How To Get Rid Of Possums

Possums are small marcupials that are generally found natively in Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi. Opossums are similar animals, but are common in the Americas. Both of these animals are very annoying to homeowners and gardeners, since they love nothing more than to destroy a garden while getting fat off of your hard work. Getting possums to leave you alone doesn’t have to be a difficult task or harmful to the animals.

Here are some common reasons why people want to remove possums from their home:

• They are harassing pets and scaring children
• They have built a nest in the garage or attic
• They are destroying gardens
• They are leaving Fido hungry by eating his dog food

There are two general approaches to removing possums.

Introduce The Enemy

The most common way to get rid of these little pests is to think like their enemy and scare them out! Possums are preyed on by foxes and coyotes, so it makes sense to use powders and scents of fox urine to deter the possums. These scents are readily available at hardware stores and should help out quite a bit. Simply shake some powder in areas where you have seen possums and around the perimeter or your yard, garden, attic, etc. Here are some tips to keep in mind when choosing a powder:

• Try to find an all natural powder that is free of chemicals and other potentially harmful additives
• Make sure the product that you choose is safe for pets and children
• Test the powder on a section of grass to make sure it won’t destroy your yard

Send Them To Possum Prison

Another common way to get rid of possums, which works best in combination with powdered repellents, is to set up a trap and catch them. While this method means that you have to eventually come face to face with the little critters, it works extremely well for stubborn animals that have ignored the powder. You can purchase small animal traps from hardware/feed stores that are harmless to the animals. Once caught, you can take them down the street and release them in the yard of your most hated neighbor! (In all seriousness, it is best to release them a couple miles away in a field)