Opossum Information

Opossums are the only marsupials in North America. While the rest of their relatives (like kangaroos, koalas, and wombats) live in Australia, Opossums inhabit the Eastern United States. These nocturnal nuisance animals look like giant rats, and they thrive in both rural and suburban areas where they have easy access to food like garbage, roadkill, rotten fruit, grass, insects, birds, and snakes. Opossums are often the size of a cat, and they have gray and white fur, a narrow snout, small eyes, and a long, hairless, prehensile tail they use to hang from tree branches. Interestingly, they have the more teeth than any other mammal in the United States.

Opossums often lead solitary lives when they are not raising their children, referred to as joeys. When raising their young, which at birth are usually the size of a honey bee, female opossums will carry them around in their belly pouches, and they will make a nest to call home. These nests are sometimes made in the safety of a residence, especially in unoccupied attics, garages, sheds, or even beneath porches. When they have made a nest, they will wreak havoc in gardens and chicken coops, and they will get into any garbage or petfood left outside. While these annoyances present their own concern, opossums present a greater problem. While opossums aren't physically dangerous (they'd rather to play dead than attack), they are disease carrying animals. They can carry diseases such as tuberculosis, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, and Chagas disease, as well as fleas, mites, and lice. Because of this it's best to call a professional if you're dealing with an opossum infestation.

To get rid of an opossum presence around or in your home, head to our Wildlife Control Businesses page. Your local animal control specialist will quickly and humanely locate and remove the adult opossums, and They will be sure to search your premises for joeys to make sure the nuisance is taken care of. They will then seal the entry points to your home and repair any damage the opossums caused.