) or outbuildings (sheds or barns) because they are messy, eat up pet food, and enjoy ripping up the trash. Fortunately, they are not particularly dangerous. They very rarely attack people. If threatened, they can become aggressive. They can harass pets, and cause damage to the structure. They have a strong, unpleasant odor, and have large foul smelling droppings. They can also carry various parasites and diseases. Fortunately, you can get help and get rid of opossums.
Why have these animals moved in? Because you have provided all that they need: food, shelter and access. Eliminate these and you will eliminate your issues. By eliminate I don’t mean exterminate. It is possible and desirable to remove opossums without killing them. Animal removal specialists, recognize that wildlife is a valuable part of our ecology and prefer to remove and relocate rather than kill animals if at all possible. I recommend that you also adopt this policy. There are also legal issues to consider; it may be illegal for you to kill possums in your state.
One element of effective opossum control is to determine what these animals are eating and eliminate their food source. This is easier said than done as they will eat almost anything. Trash, fruit, vegetables, pet food, grain and almost whatever else you can imagine, are all great food sources. You must be especially mindful of foods available at night, as they are nocturnal. Pet food should be brought in. Trash cans must be strapped shut. Even consider bird feeders as a possible food source.
Inspect your buildings. Zenith Environmental Specialists have many years of training and experience to insure that all access points are found and all needed repairs are performed using correct materials and techniques. If access was already present, the opossums will have taken advantage of it; if access was not available, they may have made their own. We often find opossums in attics, crawl spaces, decks, porches, and outbuildings such as tool sheds. They will tear loose vents and rip holes in shingles or siding. Once inside, they will make themselves comfortable, often shredding insulation, wiring and other materials to create harborage.
Like all wild animals, they are not house trained and leave their disease- carrying and foul smelling droppings behind. In fact, the droppings and accompanying smell are often how people figure out they have an opossum issue. The droppings resemble dog droppings in size and, smell even worse. You don’t want your home to be subject to this situation; get opossum control started today.
Next, we need to get them out. We make sure they are all removed (remember the babies), and then modify your home or other buildings to make sure they are excluded from entry. Remember that they climb and may access your home along wires, trees, vines or other similar methods. They don’t burrow, however, but they do bite, gnaw and scratch in order to gain access into your home. Professional animal trappers like Zenith Environmental have all the necessary equipment and materials and live animal cages needed to remedy these issues.
