Opossums

Are Opossums Harmful?

Opossums may be considered harmful in certain situations, though they are often misunderstood and play an important role in ecosystems. In some circumstances, they can cause issues for humans, pets, and property. Here are several ways in which opossums might be considered harmful:

• Aggressive Behavior: While opossums are generally shy and non-aggressive, they will defend themselves if cornered or threatened. In rare cases, they may lash out at pets like dogs or cats, particularly if they feel endangered.
• Injuries from Bites: Opossums have sharp teeth and claws, which can result in injuries to pets, especially if the opossum is stressed or feels threatened. A bite from an opossum may also lead to infection if not treated properly.
• Nest Construction: Opossums may seek shelter in attics, crawl spaces, or basements. They often build nests in these spaces, which can lead to structural damage, particularly if they chew on wiring or insulation.
• Shed and Garage Damage: Opossums are known to take refuge in outdoor sheds, garages, and storage areas, where they may damage items or cause a mess.
• Disease Transmission: Opossums are capable of carrying diseases such as leptospirosis, tuberculosis, and toxoplasmosis. They may also harbor parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites, which can transmit illnesses to pets or humans.
• Salmonella and E. coli: These animals can spread bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli through their feces, which could contaminate food sources or water supplies.
• Fecal Contamination: Opossums may leave droppings in places like attics, basements, or crawl spaces. These droppings can be a health hazard, particularly in confined spaces where they may not be easily cleaned.
• Garbage Scavenging: Opossums are opportunistic feeders and may rummage through trash cans or pet food bowls, contaminating food with bacteria or waste products. This could lead to health concerns if the food is consumed unknowingly by humans or pets.
• Nocturnal Activity: As nocturnal animals, opossums are most active during the night. Their movements in attics, walls, or under structures can cause significant noise disturbances, leading to sleepless nights or stress for homeowners.
• Road Traffic: Opossums are known to be frequent road hazards as they often wander across roads at night. This increases the risk of accidents, both for the opossum and drivers.

Despite these potential issues, opossums are also beneficial in many ways, such as controlling insect and rodent populations. When they are causing harm, it's often best to contact our wildlife professionals to address the situation safely and humanely.

Learn more: What Do Opossums Look Like?

Opossum Removal

Opossums may seem harmless at first glance—these animals are often slow-moving, non-aggressive, and even help control ticks and insects—but there are several compelling reasons why it’s important to remove or deter them from residential or commercial properties, especially when they start living in close proximity to humans:

Health Risks and Disease Transmission

Opossums can carry diseases that pose risks to humans, pets, and livestock. Some of the most significant include:

• Leptospirosis: A bacterial infection that can contaminate water sources or soil through opossum urine.
• Salmonella and E. coli: These bacteria can spread through droppings, contaminating areas where food is stored or prepared.
• Tularemia: A rare but serious bacterial disease that can be transmitted through contact with infected animals.
• Parasites: Opossums often carry fleas, ticks, mites, and intestinal parasites, some of which can transmit diseases like Lyme disease or flea-borne typhus.

Property Damage

Opossums are opportunistic feeders and can cause significant property damage:

• Garbage and compost raiding: They can tear open trash bags and spread waste around the yard.
• Structural damage: They may enter attics, crawl spaces, sheds, or garages seeking warmth and shelter, damaging insulation, wiring, and ductwork.
• Garden and crop damage: They feed on fruits, vegetables, and flowers, sometimes stripping gardens of produce overnight.

Pet and Livestock Safety

While opossums are generally non-aggressive, they can pose indirect risks:

• Dog and cat confrontations: Domestic pets may injure themselves fighting an opossum, or the opossum could bite or scratch in self-defense.
• Livestock exposure: In some areas, opossums may eat eggs from poultry or contaminate feed with urine or droppings, which can lead to disease outbreaks among farm animals.

Reproductive Potential and Population Control

A single female opossum can produce multiple litters per year, with 5–10 offspring per litter. If left unchecked, local populations can grow quickly, increasing the risks listed above. Once they become accustomed to human environments, they are difficult to remove because they know where food, water, and shelter are available.

Secondary Pests

Opossums often bring in or harbor other pests. Fleas, ticks, and mites can spread from an opossum to pets or humans. Additionally, nesting opossums in attics or walls can attract raccoons, rodents, and insects, compounding the pest problem.

Behavioral Concerns

• Nocturnal nuisance: Opossums are active at night and can be noisy while scavenging, scratching, or moving through attics or roofs.
• Odor issues: Accumulated droppings, urine, and dead young or injured opossums can create unpleasant smells and unsanitary conditions.

While opossums do provide ecological benefits, the risks they pose in urban, suburban, and commercial settings usually outweigh the advantages. Early intervention is crucial to prevent property damage, reduce disease risk, and limit the chance of a growing population becoming entrenched on the property. Our professional removal and exclusion methods are often the most effective and humane way to deal with an opossum problem.

Learn more: How To Get Rid Of Opossums

Opossum Control

Hiring our professional pest control for opossums is the most effective, humane, and legally compliant way to handle an infestation or recurring problem. While opossums are not typically aggressive, they can create serious sanitation, property, and health concerns when they take up residence in or around a home or business. Below are some of the reasons why hiring our professional pest control is the best choice:

• Safe and Humane Removal: Our professional pest control technicians are trained in wildlife management techniques that comply with local and state regulations. Opossums are protected wildlife in many regions, meaning they cannot be harmed or killed without proper authorization. Our experts use humane traps and relocation methods to ensure the animals are handled ethically and safely, minimizing stress and injury to both the opossum and the property owner.
• Expert Identification and Access Point Sealing: Homeowners often misidentify the source of noise or damage, mistaking raccoons, rats, or squirrels for opossums. Our professionals can accurately identify the species, locate their nesting sites, and determine how they gained access to the property. Once the opossums are removed, our technicians seal off entry points and install exclusion barriers—preventing future infestations and saving you from repeat problems.
• Health and Sanitation Concerns: Opossums can carry parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, as well as diseases like leptospirosis, salmonella, and tuberculosis. Their droppings and urine also create unsanitary conditions and foul odors, especially if they nest inside attics, crawl spaces, or under decks. Our pest control experts are equipped to safely clean and disinfect contaminated areas, protecting your family, pets, or employees from potential health risks.
• Property Protection and Damage Prevention: Opossums can cause costly structural damage while nesting, chewing insulation, gnawing wiring, or damaging ducts and vents. Our professionals not only remove the animals but also repair or reinforce vulnerable areas to prevent reentry, protecting your investment and avoiding recurring damage.
• Guaranteed Long-Term Results: While DIY trapping may seem appealing, it often results in temporary relief. Without addressing the root cause—like open crawl space vents, accessible food sources, or structural vulnerabilities—the problem quickly returns. Our professional pest control services come with a warranty that ensures complete resolution and lasting peace of mind.
• Legal Compliance and Liability Protection: Because wildlife laws vary by state, improper handling or relocation of opossums can lead to fines or legal trouble. Our licensed pest control professionals understand all applicable regulations and handle removals in full compliance, protecting you from potential liability.

Hiring our professional pest control for opossums provides a comprehensive, safe, and lawful solution—addressing not only the immediate issue but also the conditions that attract them in the first place. It’s an investment in the long-term health, safety, and integrity of your property.

Opossum Exterminators

Hiring our local wildlife control professionals instead of a large national company for opossum removal has several advantages. The distinction isn’t just about “supporting local business”—it directly affects the effectiveness, safety, and cost-efficiency of your wildlife management efforts:

• Knowledge of Local Wildlife Behavior and Ecology: Our local professionals understand the regional habits of opossums, including seasonal activity patterns (breeding, foraging, denning), preferred local shelter sites (attics, garages, sheds, crawl spaces, or hollow trees), and local food sources (garbage, gardens, pet food, bird feeders). National companies often apply generic protocols that may not account for local conditions, which can result in missed animals or ineffective long-term exclusion.
• Familiarity with Regional Regulations: Wildlife removal is regulated at the state and municipal levels. Our local professionals know which permits are required for trapping or relocating wildlife, are aware of species-specific protections and humane handling laws, and can navigate local ordinances regarding trapping, euthanasia, or relocation, reducing legal risks for you. National chains may operate under broader guidelines that overlook local rules, potentially putting you at risk of fines or legal issues.
• Customized and Targeted Solutions: Our local exterminators provide a plan tailored to your property, including strategic trap placement based on your property’s layout, identification and sealing of specific entry points, and long-term exclusion methods suited to your building materials and landscape. National companies often use standardized approaches—like mass trapping or “one-size-fits-all” exclusion—that may not fully address the nuances of your site.
• Faster Response and Ongoing Support: Our local team can respond quickly in emergency situations, sometimes even the same day, which is crucial when opossums are nesting in attics or creating health hazards. We provide ongoing monitoring and follow-up visits to ensure the opossum problem is fully resolved. National companies may have slower response times due to centralized call centers and travel schedules, delaying critical intervention.
• Accountability and Reputation: Our local wildlife professionals rely on word-of-mouth and our local reputation, meaning we have a strong incentive to perform high-quality work. We are easier to contact directly if issues arise after removal. National companies may be difficult to reach once service is scheduled, and local nuances or special requests often get lost in corporate procedures.
• Cost Efficiency: Our local expertise can prevent repeat infestations, saving money over time by addressing the root cause rather than just repeatedly trapping animals.

For opossum removal, our local wildlife control professionals provide precision, speed, legal compliance, and long-term effectiveness that a national company cannot match. Our knowledge of local ecology, regulations, and property-specific strategies ensures the problem is solved comprehensively, not just temporarily.

Opossum Solutions

Our exterminators use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control opossums because these nocturnal mammals can create property damage, contaminate areas with waste, and become a nuisance when they access attics, garages, or gardens. IPM begins with a thorough inspection to identify signs of activity, such as droppings, damage, tracks, and entry points, as well as environmental factors that attract them, including accessible food sources, shelter, and water. Management strategies focus on habitat modification by securing trash, removing pet food and other attractants, trimming overgrown vegetation, and eliminating potential nesting sites. Physical exclusion, such as sealing gaps, repairing vents, and installing barriers, is used to prevent entry into structures. When necessary, humane trapping and relocation may be employed, following local regulations. Ongoing monitoring ensures that preventive measures remain effective and that new activity is detected early. By combining inspection, habitat management, exclusion, selective intervention, and monitoring, IPM provides a long-term, environmentally responsible, and effective approach to managing opossum populations.