white and black opossum on brown rock

Why Opossums Are Near Your Home

Opossum property invasions are one of Southern California’s most common cases of wildlife infestation. Understanding typical opossum property locations can help you stay one step ahead of the curve when it comes to handling this pesky wildlife species.

Common Opossum Location #1: Within Your House

Don’t freak out just yet! Opossums are only going to enter your home if an open door or window presents an opportunity. Doggie doors can serve as their own separate invitation to these unwanted visitors.

Common Opossum Location #2: Rooftops

Opossums aren’t attracted to your roof to attain a better view. These wild animals utilize their natural climbing skills to look for additional entry points to your home. You might be wondering how opossums can gain access to your home through your roof. Some construction companies fail to implement pest-fighting exclusion techniques that completely seal off areas of your home, such as roofing.

Common Opossum Location #3: Garages

Earlier, we touched on how a house’s door can act as an open opportunity for opossum entry. Garage doors present the same threat. A homeowner is more likely to keep a garage door open in comparison to a house door. Garages give opossums plenty of places to hide. Food and water within a garage will further attract opossums.

Common Opossum Location #4: Attics

Attics give opossums the warm and dry environment that they most desire. Opossums in an attic can serve as a scary surprise if you’re not checking the space regularly. Sealing off any entry points can ensure that the initial opossum issue won’t repeat itself.

Common Opossum Location #5: Crawl Spaces

Crawl spaces are one of the more popular places for opossums to hide. These areas provide a climate similar to attics and are more accessible. A big red flag indicating an opossum crawl space invasion is a scratching sound or other forms of movement beneath your home’s floors. Crawl space opossum removal is best left to a professional. Experienced opossum removers can remove undesirable opossum leftovers, like feces, in addition to the animals themselves.

Common Opossum Location #6: Underneath Your Deck

Underneath portions of decks are generally an opossum’s number one target. Large gaps create easy chances for entry, while the overhead deck portions provide ample levels of shelter.

Signs of Opossum Damage

You don’t have to spot an actual opossum to gain awareness of these animals’ presence on your property. Opossums can be destructive animals that leave palpable forms of damage behind.

Here are some opossum damage signs you can be on the lookout for:

  • Scratching noises
  • Mysteriously disappearing pet food (*mystery solved)
  • Hissing or shrieking sounds
  • Foul smells
  • Exterior rips or tearings

Are you curious to learn more about why opossums are attracted to your home? Keep reading to discover what can bring these animals to your property.

Why Opossums Are Attracted to Your Home

Opossums love to take refuge in dark and spacious areas. High spaces like attics meet these two desires and sweeten the deal with a heightened placement that implies protection.

Our previous section’s list mentioned the mysterious case of disappearing pet food and water. You might be surprised to learn that opossums are more attracted to cat food than dog food. Birdseed can present a similar level of danger. Whether you own a cat or dog or enjoy feeding birds as a hobby, keeping your animal food inside decreases the likelihood of opossum visits.

One of the most frequently posed opossum questions is whether or not these animals carry rabies.

Do Opossums Carry Rabies?

Most opossums are not carrying rabies. It’s easy to get the impression that opossums carry rabies with their open mouth drooling and hissing. This behavior is the animal’s primary defense mechanism.

Don’t let this defense strategy scare you too much. Opossums aren’t overly aggressive. You might’ve been able to tell that by the fact they play dead when external threats seem overwhelming. Rabies cases are few and far between within opossum populations.

Let’s wrap up with some additional go-to strategies that you can utilize in your effort to protect your home from opossums.

How to Keep Opossums Out and Away from Your Home

Opossums that enter your home can be startling—but you can rest easy knowing that you won’t have too difficult of a time getting them out. Start by closing all of your home’s inside doors and open up a door leading outside so the opossum can make its way out. Nudging an opossum with a broom can provide some needed direction if the opossum is overstaying its welcome.

Holes under your deck or patio are a primary indicator that opossums are present or near. Filling these holes will ensure that unwanted entry doesn’t occur at all. Fibrous material like straw or netting can allow opossums to leave and cut off any chances for reentry.

Your best bet for opossum removal and protection is hiring a professional service to meet your home’s needs.

Call Animal Capture Wildlife Control for Quality LA Opossum Control

Professional and reliable opossum removal and protection services in LA are a phone call away. Contact Animal Capture Wildlife Control for specialized opossum assistance that leaves no stone unturned. We solve your opossum problems by responsibly trapping and removing opossums before securing easy access points to eliminate future issues.

Call Animal Capture Wildlife Control at 310-551-0901 to take the stress out of opossum removal.