• Open trash cans.
To find food, opossums will find an open trash can and ravage through until they are satisfied. They usually aren’t swift when scavenging and so they will spread litter all or even topple over the trash can.
• Abandoned and old buildings
An opossum may decide to take cover in an abandoned building or an old house which is visited less frequently or not visited at all by humans. They will look for a dark hidden place and make it home.
• Burrows
An existing burrow, which was probably made by another animal such as the raccoon and abandoned, is a good shelter for opossums. These animals don’t mind the previous owners; they will den in this particular place.
• Fruit trees
Opossums eat fruits, and so falling rotten fruits and the ripen ones still attached to the branches will be feasted upon by any opossum that comes across it.
• Dumpsites
These openly available sources of food are no exception for opossums. They will eat almost anything food here, from rotten food, to food remnants, cereals, crop remnants and even pet and animal feeds.
• Overgrown bushes and trees
Too much bush and too much branching may create a warm secure environment for opossums to thrive in without being noticed.
• Firewood piles and rocky areas
They will tend to hide behind these structures or even make them their nesting areas.





How to get rid of opossums

• Always keep trash cans and garbage dustbins locked. This way they will lack food and move another place.
• Use of motion activated lights and water sprinklers to scare them off whenever they try approaching the premises.
• Mimicking the presence of a predator such as a dog by scattering their fur all over will threaten the opossum opting it to leave.
• Repellents such as ammonia and crushed garlic have been known to drive opossums away due to the bad smell.
• Pick up fruits that fall down and if possible, harvest the ripe ones to eliminate even the slightest ability for the opossums to get lucky.
• Keep grass short, bushes and tree branches trimmed to give an open space for all activities within.
• Another way of getting rid of opossums is by trapping them and getting rid of them. This method is however suitable if you know the exact paths of the opossum and the number of opossums that are actually present.
• Limit openings for possible entries of an opossum. This may range from cracked attics, broken chimneys, holes on walls and floors and burrow holes.
• Dismantle firewood piles and clear out rocks if possible to deny the opossums shelter.



Read the How to get rid of opossums page for helpful information and to learn more about What attracts opossums?

What attracts opossums?