Are Opossums harmful?
If an opossum has found its way into your attic, basement, garage or patio, you may have a problem. Not a serious one, though. Opossums are not dangerous to humans. Of course, they may bite, tore insulation, make a mess and spread your rubbish everywhere. This is because opossums are scavengers and they do not hunt themselves, but find their food in rubbish piles and leftover meat from other predators’ kills.
Opossums are not aggressive creatures, they are shy, and you may not find out that there is an opossum in your house till very late. This is because they usually come out at night. But now that you’ve discovered it, it is time to remove it. Carry on reading to find out how narrow exclusion funnels are the best method, and how they can be used.
Find the entry points of the opossum:
There must be holes in your rafters or broken pipes from where the little creature got through. Examine the floor and walls of the attic or shed very carefully. You may find more than one hole, and they may be chewed through. Block all the entrances, using brick, stone or hardwood, so the animal won’t be able to chew through it again. Leave one entrance open, for installing the exclusion funnel.
How the exclusion funnel works:
Exclusion funnels are cage-type things usually made of steel. They have an exit that is wide and a narrower entrance. The exit is fitted with a flap-gate that can be opened in one direction, but not in the other direction. The animal crawls in the wider entrance, his body pushes the flap open and crawls out. Now he cannot get back in, because the gate won’t open the other way. Success!
Installing the exclusion funnel:
Place the exclusion funnel in the opossum’s entrance hole. Make sure it is a snug fit. The animals will crawl out and won’t be able to enter again. This will work even if you have more than one opossum living in your home. However, there is one thing you must take care of. If the mother leaves her babies behind, they will die without her. Check the area to make sure that you don’t have babies living there too.
Cleaning the area:
After you’ve successfully gotten rid of the opossums, the next step is to clean their mess from your house to make it safe for you and your children/pets. Use a disinfectant or better still, an enzymatic cleaner. Then spray the area with a disinfectant spray.
Go back to the Chino Hills wildlife removal home page.