Opossum (Didelphis virginiana)
Common Access Areas
- Inside sheds/barns/outbuildings
- Under decks and patios
- Abandoned woodchuck dens
- Fallen trees
- Culverts
Health Risks
Opossums carry diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease.
Damage Risks
Opossums that live near people may visit vegetable gardens, compost piles, garbage cans, or food dishes intended for dogs or cats. Having lost much of their natural fear of people, they will even enter a home through a pet door in search of food. They get into fights with dogs and cats and can inflict serious injury with their mouthful of sharp pointed teeth.
Opossum Control
As with skunks and raccoons, the best solution to an opossum’s presence beneath stairs, porches, decks, or buildings is to screen or block access to the area. Opossums are not wary of traps and can easily be caught with a box- or cage-type live-catch trap.