Many people do not know how to properly approach or effectively remove the intruding possum, which can lead to many different types of problems in the future. As usual, your best bet at removing any wild animal is to call your local wildlife removal company and let the experts handle it. But, you may think that such a normally shy animal would not be too much of a problem, and you should just let it be.
However, there are many reasons that possums are categorized as a pest animal, and you may quickly come to find yourself second guessing the whole living together notion. Here are just a few of the reasons you may want to remove these creatures from your property.
Danger to pets
Possums love to eat any unattended pet food. If you happen to be leaving your pet’s uneaten food outside, you need to put it inside. It is a great attractant for many wild animals, and it needs to be properly secured for your and your pet’s safety. So, if a possum does come into your yard seeking food, water or shelter and comes across one of your pets, it could cause them to become unnecessarily stressed and upset. Or, even worse, if your cat or dog is the playful curious type, they may decide to try to play with the possum and end up getting a nasty bite from this wild animal. This bite could spread diseases to them.
While possums are more resistant to rabies than other animals, there is still a risk of them giving the disease to your cat or dog. They are also known to carry parasites such as fleas and ticks, which along with any other diseases the possum may carry can also be passed along to your furry friends.
Damage to homes and property
Possums love to move into our homes. They frequently find our attics, crawl spaces and areas under our decks or sheds the perfect nesting spot. With this love for moving in to our homes, comes the high risk for property damage. The possum will turn their new living quarters into its own personal toilet. Therefore, we will be inhabiting an area infested with possum droppings, which is not good for our health. We are also at risk for contracting the number of parasites that may be inhabiting their bodies. The fleas and ticks mentioned above will not only limit themselves to our pets but will use us as their next snack. Also, many possums are known to die in their new resting spaces and leave us with a dead possum stuck somewhere in our homes that is stinking.
So, now you get to play find the dead possum while worrying about the ill effects it will have on your and your family’s health. And, as you guessed, this is not a fun game.
The next time you come across a possum and think that maybe you should just leave it alone, and it will go on its way. You need to think again. As long as a possum can find food, water and shelter, it will remain where it is.
You need to think about the health of your family and your pets and call in the experts to trap and remove the possum. They can also help you sanitize the area and possum proof your house, so that the next time a possum comes along, it will find a no vacancy sign on your property.