Opossums tend to get a bad reputation based on stereotypes. While most stigmas surrounding these little nocturnal creatures aren’t true, people still tend to want to keep them out of their yard.

If you want to get rid of possums, there are safe and effective ways to do it. It’s even easier to keep possums away from your yard, rather than having to “kick them out” once they’ve already arrived.

So, if there’s an opossum in your yard and you want to get rid of it, we’ll go over a few tips on how you can do that, including letting the City of Los Angeles Wildlife Control give you some help.

Where Do Opossums Live?

Again, opossums are nocturnal creatures, so you’re probably only going to see them out and about at night. Where do they live during the day? Typically, they live in wooded areas. If your home is next to the woods or has a lot of trees surrounding it, you’re in prime territory for possums.

The interesting thing about these scavengers is that they don’t build their own homes. Rather, they prefer something “move-in ready,” and usually find shelter in homes other animals have made, like nests or dens made by foxes or skunks. These are all great places for opossums to hide away during the day, and they do just that—hide. Typically, possums don’t want to bother anyone, and they like to stay covered within their shelter.

What Do Opossums Eat?

Opossums are useful for keeping some common pests away. Simply put, they’ll eat almost anything. That includes everything from small rodents like mice to a variety of insects, including ticks. Opossums even eat snakes.

So, having them around your house isn’t always a bad thing, especially if your home is prone to pests. Having an opossum nearby can keep some of those pests away, or at least keep their population under control.

How Can I Get Rid of Opossums Safely?

There are a few safe ways you can get rid of possums in your yard, though some of them are more invasive than others.

If you’d like to naturally deter a pack of possums from sticking around, one of the best things to do is eliminate their food sources. If you have a garden, keep it tidy. Make sure your trash bins are tightly sealed outside, and make sure you don’t have a pest problem that’s keeping the opossums around.

You can also find opossum traps that allow you to catch the critters at night when they’re out. These cages are a humane way to control the possum population in your yard—but you have to make sure you know what to do with the creature once you’ve caught it.

Of course, we recommend contacting us at Animal Capture Wildlife Control. Whether you’ve already captured a possum or you need help getting rid of them in your yard, we can provide assistance. It’s important to remember that opossums aren’t dangerous creatures and they’re not the “scary” rodents people tend to think they are. However, if you don’t want them lingering around your yard, contact us today.