How to Protect Your Home from Opossum Infestation

Opossums are nocturnal marsupials that thrive in urban and suburban environments, drawn by accessible food and shelter. While they play a beneficial role by controlling insects and rodents, they become a problem when they move into attics, crawlspaces, garages, and under decks.

Why Opossums Are Attracted to Your Property

• Food Access: Open trash cans, pet food left outside, and fruit trees are highly attractive to opossums.
• Shelter: Attics, crawlspaces, and the space under decks provide safe, dark nesting sites.
• Water Sources: Birdbaths, pet water dishes, and standing water attract them as reliable water sources.

Signs of an Opossum Infestation

• Scurrying or scratching sounds in your attic or walls at night.
• Overturned or chewed garbage cans with scattered contents.
• Droppings approximately 2 inches long with tapered ends.
• Nest materials — leaves, grass, and insulation — in your attic or crawlspace.

How to Protect Your Home

1. Secure Food Sources

Use trash cans with tight-fitting lids, bring pet food inside before dusk, move bird feeders away from the house, and regularly pick up fallen fruit from trees.

2. Seal Entry Points

Inspect your foundation for cracks and seal them with caulk or steel wool. Check roof edges, soffits, and attic vents for gaps. Ensure garage and crawlspace doors close with no gaps a small animal can squeeze through.

3. Maintain Your Yard

Trim back overhanging tree branches, clear brush and debris piles, and consider perimeter fencing to deter opossums from approaching the house.

4. Install Motion-Activated Lights

Opossums are nocturnal and prefer darkness. Motion-activated lights near garbage cans, crawlspace entrances, and under decks are effective deterrents.

5. Use Natural Repellents

Garlic or ammonia-based repellents applied around potential entry points can discourage opossums without harming them or other wildlife.

When to Call a Professional

If opossums have already moved in or you're dealing with repeat visits, professional removal is the safest route. Opossums can carry leptospirosis, and attempting to remove them yourself can result in injury. Our Opossum Removal service provides humane trapping, full exclusion, and long-term prevention planning.