How Do You Get Rid of Possums? Proven Yard & Attic Deterrents

When homeowners ask how do you get rid of possums, the answer rarely involves lethal methods. The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)—North America’s only native marsupial—is a highly effective, nomadic scavenger that plays a crucial role in local ecosystems. A single opossum can consume up to 5,000 ticks in a single season, significantly reducing the prevalence of Lyme disease in your yard, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Furthermore, their naturally low body temperature makes them highly resistant to rabies.

However, their opportunistic foraging habits frequently bring them into conflict with human habitats. They will raid unsecured trash cans, eat premium pet food left on porches, and seek shelter in crawl spaces, attics, and underneath sheds. Because they are protected or regulated in many municipalities, and because relocation often results in the animal's death due to territorial disputes, the most effective strategy relies on habitat modification and physical exclusion.

The Core Attractants: Why Opossums Target Your Property

Opossums do not dig their own burrows. They are squatters that rely on existing structures and readily available food sources. Before investing in exclusion materials, you must eliminate the primary attractants that draw them onto your property:

• Unsecured Pet Food: Leaving dry kibble or wet food outside overnight is the number one attractant. Opossums have an acute sense of smell and will travel up to a mile for a reliable calorie source.
• Fallen Fruit and Nuts: Persimmons, apples, and acorns act as natural magnets. Rake and compost fallen fruit weekly during autumn.
• Accessible Compost Bins: Open compost piles containing kitchen scraps (especially meat, dairy, and fruit rinds) provide an all-you-can-eat buffet. Use enclosed, tumbling compost bins with secure latches.
• Structural Voids: Broken crawl space vents, gaps in soffits, and spaces underneath decks without lattice provide ideal daytime nesting sites.

Structural Exclusion: Sealing Attics and Crawl Spaces

If an opossum has already taken up residence in your attic or crawlspace, you must evict it before sealing the entry points. Never seal an entry hole while the animal is inside. Use a one-way exclusion door (available at hardware stores for $25–$40) over the main entry point. This allows the opossum to leave to forage at night but prevents re-entry. Leave the door in place for 3 to 5 consecutive days to ensure all animals, including potential young, have vacated.

Choosing the Right Exclusion Materials

Standard chicken wire is entirely ineffective. Opossums possess strong forepaws and can easily tear through thin poultry netting. For permanent exclusion, use 19-gauge galvanized hardware cloth with a 1/2-inch mesh.

1. Measure and Cut: Use tin snips to cut the hardware cloth, ensuring you have a 3-inch overlap on all sides of the gap or vent you are covering.
2. Secure the Mesh: Fasten the hardware cloth using heavy-duty galvanized staples or 1-inch exterior wood screws with fender washers. Place fasteners every 4 inches along the perimeter.
3. Trenching for Decks: To prevent digging under sheds or decks, dig a narrow trench 6 inches deep along the perimeter. Bury the bottom edge of the hardware cloth and bend it outward at a 90-degree angle (an "L-shape") away from the structure before backfilling. This defeats their instinct to dig directly at the base of the barrier.

Perimeter and Yard Deterrence Strategies

Once the structures are sealed, the goal shifts to making the yard inhospitable. Opossums are highly neophobic (fearful of new stimuli) and prefer to forage in the dark. You can exploit these behavioral traits using sensory deterrents.

Comparison of Deterrent Methods

While commercial chemical repellents exist, the Humane Society of the United States notes that taste and odor repellents yield inconsistent results because opossums will simply bypass the treated area to find untreated food. Motion-activated lighting and physical barriers remain the gold standard for yard deterrence.

Humane Trapping Protocols: When Exclusion Fails

If an opossum is trapped in a fenced yard or frequently raiding a specific area where exclusion isn't immediately possible, live trapping is the next step. However, trapping requires strict adherence to local wildlife laws and animal welfare standards.

Trap Selection and Baiting

Use a medium-sized, single or double-door live trap. The Havahart Model #1081 (12 x 12 x 32 inches, retailing around $65) is the industry standard for opossums. Traps that are too small will result in the animal's tail getting caught in the door, causing injury.

Bait Selection: Avoid peanut butter. While effective for squirrels, peanut butter is highly attractive to skunks and raccoons, increasing the risk of bycatch. Instead, use:

• Canned sardines or tuna (punctured to release the scent)
• Marshmallows (visually distinct and highly attractive to opossums)
• Sliced apples or overripe bananas

Legal and Ethical Trapping Rules

Check Traps Daily: It is a legal requirement in most states to inspect live traps at least once every 12 to 24 hours. Leaving an opossum in a trap exposed to direct sunlight or predators is considered animal cruelty and carries severe fines.

The Relocation Dilemma: Many states strictly prohibit the relocation of trapped wildlife. Moving an opossum to a "better" location (like a wooded park) usually results in a death sentence. Relocated animals lack knowledge of local food and water sources and must fight established territorial animals. If you trap an opossum, the most humane and legally sound practice is to release it on your own property at dusk, immediately followed by repairing the exclusion breach that allowed it in.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do opossums carry diseases that threaten my pets?

Opossums are remarkably clean animals that groom themselves frequently, similar to cats. While they can carry fleas, they are highly resistant to rabies due to their low baseline body temperature (94-97°F). However, they can transmit leptospirosis and tuberculosis through feces, which is why you should always wear heavy gloves and an N95 mask when cleaning up opossum droppings in an attic or crawlspace.

Will a dog keep possums away?

A vocal, free-roaming dog is an excellent natural deterrent. Opossums are non-confrontational and will avoid areas marked by canine urine or where dogs are actively patrolling. However, if your dog corners an opossum, the marsupial will defend itself with sharp claws and teeth, which can lead to veterinary bills for your pet. Always supervise nighttime dog walks.

What should I do if an opossum is "playing dead" on my lawn?

Involuntary thanatosis (playing dead) is an autonomic nervous system response to extreme terror, not a conscious choice. The opossum may emit a foul, rotting odor and secrete a green fluid from its anal glands to convince predators it is diseased. Do not poke or move it. Keep pets indoors, and the opossum will typically recover and wander off within 1 to 4 hours once it feels the threat has passed.