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Possums might look like quite intimidating
creatures, but they’re usually quite docile
animals, and good to have around also. Not in your
home, of course, because they’re wild animals and
carry / spread disease, but out there - in the
wild - they are actually very good creatures for
the environment. Their body temperature is much
lower than most other mammals, and this makes it
difficult for certain diseases to thrive. Rabies,
for example, is a concern for most mammals, but
possums have shown to rarely / never carry the
virus, or pass it on to humans or other animals.
Possums are often blamed for digging holes in the
garden, and although they are keen diggers, they
are not the usual culprits when you come across
lawn or garden holes. They might have a little dig
for the insects they enjoy eating - slugs, snails,
worms, beetles, cockroaches, etc., but these won’t
be deep holes. If you do find deep holes, they are
likely caused by an entirely different animal.
Possums DO NOT dig dens or burrows underground.
They do live in them though. They wait for another
animal to abandon their home before moving right
on in. They actually prefer to live in the trees
because it is safer up there. In more residential
areas, they will set up home in attics because of
the up-high, tree resemblance. They have also been
known to nest in garages and other outbuildings,
as well as chimneys and sheds. They can create
quite a lot of destruction in a short space of
time too, including defecating all over the place.
This is not only smelly, unsightly, and quite
frankly, disgusting, it can also spread disease.
Some of these diseases can affect you, your
family, and even your household pets.
We can answer: Do possums hiss?
Speaking of your household pets, although possums
are quite docile creatures, well known for
‘playing dead’, they will attack if they are
cornered or feel threatened, particularly if the
playing dead action hasn’t worked. You could face
expensive vet bills as a result of a pet-wild
animal interaction, and that’s before you think
about other types of destruction - culling of
chickens and their eggs, ruining ductwork and
insulation, pulling apart bird feeders and scaring
off the birds you're trying to attract, knocking
over your garbage can and making a mess of your
front or back garden … In short, trying to live
with these creatures can be a nightmare.
Find out How To Get Rid Of Opossums Without Killing Them
Despite probably not being the culprit behind the
holes in your lawn, you still don’t want these
critters to get too close. You should make sure
that your home is wild animal proof, and also that
you are not attracting unwanted attention by
having a messy yard with food left lying around
all over the place. It takes just a few
modifications t ensure your home is well
protected, and it will be worth it. Wild animal
invaders are usually hard work to get rid of, and
that’s before you think about the stress, cost of
removal, and the cost of repair work too.
For more information, you may want
to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How
much does opossum removal cost? - get the
lowdown on prices.
How
to get rid of opossums - my main opossum
removal info guide.
Example
opossum trapping photographs - get
do-it-yourself ideas.
Opossum
job blog - learn from great examples of
opossum jobs I've done.