Expert Opossum Removal Service

Getting Rid of Possums in Los Angeles

Animal Capture Wildlife Control is happy to assist you with any opossum problem that’s negatively affecting your property.

Angelenos typically experience possum issues in the following areas:

• Possum families
• Possums under a home
• Possum property damage
• Fleas
• Living in attics or garages

Don’t let these problems get you down! Animal Capture Wildlife Control’s 20-plus years of experience leads to practical and ethical solutions to any of your possum dilemmas. Our company’s professional live trapping practices focus on removing possums without causing the animals any harm. We follow up with these removals with preventative maintenance, such as blocking entry holes, to ensure you don’t experience any more opossum issues down the road.

Property owners understandably want to avoid possum issues from the get-go. Let’s examine a few different possum prevention strategies that you can utilize on your own. 

LA Possum Removal Tip #1: Eliminate Food Source Opportunities

Possums regularly target trash cans while rummaging for food. Tightfitting and secure trash can lids are a reliable way to lower your risk of experiencing an opossum problem.

Does your yard have any fruit trees?

You don’t have to get rid of these beautiful (and delicious) additions to your yard. Property owners can minimize their chances of attracting opossums by cleaning up any fallen fruit throughout their yard. 

LA Possum Removal Tip #2: Remove Possible Habitats

Possums build temporary habitats within sheltered areas. Think of any regions on your property outside of your home where possums could possibly take up residence. Follow up your analysis by removing any shelter opportunities while you batten down the hatches on these animal’s outdoor food supply. Additionally, make sure entry points such as pet doors and chicken coops are shut at night.

LA Possum Removal Tip #3: Light Up the Night

Possums are a nocturnal species that move comfortably in the dark. Consider adding some exterior floodlights to your property to make your yard less appealing to these unwanted visitors.

You might be curious where you should place these floodlights so that they’re most effective. It’s helpful to light up areas of your property that are most vulnerable to possums.

These areas can include:

• Compost piles
• Garbage cans
• Garden structures
• Your yard’s darkest areas  

LA Possum Pest Control Facts

Possums in attics usually come from the “gable” area of the roof. Most of these areas are left open from when the home was built. If it’s left entirely open and not sealed properly, opossums will rip into the attic in these areas. It’s common for people to use screens to keep opossums out; however, these wild animals are very strong and can rip through screens in seconds.

We have seen cases across the Los Angeles area where opossums rip off a vent, enter the underfloor of a home, and move in under the bathtub. When your home is built, the contractor cuts a hole in the flooring for all the pipes to run up under the bathtub. More often than not, the contractor does NOT seal up around the pipes. This means the opossums can slip under the bathtub, move around the pipes, and nest in the hollow area around the bathtub. We’ve witnessed these instances repeatedly in our company’s years of experience—some of which require a wall cutting to remove dead opossums.

Once an opossum has made a home under the house, in the attic, or under the bathtub, it can be very messy. Opossums will defecate everywhere. They also bring in many things to nest with. In most opossum nests, we find plastic bags, dead grass, dog toys, and a bunch of trash. When Animal Capture is done getting rid of your opossum problem, our goal is for your home to be sealed properly. Whether we can seal it or not, we always point out how it can be done right. 

About Opossums in California

Opossums can be found all over California, and the United States, in both rural and urban areas. Let’s dive into the basic background of these animals so you can better understand what you’re currently dealing with or might experience in the future.

Biology

The opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is a mammal roughly the size of a house cat. Weighing 4 to 14 lbs., it sports moderately long fur whose coloration ranges from white to dark gray, which is usually lighter on its back and darker on its legs. It has a long, pointed face with thin, round, hairless ears. The opossum has fifty teeth which are more than any other mammal in North America. Its long tail is hairless, scaly, and prehensile, while each foot has five toes.

BEHAVIOR

They produce two litters each year and have a breeding period that lasts from January through November. The young are born thirteen days after mating, and quickly attach themselves to one of the female’s teats. They remain with the female for four months.

Opossums are omnivores who are happy gobbling a very wide variety of foods that include:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Meat
• Nuts
• Eggs
• Carrion
• Insects
• Garbage
• Pet food

When living in urban environments, possums often take up residence in garages, attics, chimneys, woodpiles, underneath houses, or anywhere else that seems like a safe habitat. Possums regularly escape human detection with their nocturnal activity.

DAMAGE

The opossum tends to create offensive odors, serious damage to buildings through their habit of pushing in window screens, chewing through electrical wires, and tearing up insulation. These animals aren’t afraid to attack wild birds and household pets in an attempt to retrieve left-out food. 

LAWS AND REGULATIONS

Opossums are not native to California. They are not threatened or endangered, nor are they classified as game animals or furbearers. It is a violation of California state law for wildlife to be kept as pets. Only authorized wildlife rehabilitators are legally able to keep orphaned wildlife for any length of time. 

LA Possum Control FAQ

Chances are you have some additional questions relating to opossums. Let’s dive into some frequently asked possum questions that will clear up the noise.  

Opossum FAQ #1: Can Possums Give Me Diseases?

Opossums have the ability to transmit the following diseases:

• Tuberculosis
• Herpes virus
• Relapsing fever
• Spotted fever
• Tularemia
• Salmonella
• Toxoplasmosis
• Trichomoniasis
• Coccidiosis
• Yellow fever
• Chagas disease
• Rabies

Did you know that opossums are reservoirs for leptospirosis (a.k.a. hemorrhagic jaundice) in humans and animals? This disease is transmitted via the feces and urine of infected animals. Humans can become infected if they eat unwashed produce or fail to wash their hands before eating or putting cigarettes into their mouths.

You don’t have to compromise your well-being to become an LA possum catcher. LA locals that work to handle a possum problem themselves are risking the transmission of an infectious disease. Contact Animal Capture Wildlife Control at (310) 551-0901 to take care of your possum problem without risking your health. 

Opossum FAQ #2: How Should I Handle a Dead Opossum in My Yard?

The dead opossum you see in your yard may still be alive. This species will play dead as a defense mechanism when frightened. Your best bet is to wait four or so hours to ensure that the possum is still immobile. If the possum still appears dead, you can contact Animal Capture Wildlife Control for fast and effective removal. 

Opossum FAQ #3: How Did Opossums Get Into My House?

Opossums enter houses through breach points that you might initially ignore. You can follow up your opossum problem diagnosis with a thorough evaluation that highlights any of your house’s possible breach points.

Are you unsure of where to find these points? Animal Capture Wildlife Control has the experience and knowledge to locate these breach points and follow up with preventative measures after any necessary trapping or removal.

If you have any questions about animal removal and pest management in Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Woodland Hills, Malibu, Calabasas, Torrance, Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys, Encino, Northridge, Burbank, Hidden Hills, Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Monrovia, San Pedro, La Canada Flintridge, Pasadena, Hollywood, West Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, Santa Clarita, Canyon Country, Topanga, Valencia, Toluca Lake, Glendale, or any other community in the region, please call us at (310) 551-0901.