Opossums are very common in different countries of the American continent. They usually appear at night and tend to eat almost anything they come in contact with. Little wonder, whenever they enter urban areas they cause discomfort to people who live there. They also make disasters with trash cans and some other items. They can enter into people’s homes if they have the opportunity. When they do this, they even go extra miles by reproducing. Hence, they sometimes keep their babies in the gardens and patios. All these can be avoided. Here we will show you several ways to get rid of these animals.
Keep your house closed
If any of the rooms in your house have some kind of hole or cavity, make sure it stays closed. This will prevent the opossum from entering. Opossums easily penetrate through holes, even small ones, in their search for food. Many of these animals are accustomed to enter peoples’ houses in search of food and shelter. Hence, you must act fast before you have a whole family of opossums living in your house.
The food of your pets
Some people often feed their pets in the gardens, patios or porches and other places outside the house. This, however, is a big mistake and it is not advisable to do so. if you live in a place where there are opossums, do not attempt it. This is because, opossum can devour the food of your pets with the slightest opportunity they get. The opossums are transmitters of some diseases and bacteria. This will put the health of your pet into great risk or danger. Try to feed your pet and remove what you do not eat somewhere safe and out of reach. This applies to all your animals. If you have houses for birds, try to make them airborne and that it will be out of reach for the opossums.
How to repel these animals without hurting them
There are several harmless options available to repel opossums. Chemicals can be used to repel these animals. Other exclusive products to scare away opossums are also sold in the market. They are to be sprayed on the areas where these animals usually sniff. One of these products is ammonia. You can use it by filling a small container and placing it in areas where opossums frequently visit. The smell of ammonia will repel these animals. It is important not to place ammonia on the lawn, as it is a potent chemical that could burn it.
Sound and light
Yes, sound could scare these animals. You can put some radio in the night without so much volume, so that opossums will think that humans are nearby. These animals are easily frightened and that’s why they prefer quiet places. There are some quieter devices for the humans, who emit ultrasound. Since the opossums have sensitive ears, this could work.
Keeping the lights on is another way to scare away these marsupials. You can install some device around your house, to turn on the lights when it detects movement. This can be a little expensive, but it is effective.
Trash cans
It is essential that your trash containers are completely closed. This is done so that opossums will not be able to get in. Also make sure the trash is not watered on the floor, or collected in bags exposed to the elements. If this mistakenly happens, then the opossums will open them easily.
Traps
With this option, you can handle opossums yourself. This is done by placing traps in the places most frequently visited by opossums. You must be careful when choosing the trap. In other words, put the size and resistant nature into consideration. You can as well place some sebum. This will increase your chances of catching the animal. Once it is captured, you must relocate the animal. Take it to a place away from the population. A place with green areas and many trees. When doing this, one should take precautions like wearing gloves, in other to avoid direct contact with the animal.
Although they can be a big headache, you should not kill them
Many times, the first thing some people think is to literally eliminate these animals. In other words, to kill them. This is not the right thing to do. Many people may think that opossums are some kind of giant rats. The bitter truth is that, they are not giant rats. They are marsupials and some of these species that are in danger of extinction. These animals have been in existence many years before the existence of humans. They occupy populated areas because they have been forced to move out of their natural habitats. These animals fulfill important functions in their ecosystems between them that serve biological and environmental control.
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How to Kill Opossums page.
