Okay, this page is misleading. Poison simply won't work with opossums. There are no registered or legal poisons to use for opossums. I've seen some cases in which people try the following:
Rat Poison Bait (usually a form of anticoagulant, such as bromadiolone)
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol - sometimes kills neighborhood pets by accident)
Strychnine (another horrible way to die)
Poisons are a cowardly and stupid way to try to solve a possum problem. And they're incredibly inhumane! Why not just trap and remove the animal - it's so much easier! Also, if you do poison the animal, I can almost guarantee you
that it's going to try to get into your house or attic or under your porch or shed to die. It's just their behavior. And a rotting opossum will make your house unliveable! Here is some discussion of
other ways to kill an opossum without poison.
Getting Rid of A Destructive Opossum Without Opossum Poison
Opossums can be a real nuisance to homeowners and cause a great deal of destruction to your home. These marsupials (creatures that raise their young in their pouch like kangaroos) have long, pointed faces, are about two feet long and can weigh an average of 12 pounds. They don’t generally live much longer than three years. Opossums are omnivores and therefore love garbage that is found around a person’s home and that usually is what draws them to your area.
When opossums find a good food source near residents you can bet that their nest is within a fifty acre span and it tends to get even closer to their meals. Their home could become your chimney, crawlspace, or even the attic, rather than a tree. They tend to look for spots in garages, attics, basements and even doghouses. Getting rid of these nocturnal pests may be a lot more involved than you initially think and it is not advised to consider opossum poison.
Opossum Behavior
A female opossum can be quite aggressive especially if she has the instinct to protect her babies, which she can have quite often. During the winter months they breed, with the female having only a 2 week pregnancy and then the young will stay in their pouch for an additional 60 days. They aren’t very fast so they either play dead hoping that their predator will walk away or they will become fierce looking and can even put up a great show in defense of themselves. This is a good portion of the reason you shouldn’t attempt removal on your own.
Protecting Their Young
The mothers will carry their babies in her pouch for several weeks until they are old enough to scamper around on their own. This is the point in which you’ll now have a happy little family living in your wall or attic. These nocturnal mammals are large enough that they will make a lot of noise, leave quite a bit of scat and they will all start chewing on parts of your home. They eat rodents, dead animals and of course anything you leave out. They are particularly attracted to cat food that is left outside for a pet.
Home Wrecking Pests
The opossum will find shelter wherever there is a good food source and they love attics in particular. They will set up residency by tearing through insulation and chewing on wood shavings for a comfortable bed. Opossums are known for destroying water pipes, air conditioning systems and causing serious electrical problems. This kind of destruction can lend itself to fire hazards and serious water damage. You may consider using opossum poison but this will bring up a slew of problems. On the other hand you may be someone who wants to trap it yourself and attempt removal. This will bring up the question of where to take the animal and if dropping the opossum off someplace is legal or not.
Having a Professional Wildlife Company is Safer- Opossums have been known for attacking people especially if they are protecting their babies. Working with a professional brings special training to the picture. They can help you get the whole family of creatures removed. Opossum family members have even been known to keep returning to their birthplace when they have a shelter they like. Hiring someone who understands removing wildlife can also be able to find how they got in as well as remove any of the mess that they leave in their wake.
Preventing the Return of Opossums- Once you have a company come for removal of the pests you will want to secure your home so that you will not be invaded again. This will mean finding their entry point and sealing it up. Check under the leaves of a roof, make sure that all the vents are secured and look in the crawlways to see if there may be a hole somewhere in the flooring. Your experienced professional will be able to suggest areas they may be using to get in and help you find a way to get it patched up.
How to Remove an Opossum from Inside the House
How to Get Rid of Opossums in the Attic -
With 50 sharp teeth and sharp claws these fierce looking animals have a hiss that will make the family cat run away. These North American marsupials are fierce mothers and keep their young in their pouch until the babies reach the age of thirteen.
First, look around the attic to find the areas where they are likely getting inside. Close and seal all but one of these areas as you will want one escape/exit area for the animal. Set traps inside the attic or by the exit area and check it frequently to make sure you don’t have an opossum trapped for a long period of time causing it stress and suffering. When you’ve captured an opossum, it is a good idea to relocate it to an area where it can thrive and survive. This may not be legal in your area so make sure you check with your local authorities on the laws and regulations.
Make sure that all easily assessable food sources are disposed of and sealed or stored in another area. One of the reasons an opossum is making your attic its home is because there is a food source close by. Make sure the garbage cans have tightly sealed lids so that they cannot get into them.
Do You Need Help? I wrote this website to provide information on How to Get Rid of Possums in the case that you have
a possum problem and need to make an informed decision about what to do. If you
have any questions you may email me, but I do know from experience
that possum removal is not simple. If you need professional help solving your
wildlife conflict, I recommend that you talk to a professional possum
control expert in your town by clicking on my
National Wildlife Control
directory, which lists experts who I recommend in every USA city and town who can
help you with your possum issue.