Possums are not the most destructive wildlife you will ever deal with, though. They really can get persistent, resourceful, and remarkably good at making themselves at home in spaces you would rather they stayed out of.
They are scavengers by nature. It means they will take whatever opportunity your yard, garden, or home structure presents to them. A brush pile near your foundation, an unsecured garbage bin, a broken vent screen on your attic, an open gap under your deck, any of these qualifies as an invitation.
The good news is that getting rid of possums does not require anything drastic. These animals respond well to humane methods when those methods are applied consistently and in combination. We’ll covers five approaches that work, along with a clear prevention plan to keep them off of your property.
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Possum Behavior and Why They Enter Homes
Opossums are nocturnal animals. Turns out, you’d see most of their activity happens between dusk and dawn when you are least likely to notice them moving around your property.
They are opportunistic and are rarely territorial. They will settle into any covered, dry area that offers access to food and water nearby. Brush piles, wood stacks, crawl spaces, attics, spaces under decks, and gaps in sheds or poultry houses all qualify as suitable shelter from their perspective as we mentioned earlier.
Damage actually kicking off when they scavenge waste from unsecured garbage cans, raid garden beds for fruit and vegetables, and take shelter in attics or crawl spaces. Here their nesting and movement causes insulation damage and introduces waste.
They can also access barn and poultry house areas. They could interfere with feed and stress out other animals. Opossums can give birth to two to three litters per year with an average of four to eight joeys per litter.
Signs of Opossum Activity
- Tipped over or raided garbage cans overnight with scattered food waste
- Partially eaten fruit, vegetables, or garden produce with distinctive bite marks
- Droppings along fence lines, under decks, or near entry points to structures
- Disturbed compost piles or pet food left outdoors that disappears overnight
- Scratching or movement sounds from attic spaces, crawl spaces, or under decks during nighttime hours
- Tracks in soft soil or mud near water sources, with a distinctive five-toed print pattern
- Nesting material including leaves, grass, and shredded insulation in sheltered areas
- A faint musky odor near den sites, particularly in enclosed spaces like crawl spaces or attics
5 Most Effective Humane Methods to Get Rid of Possums
1. Home Remedies
Home remedies are the right starting point for any homeowner who has been dealing with possums in the yard or garden. They are pretty much falls under the low-cost, non-harmful category to the animals, and effective enough to discourage casual visitors before a routine develops.
- Bright Lights and Motion Lights: Possums are nocturnal and so prefer darkness for their whole activity. Motion-activated lights positioned around the perimeter of your yard, near garbage bins, and at known entry points could actually make them feel unsafe. A light that triggers when they approach sends them looking for a less exposed location. This method works best as part of a combined approach instead than on its own, since persistent possums will eventually habituate to any single deterrent.
- Hot Sauce or Pepper Spray: A diluted hot sauce or cayenne pepper spray is another greate humane way to get rid of possums. All you need to do is apply hot sauce or pepper spray around garden beds, garbage bin lids, and along fence lines. The strong smell will indeed help you keep them off of your garden or your home.
- Garlic and Onions: Possums have a strong aversion to sharp, pungent smells. Placing crushed garlic cloves or sliced onions keep them out of your yard for a day easily though. You do need to replace the rotten one with the new, fresh one to keep possums from staying away from your home.
2. Humane Traps
Live possum traps are one of the most reliable methods to physically remove an opossum that has been seen multiple times. Cage traps in the 32-inch range are the appropriate size for adult opossums. Place the trap along a known travel route, near a den site, or at the edge of a garden bed that has been targeted for feeding.
Bait the trap with fruit, canned fish, or peanut butter placed at the back of the cage so the animal has to enter fully to reach it. Check the trap every morning without fail, since leaving a caught animal in a trap for extended periods causes unnecessary stress and is inhumane. The best time of year to trap an opossum is from late fall to early winter, cause that’s when their breeding time just kicks off, and they are looking over shelters.
3. Opossum Repellents
Commercial possum repellents cover two main categories: scent-based products and ultrasonic devices. Scent repellents use predator urine, typically fox or coyote, to signal danger to possums in the area.
You can apply it where most of the possums’ activity happened over the past few days. An ultrasonic repeller emits high-frequency sound waves that are uncomfortable for possums and you can’t even hear it cause the frequency is low for you tho not for possums.
4. Install Fencing
This is another great approach to get rid of possums safely. Purchase a fence and put it all over the property. One of the best approach we think should be adding an electric fence with a single strand positioned about three to four inches above the top of an existing fence. Since possums can climb so merging a standard fence with an electric one could keep them off your property.
5. Habitat Modification
Habitat modification is the method that addresses the root of why possums find your property attractive in the first place. The most you can do is clear brush piles, wood stacks, and debris from around the perimeter of your home and yard since these structures provide the sheltered, dry resting spots that possums actively seek out. Trim tree branches that overhang your roofline, since these provide direct access routes to your attic.
When to Call Professional Wildlife Control
Some opossum situations go beyond what consistent DIY methods can resolve on their own. If you have a confirmed attic possum situation with evidence of nesting and extended occupation, a licensed wildlife removal professional like Angi Pest Control can assess the extent of the infestation, safely exclude the animal, and identify every entry point that needs sealing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do opossums carry rabies?
Opossums are remarkably resistant to rabies. Their lower body temperature makes it extremely difficult for the rabies virus to survive and replicate. They do, however, carry other parasites and can carry leptospirosis.
What smell does a possum hate?
Possums strongly dislike ammonia, garlic, hot pepper, and predator urine scents. Ammonia-soaked rags placed near den sites work as a short-term deterrent.
What are possums afraid of?
Possums respond to the presence or scent of predators, bright sudden light, and loud unfamiliar sounds. Motion-activated lights and sprinkler systems that activate when the animal approaches trigger an instinctive threat response that sends them looking for a safer area.
What does it mean when a possum hangs around your house?
A possum spending regular time around your home has identified a reliable food source, water source, or shelter opportunity on your property. Garbage access, pet food left outside, fruit from garden beds, and covered spaces under decks or porches are the most common draws.
What will make a possum go away?
Consistent application of combined deterrents produces the most reliable results. Motion lights, pepper spray along travel routes, secured garbage, removal of brush pile shelter sites, and exclusion work on entry points together create an environment that offers no practical benefit to a possum looking for an easy foraging location.
Wrapping Up…
So, with these five methods, you can easily get rid of possums, and not only easily, but these methods are also humane. Turns out, animal lovers wouldn’t get offended and could easily use them if they are really in trouble with possum activity across their yard and home. We do hope these methods help you get rid of possums, and if they do, don’t forget to let us know how well they work out in your yard. It would be much appreciated.
