Opossum trapping - how to catch opossums with traps
Here are some instructions for how to trap possums:
1) Purchase a large cage trap, at least 10x12x30, such as the Havahart 1079
2) Set the trap in the area where you frequently see the possum. Make sure the trap is flush with the ground. If possible, set the trap in the shade, so that it is not subject to the sun once caught.
3) Bait the trap with stinky, meaty bait, like cat food. However, if you are worried about catching a stray cat, then bait the trap with marshmallows.
4) Check the trap each morning. Don't let a poor possum suffer in a cage trap for a long time.
5) Pick up the trap and transport it to your relocation site. In many states it is illegal to relocate a possum if you don't have proper licensing.
6) Be careful when opening the cage door to release the animal. If it is too stubborn to leave the trap, you'll have to prop the door open and blow on the animal to make it scamper out.
Opossums are solitary marsupials that live in North America. They wish to make dens inside hollow trees or inside abandoned burrows. They can even discover a home beneath your shed or house, or even in your
attic. Due to their
flexible diet, reproductive strategy, they are victorious in colonizing and surviving even while their territory or locale has been dislocated.
How to Remove an Opossum from Inside the House
There are various ways to get rid of opossums. You can use chicken-wire fence to make sure that no possum enters into your yard. Build a fence of 4 feet high with the upper part 12-18 inch bent external from the ground. You can also attach an electric wire to the fencing to ensure that there is no possum entry into your territory. However this might be the most inhumane way to get rid of opossums.
Using repellents like granular or liquid repellent to target their taste and smell sense is not going to offer you with the best results and so it is better to avoid them.
The best method to get rid of opossums is to trap them. There are various sizes and styles of opossum traps available in the market. You need to place the trap at places where you have observed indication of opossum activity, like digging and burrowing. Prior to setting the trap, you need to check with the local game commission to make certain that you are permitted to indulge in such an activity. In addition, stay away from trapping in the summer and the early spring to avoid disconnecting the babies from the mother.
Even though they are not fussy or choosy eaters, the best possum bait might be apples or fish. You can also bait the opossum traps in the company of canned pet food, since it is also said to be working well. Even though there are arguments and quarrels about the best bait, all the expert trappers are of the same opinion that the smellier the bait, the better, it is. One among the most significant opossum baiting guideline is to spread the bait in and around the trap.
Once they get caught inside the trap, make sure to take them to some place that is very far away from your territory and then release them from the trap. If they don’t come out of the trap immediately, wait for some time, since they might be afraid of the situation and might not know what to do. You can also phone up the local animal authorities and let them know that you have trapped an opossum. However there are chances that they might euthanize the animal and so if you are really concerned about not killing the animal, you need to release them in faraway places.
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How to Get Rid of Possums home page.
