Opossum Prevention - How to Keep Opossums Away

What Attracts Opossums To The Area Around Your Home

Primarily, opossums will go wherever they can find a source of food, and when it comes to places where they have been successful in finding food once, they will often return to the same location to see if they can find more food. Opossums are not necessarily scared or cautious around domestic pets too, so unless you have a dog that is likely to try and chase the opossum away, you may even find it eating and drinking from your pet's water bowl and food bowl. As well as food sources, during the mating season they can also be looking for somewhere safe, dark and warm to raise their young, so may look for cavities in cellars or attics, along with spaces under a porch, decking or under a shed.

Securing Garbage

This is one of the main ways that the opossum will have when it comes to scavenging food, and there is no doubt that leaving garbage sacks somewhere that the opossum can smell the contents will draw the animal. The best steps to take when it comes to deal with garbage sacks is to place them within a secured container which won't allow the scent to escape will help to reduce the chance that it will attract the animals. If you do keep your garbage sacks in a garage or shed, ensuring that they are in good condition with no holes or weak points that would allow the opossum access is another good move.

Removing Any Fallen Fruit From Your Garden

If you do have fruit trees in the garden, any fruit that drops to the floor is a potential food source for the opossum, and many people will not necessarily think to check for fallen fruit regularly. Try to do this as often as possible, as the quicker the fruit is removed then the less likely it is to become an attractive meal for the opossum. Reducing access to or removing plants that have ground level fruits such as strawberries and raspberries can also help to keep opossums away.

Keeping Pet Food In A Secure Container

Pet food is a very attractive food source for opossums, and the fact that it is often left outside for pets, or stored in sacks that are easy to cut open make it an easy food source for an opossum. Make sure that the pet food is stored securely, and where possible look to transfer the food from a sack to a sealed container, especially if you are planning on keeping it in a shed or garage.

Property Maintenance

There are several areas around the home where opossums can take advantage to either gain access to food or to find a new place to nest, and to raise their young if they locate it during the mating season. A very important area to focus on is the maintenance of the fence around the property, and checking the material is in good condition, or that the mesh is small enough to keep out the opossum in a metal fence, is very important.

Opossums are known for being able to climb trees, so making sure that the masonry of your property is in good condition both around ground level and around the roof line is very important. Equally, make sure that any spaces under sheds, decking or porches are protected by a steel mesh, to ensure that the opossums don't find a comfortable home on your territory.

Problems Caused By Opossums

There are some very good reasons to try and keep opossums away from your property, as they can be a real pest when it comes to digging in the garbage, even if you're just putting it out on the street on the morning it is due to be collected. They are also known for carrying diseases, and while they don't have as many as other species such as rats, they do still carry some zoonotic diseases. If they do find their way into the attic, they can make a lot of mess as they create their den, which is another reason why you don't want these animals living around your property.

You can also read about Do Opossums Make Good Pets? Go back to the main Opossum Removal page for more information about opossum prevention, and more information about how to keep opossums away.

Read more articles about opossums based on my years of experience as a professional. Learn all About opossums, and see what kind of damage they can cause. Find out if you should feed a found baby opossum, what to do if you find an orphaned baby opossum, and learn if opossum feces are dangerous to touch or breathe. Learn what equipment is needed to trap an opossum, the best bait to catch the critter, and what to do with it after you catch it, including some humane ways to kill an opossum in a cage. Read about the diseases opossums carry, if it's safe to handle an opossum with bare hands, and if an opossum that is active in the daytime sick or rabid.

I can walk you through how to find and remove a dead opossum, and show you ways to keep oposums away from your property, and get them out of your attic. Find out, too, what attracts opossums to your property so you can take preventitive measures to keep them away.