One of the most common pests, opossums (sometimes referred to as possums), can be a tricky animal to deal with. They are roughly the size of a house cat. They eat just about anything, and can even pretend to be dead, making capture dangerous. Opossums can be a pain for anyone, and they live in over two-thirds of the continental United States.
These omnivorous animals eat almost anything like garbage, roadkill, meat, nuts, venomous snakes, snails, slugs, beetles, eggs, birds, fruits, grains, dog food, cat food, etc. They have a high need for calcium in their diet and tend to eat the bones of the animals. Opossums have a very high natural immunity to snake venom, as well as rabies. They are 8 times less likely to have rabies than a wild dogs. However, they still carry multiple diseases. Many people assume these little marsupials are not very bright, but they are actually very intelligent in some cases. The opossum can remember where food is better than rabbits, dogs, or cats. It also can make it through a maze quicker than rats or cats. They also have an opposable thumb on their hind legs, allowing them to climb. The tails of opossums can be used for a multitude of tasks, as it is prehensile. It can be used for carrying building materials (such as grasses or twigs) to their dens and grasping tree limbs. These mammals may seem like they have pure black eyes, but that is only because their pupils are extremely dilated due to their nocturnal nature, and they have black irises. Opossums also have a nasty bite, one with 50 teeth. They are generally solitary animals, except for females growing young. Opossums are most commonly known for the ability to play dead when faced with danger. They go into a comatose state until they feel safe, but can hold it for up to 4 hours. As they play dead, the animal’s mouth opens, saliva foams and glands in its body will produce a foul-smelling liquid that makes it seem like it has been dead for a while. In addition to this defense mechanism, they may also growl, belch, urinate, defecate, or run away.
Have an opossum problem? Once one of our specialists determines where the opossums are nesting, the animals will be removed along with their nesting debris. After displacing the animals to their natural habitat our professional will locate the points of entry to your home, sealing the entry points and refurbishing any structural damage obtained during the intrusion. Our professional technicians will also sanitize the area to eliminate the possibility of spreading bacteria and disease.