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A Detailed Guide on How to Get Rid of Possums: Possums are a kind of marsupial species native to Australia and America. They are easily recognizable for their rat-like pointy nose, tail, furry body, and quirky nature. As these wildlife creatures are not a very common sight in cities, most people really don’t know all that much about them. if you suspect possums are visiting your property, it is probably a good idea for you to get to know them first and then look for ideas about how to get rid of possums. It will you from having an unfortunate incident in the near future.
Possums are usually seen around the yard, looking for food or water. If your house is providing ample opportunities for these, then there is a good chance that possums will repeatedly visit your property. But these small critters are not as harmful as other nocturnal bandits.
Sometimes it is good to have a few of these possums around your house as they will clear out the garbage, feed on harmful insects, catch and eat cockroaches, rats, and mice, and more importantly, kill bacteria-bearing ticks. Some farmers and gardeners actually appreciate possums for cleaning up over-ripe fruit and eradicating snails and slugs from the yard. Possums also minimize the risk of snakes and other venomous species around your house as they are resistant to some venom and like to prey on snakes.
If these good qualities and cute pet-like faces are not enough to impress you, then we are to provide you with all the information you need to know about how to deal with it and how to get rid of possums in the backyard.
About Possums: Habits and Behaviours:
Possums are a common species found naturally in some regions of North America. The size of a full-grown possum is like a cat or a small dog. They have a tiny face with a cone-shaped nose with a pink tip, a long tail, and white, gray, or black fur. Possums are omnivorous, and they are not at all picky when it comes to food. Vegetation and meat these little creatures will eat almost anything they find.
In the wild, they will look for nuts, grass, fruits, and munch on them. They also love to hunt down insects, mice, frogs, snails, wild birds, snakes, worms, and chickens. Now possums have successfully adapted to human environments and are often accused of foraging through garbage cans or gardens. Though they do not sound like the very harmful kind, they will steal your pet food, trample plants of your garden and create a muddle outside while going through garbage.
For the sneaky and quirky nature, it is not always easy to get rid of possums. But with necessary measures, some tricks, some home remedies, and little perseverance, you can get rid of possums in the yard.
Damage Caused by Possums:
Possums sometimes create a temporary home or hiding place under your house and cause significant damage to your attic, kitchen, and yard. While looking for nesting materials, possums can destroy your attic with their tiny sharp teeth. You must know how to get rid of possum home remedies even if they didn’t show up in your house yet.
Because possums usually come in groups and just within one day, they can cause enough damage to your attic. Once they are inside the attic, they will damage your attic insulation and reduce its effectiveness in very little time. If they feel trapped, they will tear and break air ducts and every other thing around the material using their sharp teeth and long claws.
Aside from damaging the air ducts, possums are also known to damage electric wires around the attic, therefore increasing the risk of fires accident. That is how a small creature can lead to the burning of the entire property.
There are also some disgusting concerns you should know apart from the other greater damages. Being so tiny, possums excrete a lot of waste materials, and there is a huge possibility that they will use your attic as a litter box.
Even if you’re able to get rid of them, you will need to clean up a large amount of stinky defecation left by them. Also, be careful while dealing with possums as the amount of excretion produced by a single raccoon is sufficient to create some severe health concerns. Keep checking your attic, chimney, and garden shrubs regularly to notice possums’ presence as early as possible. Otherwise, the damages caused by them can lead to fire, water damage, and even mold.
How to Get Rid of Possums: Step by Step Guide
Being a small tiny animal a size of an adult cat, possums tear trash, overturn garbage cans, wound animals, and are carriers of many diseases. As a concerned homeowner, you need to decide how to get rid of possums and raccoons before they could do any harm. Here are some effective steps that you can take to get rid of possums
1. Eliminate Its Food Sources
Like almost every other animal, Possums needs food and water for survival. As we’ve discussed earlier possums, do not have particular food choices, so and will rummage through your trash can and eat whatever they find, creating a mess in your yard.
The main driving force for any possum to target your property is almost always going to be a foodstuff. Always make sure you do not unintentionally provide them food. These possums have a good sense of smell, so try to avoid throwing meat, eggs, or fishes in the compost heap; otherwise, this will attract opossums and other scroungers.
2. Keep Your Garden Clean
If you have a garden full of veggies and fruits, then there is an obvious chance of a possum attack. Because of the opportunist nature of raccoons, they will rummage through your backyard to find insects, dead animals, old food, rotting wood, and even snakes to eat.
So an important method of how to get rid of possum is always keeping your yard clean and pick up the ripe fruit and vegetables on time. For extra protection, install motion-detecting fences around your garden to prevent the entry of any unwanted guest.
3. Block Entry Points
Possums are very sneaky by nature. Once they get inside and make themselves comfortable on your property, finding them is very difficult to let alone getting rid of the possum. So you should inspect the whole area regularly while taking a walk and make sure there are no places from where possums can get into or hide in your garden. If you find any small hole, determine and seal it properly.
4. Use Possum Repellents and Deterrents
If you really want to get rid of possums just by scaring them without killing them, then try using some effective repellents. There are some options available in the market, do a little research, and buy one of the strong repellents. Also, there are flashing-light deterrents and motion-sensing sprinklers as well.
Read some reviews online first; buy one only if you feel these will actually be effective. Or you can go old school and use some decoys of coyotes to scare the possums.
5. Use traps or firearms
The most effective yet not so ethical way of controlling a possum infestation on your property is via using a trap. Buy a possum trap and place it around the entry point of the possum. Traps basically lure the possum inside and snap closed once it takes the bait nestled inside. Make sure you use bait, like fruit, nut, or any kind of food, when setting the trap. After catching the possum, the trap must be disposed of immediately.
If the possum is in your attic, do not block their entry point while placing a trap. remember, by blocking the animal’s exit point; you allow them to cause more damage in your attic.
Read more about How to get rid of Raccoons
Conclusion: How To Get Rid of Possums In Your Backyard
Although possums are probably not the most destructive creatures like rats and raccoons, they also have the potential to make a mess. They become a matter of headache when they enter your home or ruin your property. At one point of tolerance level, you need to find a way of how to get rid of possums. Throughout this article, we’ve tried to discuss everything relevant to possums and some effective measures to get rid of them. Hopefully, this will help solve the possum problem within no time.