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Opossum in the Attic - How to Get it Out

Yes, this does happen quite frequently (see photo to left and below), and possums in the attic is a very complex case. This almost always involves an adult female with baby possums. The baby opossums usually cling to their mother, but they drop off one by one as they grow, and it's very common for small ones to rome around in the attic, and fall down walls or other cavities. There they will call out with a kind of chirping call, and if not removed, will die and cause an odor problem. Here are the general steps for removing opossums from an attic.

OPOSSUM IN THE ATTIC: Yes, this does happen quite frequently (see photo to left and below), and this is a very complex case. This almost always involves an adult female with baby possums. The baby opossums usually cling to their mother, but they drop off one by one as they grow, and it's very common for small ones to rome around in the attic, and fall down walls or other cavities. There they will call out with a kind of chirping call, and if not removed, will die and cause an odor problem. Here are the general steps for removing opossums from an attic.

Step 1: Inspect the home, and find the entry hole(s), which are very large and obvious.
Step 2: Enter the attic. If you find the adult female, catch her via snare pole.
Step 3: Search the attic carefully, and find and remove any baby possums by hand.
Step 4: If you couldn't find and remove them all (very hard to do), you will have to set traps. This is pretty much the only species for which traps in the attic will be successful.
Step 5: Once they are all out, repair the entry holes with pro-grade repairs.
Step 6: Clean the attic, removing all feces, and spray with enzyme cleaner.

How to get possums out of attic – Choosing the right trap: It is no secret that using a trap is the easiest way when it comes to learning how to get possums out of the attic. Thankfully, with more traps available, especially online, than ever before, there are plenty of options for you to choose from. This in itself can often pose a problem however; as you will then need to choose the right trap for the job. There are a few tips that you can use to make the whole process much easier, and this is something you are definitely going to want especially when you take into consideration how difficult it can be to trap this creature in the first place.

1. Do a lot of research beforehand. Look at all the information on the internet and in other places about the various traps before you make a decision. This could also help you to save money.
2. Make sure that you have the right size trap. If it is too big, not only are you going to struggle to remove it once you have set it up in your attic, but you may also find that the animal will flail around and could even tip it over. The possum may be small but it does have a certain amount of strength behind it. At the same time however, if you pick a trap that is too small, you may find that you inadvertently injure the creature.
3. You will want to look for a trap that you can bait with ease. It should be obvious that the trap has food within it, but at the same time, if the trap is too small, the animal will not want to risk going in there to get the food out.
4. You are also going to want to choose a trap that you are going to be able to move with ease. What’s the point in having a trap set up that you can’t move? The animal will only end up dying of starvation while you try and find someone to physically remove it!

Opossums in attic how to remove - When you take into consideration that wild animals are now becoming more and more used to human interaction, you can appreciate why looking for a method to remove an opossum from the attic is a commonly researched topic on the internet these days. Of course, you may think that having a new “pet” is a novelty at first, but when you see the effects this critter leaves behind, such as using your home as a public toilet, hotel and eatery, you will soon understand why you would need to get rid of it. The good news for you is that there are a few things that you can try before you reach for the phone and call the local wildlife professionals to do the job for you. At the end of it all, however, should you fail in your quest; these experts can be your much needed backup.

Can you do it yourself? You can try! One of the first things that you should consider using when trying to get rid of an opossum out of your attic is lighting. This animal is usually nocturnal, so by incorporating lights into the situation, you are going to eventually encourage the animal to leave. At the same time, you should also consider using radios in a bid to scare them off – it will seem as if the animal is constantly disturbed by the noise coming from the radio, so there is a good chance that it will soon give up and find a new place to call home.

Go back to the main Opossum Removal page for more information about possums in the attic.

How to remove a dead opossum in the attic - Picture the scene – you are going about your daily routine and you get a whiff of something truly awful. What on earth was that smell? You put it down to something going on outside of your house and go about your normal day. The next day, or maybe even a couple of days later, you smell the same thing, only this time, it is getting worse. Something is going on here and it is most definitely coming from somewhere within your home!

People – you could have a dead opossum in your home! It’s time to take action – things (the smell) will only get worse if you don’t. Start walking around the home, looking in areas such as the basement and the attic to sniff out the decomposing creature. You will find that the insulation in the attic will actually stop it from smelling quite so bad up there, so if you can’t smell it as strongly as you did downstairs, don’t freak out – it is probably in there anyway!

Have a good root around in the attic space, while making sure that you are wearing good clothing and some thick rubber gloves, having a poke around in insulation or sniffing under boards – this is usually where you will find the culprit. It is probably wise to call in a wildlife control expert as they will be more educated on the topic and they will be able to find and remove the creature much quicker.

When you think you have found the carcass of the animal, you are going to need those gloves, and a bag that will be big enough to put the animal, as well as anything else it has contaminated, for example, soaked insulation or boards, while still being able to tie it up to keep the smell compact.

The best thing that you can do is to check the rules and regulations for body removal at this point, but as a general rule, burning the creature is the best idea so that you can avoid further rodents and stenches in your attic!