There was a time when you had to go to a rural area if you wanted to see an opossum or other wildlife. However, as humans have developed more and more land that was once wild, the animals are being forced to live among them. It is no longer unusual for a suburban home owner to have raccoons, opossums, and other wild animals on their property. This leads to some situations that at one time may have been considered unusual but are more commonplace nowadays. We get a number of calls about nuisance wildlife, and one of the more common conundrums is how to get rid of opossums under the deck.

Why Opossums Choose to Live Under Your Deck

Opossums don’t seem to mind the cohabitation arrangements they have with humans. They are scavengers and quite opportunistic; so, the messy human is inadvertently generous when it comes to food, water, and shelter. They leave food out for pests, leave their garbage outside, and have vegetables in the garden – it’s like a veritable feast, a opossum buffet if you will. As for shelter, there is no shortage of that either. Humans build their living structures and leave plenty of spaces for animals like the opossum to hide: crawlspaces, basements, attics, garages, and under decks.

In the wild, opossums like to crawl into things to sleep their days away (they are nocturnal). Hollow trees make a fine shelter. But in areas inhabited by humans it may be preferable to choose a deck to crawl under, especially if it there is a food source nearby and they have something to crawl into under the deck or if it is a tight space. In short, if they were attracted to the property, they probably just chose to stay because it was convenient.

How to Get Rid of Opossums Under the Deck

The best way to get rid of opossums under the deck is to make your property inhospitable to them. Put all garbage in a can with a lid, don’t leave any type of food outside, including pet food, birdseed, or anything that the opossum may be interested in eating. Put it all up and out of reach. To get the opossum to move out from under your deck, you will likely need a technician who is trained in wildlife trapping and exclusion. It is more than just getting the opossum out of there; you have to seal the area so it can’t get back in. In some cases it may even be necessary to trap it and relocate it somewhere else. Most homeowners should not try to take on that task alone.

If you have opossums under your deck, don’t try to handle them on your own. Wild animals can be unpredictable, and there are laws that govern how they should be removed from a property. Call North Fulton Pest Solutions for wildlife removal and for all your pest control needs. Call today and request a free estimate or visit our contact page to complete the convenient email form. We can schedule your appointment and get rid of those pests in and around your home.