Opossums living under my shed.

Question

I have had opossums living under my shed for years. I worry for my two small dogs, although they pretty much only come out at night. I've used Hav-a-heart- traps and I've gotten 1 random opossum and a few cats. I know I need to put chicken wire all around, I've heartd going 2 feet down...wow, big project. How about something that will repel them and then worry about building a wall around the bottom of the shed.
Thanks,
Janet

Thanks,
Janet

Z · Answer

According to eHow, Peppermint Oil will do the trick. I know it works for mice and have heard it keeps away many other pests. This was a new on to me though. http://www.ehow.com/how_12021016_keep-possums-raccoons-off-property.html

Janet Carroll-Boudreau · Answer

As in soak something with it...cotton balls, rags?? Thanks!!

Jeanette S · Answer

It is a good idea to run them back to the wild because you do not want wild animals taking up residence near your home. Disease is a big risk and opossums can be nasty little creatures! Their bites can get infected quickly. You could paint peppermint oil around the base of the shed with a paint brush. Then wipe down the brush good with some old rags and throw the rags around. Let us know if it works!

Gretchen · Answer

In large quantity, peppermint oil can get expensive (we aren't talking peppermint extract here) - I do know they sell packs of peppermint sachets to get rid of mice. I wonder if planting peppermint in that area might discourage the possums from living there? It spreads like crazy but it might look nice AND get rid of the possum. Possums do not carry rabies (unlike racoons) and they do eat some bad bugs but you probably don't want them living in your yard! I think I'd keep going with the Hav-A-Hart (bait with cat food) but do you have a safe place to relocate them? (Um, let the cats go). You might also call you local animal control and see what they suggest.

Janet Carroll-Boudreau · Answer

I am liking the peppermint oil solution right now. I do however, worry about them wandering around my yard until they have a new place...my little 8 pounder has cornered them, she is fearless. They played dead. Animal control is very hard to get moving here, since we are in the city, we now have displaced raccoons, opossum and fox roaming the alleys and parking lots for garbage. They can't keep up with it.

Thank you very much for your advice!

Gretchen · Answer

Janet, see if this link works for you, it has some good information: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060827223017AAQCy0s If animal control won't work, then try Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries (or what that translates to in your location).

Janet Carroll-Boudreau · Answer

Thanks, Gretchen!

Dana Hatch · Answer

Cayenne Pepper! I put a good amount of this into the top of a mole hill and he never came back into my yard! It also keeps dogs from digging in the yard.

Janet Carroll-Boudreau · Answer

Sounds good, Dana! Thanks!

Laurie · Answer

Chicken wire won't help.  I raise chickens so I know some about this.  The live traps are your best bet but set the trap with eggs in the shell.  It will attract them but maybe not so many cats.  They are very likely to make contact with your dogs.  Call an exterminator to eradicate if necessary.  Trying to run them off will not work.  Once they have found a place they like they tend to stay and return.

Janet Carroll-Boudreau · Answer

Thank you Laurie

Sharonhull · Answer

Janet, have not tried this on opossums but it works extremely well on skunks: tune a radio to acid rock and place it where the sound fills the space where they're staying.  They didn't like it any more than we did!
In our case, skunks were sleeping during each day under our laundry & furnace room and leaving their smells behind - when the furnace came on each morning, it carried the smell throughout the house. Awful!   I tried other methods without success but the acid rock radio did the trick, got them to vacate long enough for me to secure the area with wire netting.  And it took only one night of the horrid music before they decided to depart.  (Sprinkle white flour on the ground around their entrance on the evening before you place the radio so you can tell that their footprints are leading away from the building and that they haven't returned before dawn the following morning.)

Donna Byram · Answer

Wild life management said for any nocturnal animal to put a bright light under your shed and leave it on day and night. Worked for a family of skunks. Be sure and block off any opening to keep them from coming back.

Janet Carroll-Boudreau · Answer

This is so funny but if it worked, I'll try anything! Someone has told me that o matter what I do, opossums will return over and over to the same spot. I'm at a loss. Thankfully, they pretty much only come out at night. And we (and other neighbors) have found dead or very sick ones...not sure if it's because they are old or maybe if someone is using poison. It's just so sad that they are out of their natural habitat.

Susan · Answer

Mothballs, which is worse, you decide.

Millie · Answer

Opossums eat fruits, snakes (opossums are immune to all types of snake venom, except that of the coral snake), insects, snails, slugs, eggs, mice, rats, fish, frogs, crayfish, and carrion. If for no other reason than pest control, opossums are great to have around! They won't attack a dog unless they have no other choice, but will show their teeth and play dead first. They also never have rabies. However, I got rid of skunks one time using PineSol and poured it around the entrance they were using, and in under the shed as far as I could reach. They never came back. I don't think it hurt them, as far as cleaning their feet after they walked out from under the shed.

Opossums living under my shed.

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Opossums living under my shed.

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