Wildlife Removal Company

Opossums: The Hidden Dangers They Pose to Homeowners

Opossums may seem like harmless, nocturnal creatures, but when they invade your home, they can cause significant damage and pose several risks to your health and property. As opportunistic creatures, opossums are notorious for seeking shelter in attics, basements, and crawl spaces, often leading to unwanted interactions with homeowners. Here’s why you should be cautious if you spot an opossum on your property.

1. Damage to Your Property

Opossums are not known for being particularly gentle on their surroundings. Once inside, they can cause extensive damage as they look for food and shelter. Here’s what they can do:

• Chewing & Gnawing: Opossums will chew on almost anything they find, from wires and insulation to wooden beams. This can lead to expensive repairs and even pose a fire risk if they damage electrical wires.
• Contaminating Insulation: Opossums often make nests out of available materials, including insulation. This can result in clumping, loss of insulation effectiveness, and a costly cleanup process.
• Damaging Ventilation Systems: They are known to get into attics through vents, where they can obstruct airflow, increase the risk of mold, and even chew on ductwork.

2. Health Risks

One of the biggest dangers of opossums in your home is the potential health risks they carry. As wildlife, opossums can bring various diseases and parasites into your living space, including:

• Leptospirosis: A bacterial infection that can spread to humans through contact with urine, feces, or saliva from infected animals.
• Tuberculosis (TB): Though rare, opossums can carry tuberculosis, a dangerous respiratory disease that can affect humans and pets.
• Ticks & Fleas: Opossums can bring ticks and fleas into your home, spreading diseases like Lyme disease and flea-borne typhus.
• Parasites: Opossums are known to host parasites like lice, mites, and roundworms, which can be transmitted to both humans and pets.

3. Aggressive Behavior

Opossums are generally shy creatures that prefer to avoid human contact. However, when threatened, they may exhibit aggressive behavior, including hissing, showing their teeth, or even playing dead (known as “playing possum”). While their “playing dead” behavior may seem comical, it can make it difficult to remove the animal from your home, delaying resolution of the infestation.

4. The Risk of Infestation

Opossums are not solitary creatures—they often travel in groups or return to a location once they find food or shelter. If one opossum has entered your home, there may be others nearby. This can lead to a full-scale infestation, causing greater damage and increasing health risks. In addition, as opportunistic breeders, they can quickly multiply, making the problem even worse if left unchecked.

5. Contaminated Food & Water Sources

As scavengers, opossums will eat anything they find, including trash, pet food, and even carcasses. This means they can bring contamination to food and water sources inside your home. Their droppings are often filled with bacteria and parasites, further increasing the risk of disease transmission.

Prevention & Removal

If you suspect that an opossum has entered your home, it’s crucial to act quickly to prevent further damage and health risks. Here’s what you can do:

• Inspect Your Property: Look for signs of entry, such as chewed wires, droppings, or visible damage to vents, pipes, and insulation.
• Seal Entry Points: Ensure that any potential entry points are sealed off, including gaps in vents, holes in the roof, or cracks in the foundation.
• Remove Food Sources: Secure trash bins, pet food, and other food sources that might attract opossums to your property.
• Call a Professional: Wildlife experts have the knowledge and tools to safely remove opossums from your home, ensuring they are humanely trapped and relocated. They will also assist in sealing up any entry points to prevent future infestations.

Conclusion

While opossums may seem like just another wild animal, their presence in your home is far from harmless. They can cause significant damage, spread dangerous diseases, and create an unhealthy environment for both you and your pets. If you suspect an opossum infestation, contact a professional wildlife removal service immediately to ensure that your home remains safe, secure, and free from unwanted guests.