Why do I keep finding opossums in my yard?
Large marsupials known as opossums are indigenous to the rural regions around southern California. Still, they have been driven from their natural habitats due to human activity. Opossums have had little choice but to adapt to human culture and learn to live near people due to the expansion of urban development into rural regions. Opossums are often seen in areas close to outdoor sources of food and water that are accessible to them. Opossums are reportedly attracted to houses in southern California for various reasons, including fruit trees, vegetable gardens, waste, pet food, ponds, and lawn pests.
Opossums occur in a wide range of sizes; some may be as big as a house cat, while others are no bigger than a mouse. They are easily recognizable by their long tails, which resemble those of rodents, hairy bodies, and pointed snouts equipped with pointy teeth. Opossums are nocturnal animals that choose dark, safe regions like the spaces under houses, decks, sheds, and areas around trash cans. Opossums are really ugly animals, and it’s not uncommon for people to be startled when they stumble upon one in the middle of the night. Opossums will show their sharp fangs and hiss and sometimes even act dead when they feel threatened. Opossums have a high pain tolerance and can “play possums” to make you believe they have passed away, even though they have suffered a serious injury. Because they might spread illness, opossums should only be captured by trained experts.
To discourage opossums from making your property their home, you should get rid of any places where they could find food or water. Before nightfall, bring in any pet food left outside, and after you throw away your trash, double-check the lids to make sure they’re securely fastened. The same goes for any vegetables or fruit that may have fallen into ponds or trees, so be sure to clean them up on a regular basis.
Opossums Are Destructive
Opossums may find abundant food in various places, including garbage cans, lawn pests, pet food, vegetables, fruit, chickens, other birds kept as pets, and other types of fowl. Once they have located a food supply, opossums search for suitable locations to build their dens. A pregnant opossum has decided to make her new home in your attic, crawl space, or wall. She is about to give birth. The breeding habits of opossums are damaging!
Typically, insulation materials are shredded to construct a nest. After the nest is complete, the mother opossum will urinate and defecate inside it to establish her territory. The longer the opossum remains in the attic, the more damage it does, which may cost the home owner hundreds or even thousands of dollars to clean up and restore. Commercial establishments, homeowners, and property management firms need to seek the assistance of professionals as soon as possible to eliminate opossums from their properties.
Opossum Removal & Exclusion
Carlsbad Pest Control offers opossum removal services, such as extermination, trapping, and exclusion, to lessen the chances of re-infestation. We also offer cleaning and restoration services for properties damaged by opossums. We advise getting started right away with a preventative maintenance plan to keep opossums from returning. Our services can be performed once, twice, or three times per year at your convenience. If you have any questions about possum control, please contact us at the number provided above.
Replacement of the TAP Insulation
Once the opossums have been removed from your property, we will clean up the potentially hazardous urine and excrement that they left behind. We are going to remove and repair the damaged insulation, and then we are going to replace it with insulation that has TAP insect control in it. Insulation that provides thermal, acoustic, and pest control protection is known as TAP Insulation. TAP is an insulation product made from natural fibers that have been treated with boric acid to generate a fire-retardant, thermally superior, sound-deadening insulation that also has qualities that permanently control pests. TAP may be used safely near people and their pets, but it is lethal to ants, cockroaches, millipedes, silverfish, spiders, termites, and a wide variety of other pests. This item not only prevents heat loss during the winter and thermal gain during the summer, but it also keeps unwanted critters out of your house.
A Few Quick Facts Regarding the Behavior of Opossums
Habits
Opossums are nocturnal animals that consume plants, other small animals, rodents, and even reptiles as part of their diet. They will concentrate in groups in the areas that are in close proximity to food and water supplies. A possum will either display its fangs, hiss or act dead if it feels surrounded or threatened. Opossums have an extraordinary tolerance for pain, and even after sustaining significant wounds, they are able to act dead so that potential predators believe they have passed away as a result of their injuries.
Habitats
Opossums prefer quiet, enclosed areas that are safe from being seen or heard by other animals. They like making homes in obscure spots like trash cans, decks, garages, sheds, attics, and outbuildings. They will keep living there and having babies as long as they can get what they need locally.
Threats
By rummaging through rubbish, dirt, and compost heaps, opossums may make a significant mess on your property. Occasionally, they may create a nest in the insulation that is located in your attic by using it, and then they will urinate in that area to designate it as their territory. They are also known to consume food meant for pets as well as small birds such as hens. It’s also possible for opossums to transfer fleas. The longer you wait to cure them, the greater the number of possums you will have to get rid of in the end.
Prevention
Because opossums are known to bring illness as well as other pests like fleas and bed bugs, it is critical to have a trained expert remove and capture them. Carlsbad Pest Control provides opossum removal services, including removal, trapping, and exclusion measures, to reduce the likelihood of opossums returning. In the event that opossums have caused damage to your home or place of business, we also provide cleaning services and restoration work. To get the best possible outcomes, we suggest getting started right away with a preventive maintenance plan to keep opossums from coming back. In addition to providing services on a once-off basis, we also provide services on a bimonthly and quarterly basis. Call us right now at the number above if you have any questions regarding possum removal.