Opossums in Ventura and Los Angeles counties make bad neighbors. Besides carrying parasites, fleas, and diseases, the critters have a nasty habit of rummaging through garbage cans, harassing chickens, and stealing pet food. They are noisy and show no shame in keeping you up at night. The odds are that if you are reading this, an opossum is doing its best to overstay its welcome. If it’s time to serve one of these creatures an eviction notice, keep reading.
Opossums present unique pest control challenges. As the United States' only native marsupial (the whole US for that matter), they are known for having litters averaging 12 after a gestational period of fewer than two weeks. They do their best to turn your small problem into a full-blown pest emergency. These critters are resilient and eat anything they can find. In their natural habitat, that means a diet rich in insects, birds, dead animals, and rodents. In your family’s backyard, that means produce from your garden, everything in a compost heap, and the contents of your trash bin. Do not worry if not everything in your trash is edible. Your local opossum will be happy to spread any inedible garbage on your front lawn for all your neighbors to see!
Keep Them Away
The best way to deal with an opossum problem is to try and take away the comforts that make your property such a beautiful home for them. Removing sources such as your pet’s food bowl and securing the garbage cans, send the message that they are not welcome any longer. More persistent opossums may require a direct approach, however, that should not be you. They love living in dark, cool areas and come out at nighttime and are known to shelter in trees, near streams, in burrows abandoned by other animals, and under decks and porches. None of which are the time and place to be startled by fifty snarling teeth.
When your pest problem involves opossums living in your yard, attic, basement, and hard-to-reach crawl space, you should contact an expert. These areas are often impractical to fence off and the large open spaces can shelter several opossums. Luckily for homeowners, there are responsible pest control methods that work well in these areas. When used by an expert, these techniques will help you reclaim your property.
Need Help, Call the Professionals
Some opossums will be a bit too comfortable in your home regardless of what you do to get rid of them. If your neighborhood pest does not leave you alone at night, call the pest management experts. 101 Gopher & Pest Control’s experts bring over two decades of expertise with them during every consultation. We are a family-owned and operated business serving customers in
Ventura County and Los Angeles County. Don’t let our name fool you, we are a full service structural and landscape pest control company. Contact us today at (805) 276-3106 for a free estimate or to arrange for a home visit.
