Opossum Removal

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Opossum Removal and Opossum Control is handled throughout Central Florida including Tampa, Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, West Palm Beach, Port St. Lucie, and the surrounding areas by Nuisance Wildlife Rangers. We provide humane solutions to handle Opossum Removal and Opossum Control. These pests have been found in attics, under houses, under porches, and in many other structures and can be difficult to remove if done by someone that isn’t experienced in wildlife removal. We specialize in Opossum Removal, Opossum Trapping, and complete Opossum Control solutions.

Opossum Control

We’re Just One Phone Call Away!

Opossums weigh about 4-14 pounds and are about the size of a house cat. They have coarse blackish gray fur, a white face, pink nose, and pink tail. Opossums are most active at night when they will scavenge for food in dumpsters and garbage cans. They have also been known to eat pet food that has been left outside and also nuts, fruit, insects, and grass.

OPOSSUM TRAPPING

Trapping is the most common way to remove an Opossum from your property. The trap is set near the site where the Opossum was last spotted and a food bait is laid out near the trap to entice the pest to enter the trap. Once the Opossum is in the trap, Nuisance Wildlife Rangers will retrieve the trap and humanely remove the animal.

How to Get Rid of Opossums?

About the Animal

Opossums are the only marsupials in North America. They’re omnivores and scavengers, which is why you’ll often find them digging through your garbage.

Unlike other mammals, opossums rarely get rabies because of their low body temperature. Yet you should still try to remove them quickly, as they carry diseases like leptospirosis, tularemia, and toxoplasmosis.

Trapping Opossums

Trapping is the most common way of removing opossums. It’s straightforward and humane, which is why it’s the preferred method at Nuisance Wildlife Rangers.

Step 1: Find the Opossum

Opossums can show up anywhere in your home, including your attic, under your porch, or outside. You should follow the signs they leave behind to figure out where they live.

Step 2: Gather the Needed Supplies

Trapping requires a lot of preparation to be effective and safe. You should get a suitable live trap as well as gloves and a mask to keep yourself safe from the animal’s diseases.

Step 3: Set the Trap

With everything you need in hand, it’s time to set the trap. You should place it near the animals’ nest to improve your chances of catching them.

You can speed up the process by adding bait to the trap. Good choices include pet food, fish, and apples.

These animals are surprisingly intelligent, so it’s helpful to cover the trap with leaves or other debris to match its surroundings and lull them into a false sense of security.

Step 4: Remove the Opossum

Once you set the trap, you should check up on it frequently. This way you can remove the opossum as soon as it’s caught.

At Nuisance Wildlife Rangers, we only deliver humane solutions to wildlife problems. Part of that involves relocating animals five to ten miles away from your home, which prevents the opossum from finding its way back.

Preventing Opossums

Trapping an animal is great, but it’s often better to use exclusion techniques as they’re more humane and prevent the animal from bothering you in the first place.

Step 1: Eliminate Entry Points

Over time, your walls and fences develop holes that animals can get through. By taking the time to inspect your home and seal up all entry points, you prevent nuisance wildlife from bothering you.

Step 2: Improve Your Fence

Opossums are excellent climbers, so they can easily get across your fence if it’s short.

The best solution is to add a bar roller to the top of your fence. This makes the animal slip and fall as it tries to climb it. You could also install a taller fence if possible.

Step 3: Remove Food and Debris

Removing garbage and securing trashcans is a great way of preventing opossums. It removes the animals’ source of food, so they’re less likely to show up at your home.

Decluttering also leaves the animal with fewer places to hide, so they’ll be more cautious and skeptical when they think about entering your home.

Just a Call Away

Give us a call if you want help with removing and preventing opossums. We here at Nuisance Wildlife Rangers have been operating for five years and offer our services throughout Southern Florida. Don’t hesitate to contact us!

How to Scare Opossum Away

Opossums are docile and rarely dangerous. In the face of threat, opossums will rather play dead than confront the threat. But do not be deceived. Despite their aloofness, opossums are one of the most destructive nuisance wildlife in the United States. Visit howtokeepopossumsaway.com to learn how to keep them away.

Most notably, they leave lots of waste anywhere they reside. And whether it’s under the house or in the attic, this waste can cause significant damage. In the garden, opossums can pretty much eat anything – from worms and insects to vegetables and nuts.

So how can you scare them away from your house? Here are some of the processes our experts at Nuisance Wildlife Rangers have found to be effective scare tactics.

But first things first.

I know what you’re probably thinking, “How hard can it be to scare away an opossum? All I need to do is confront it, scream out loud, and it’ll get packing”.

Well, that’s not how it works with opossums.

As noted earlier, in the face of threat, opossums will rather play dead than confront you or run away. That’s just the way they’re naturally wired. And you do not want that. Hence, scare tactics have to be way subtler.

Effective Scare Tactics

• Helium balloons

Tie helium balloons around your yard or wherever you want to keep opossums away from. As the balloon floats in the wind, it startles any approaching opossum, and it leaves.

• Radio

Opossums have a natural fear of humans. So, if you have an opossum under your house or in the attic, you can try playing a loud portable radio there. Upon hearing the voice of humans conversing, the animal will feel very uncomfortable remaining anywhere close.

The only issue is that the radio may disturb your neighbors – especially at night. So make sure you check with them before you proceed.

• Oscillating fan

Take an oscillating fan to the area frequented by opossums. Then tie a few ribbons to the fan. With the aid of an extension cord, turn on the fan. As the fan begins to run, the ribbons stream out. That sight – as well as the sound of the fan – is scary for opossums.

• Motion-activated water sprinkler

Are opossums always on your lawn? This scare tactic might be your best option. Install a motion-activated water sprinkler on your lawn. Anytime an opossum comes near your lawn, the sprinkler delivers a jet of water in the direction of the animal. That startles it, and the opossum runs back from where it’s coming.

• Motion-activated light detector

Opossums have very poor eyesight. That’s partly why they’re nocturnal as they rely on the cover of darkness to protect them from predators. If you have opossums disturbing your yard at night, you should install a light detector.

With this in place, anytime the opossum approaches your yard, a bright light comes on. This makes it uncomfortable for them to stay around. So, they’re forced back into the cover of darkness.

• Predator scents

In the wild, opossums have several predators, including foxes, coyotes, and birds of prey. Hence, sprinkling the urine of these predators will signal to opossums that the designated area is a “predator zone”. You can also use the scent of dogs or cats (from their urine or hair) to scare opossums.

Note that predator scents quickly wear off with time. Hence, they need to be consistently reapplied to remain effective.

Wrap Up

Do you need help getting rid of opossums? Wildlife experts at Nuisance Wildlife Rangers are fully equipped to bring an end to your opossum infestation for good.