Top 3 Ways to Get Rid of Possums in Your House

Updated for 2023
VirginianaFI

If you have ever come face-to-face with a possum (technically, an opossum or the Virginia opossum), you might remember being terrified or even disgusted. Those are definitely common reactions to these wild animals, and one of those reactions is actually understandable. What you may not realize is that opossums are actually not dangerous animals. They are not known for vicious, random attacks on humans. What they are known for is stealing pet food, making a mess of trash cans and carrying deadly diseases and spreading them far and wide amongst the animal and human population and opossum removal is vital.

Like with raccoons and ground squirrels, while these wild animals are not going to attack you for absolutely no reason, they will strike back if they feel threatened. Often, when you try to remove an opossum from any small space in your home, attic or trash cans, they might become frightened and attack. This is when the diseases are spread (through contact with the possum’s saliva, blood, etc. with a human’s bodily fluids).

However, you cannot simply allow possums to live anywhere in or around your home as they can be spooked easily and lash out towards the perceived threat. Through wild animal control, it is extremely important to get rid of opossums wherever they are residing.

Here are the top three ways to get rid of possums in your roof, attic, house, crawl space, etc.

Tip #1: Put out a Strong, Offensive Odor

Possums take up residence in the attic, roof, or crawl space in your home and are not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. They like small, dark spaces that allow them to stay hidden and concealed from any outside danger. While these places are good for possums, they are extremely dangerous to humans or other anim als that might come in contact with the possum.

In order to run the possums out of the hiding places in your home, the first inexpensive and effective method to use is to put out a strong, offensive odor. Possums do not like the smell garlic, mothballs or ammonia. These are not pleasing smells to humans, either, but you can probably put up with these smells for a little bit of time in order to get possums out of your home. If you plan on using ammonia, you should mix it with coffee and dip a rag into the mixture. Leave the soaked rag in the roof space, attic, crawl space, etc. to leave the long-lasting effect of the odor. If you plan on using garlic, be sure to crush it up and spread it out in the small space as much as possible. Whole pieces of garlic do not work as well since crushed garlic emits an odor must faster.

It is extremely important to get rid of opossums wherever they are residing in your home.

Tip #2: Use a Trap to Catch Them

As with many rodents and pests, it is highly desirable to use a steel trap to catch and remove the possum from your home. Traps are very humane and allow the possum to be captured and then released later. You will need to find a trap and bait that will attract the possum into the trap. They love any type of food so bait should not be difficult to find. The trap must be put onto a solid surface so attics and crawl spaces might be difficult to use a trap inside of but, if you can, try it out.

Check out the Oxgord Humane Pest and Rodent Control Live Animal Trap for the perfect product for your possum trap needs.

Tip #3: Use a Possum Repellent

Using a possum repellent is a sure way to get rid of possums in the hideaway places in your house. Repellents work as agents to help you drive possums out of unwanted areas. You could use this repellent inside or outside depending on your immediate needs. The repellent uses an offensive odor to possums that tells them the place they’re trying to get to won’t be worth it. You can try Hotshot Possum Repellent to find out if the repellent works or not. Customers seem to be happy with the product and report the repellent driving possum away from their homes.

Conclusion
Having a possum in your home is quite terrifying and also very unsanitary. With possums leaving feces and urine in the spaces they occupy, the contamination that could occur if the possum was left in the house for too long could be detrimental. It is very important to take immediate action upon finding a possum in your home’s roof, attic or crawl space, etc. The chances of a disease spreading throughout your home, a nasty attack from self-defense or food contamination due to the unwelcomed guest’s presence is highly likely. If you are uncomfortable with removing the possum yourself, there are professionals there to help see you through the removal process.

If you would like ways to keep possums out of your home altogether, you should cut down the branches that lead to your roof and seal up any vents that are open to the outside. These measures should become regular and keep you out of trouble in the future with your possum pals.

Hopefully, you found the top three ways to remove a possum from your home helpful! Whether you wish to call them opossums or possums, there is nothing worse than these unwelcome guests coming in and outstaying their welcome. Use these top three tips to help you get rid of possums quickly and efficiently!