how do i get rid of a possum?

Question

this possum actually comes on my deck and climbs on my table and eats the cat food. one night he slept in the dog house on my deck.

Answer 1

Call your county animal control officer and they will come and remove the opossum.

Answer 2

Something is loose on your roof. Go to your local Humane Society, borrow a humane live trap, buy a small bag of cat food. Put the trap in the attic on a board to keep the food from falling through, put some food behind the flapper. Opossums are very easy to trap. Then haul it off across at least a large creek or 10 miles so it won't come back, but you have plenty around anyway. Biggest thing to do is to fix the opening in your roof, or you will have more come in.

Answer 3

Opossums are actually more beneficial than damaging to their environment. Opossums eat undesirable insects, snails and slugs while leaving most vegetation alone. Because of their long rat-like tail, and large mouth with sharp teeth, opossums are often mistaken for giant scary rats. Realize these marsupials are actually shy and non-confrontational. When approached, an opossum will often hiss and bare his 50 teeth. After that initial show, he’ll use this primary means of defense—playing dead until danger has passed.

What you should do:

* Male opossums spend their lives meandering from place to place to feed on what’s available. For that reason if you see an opossum in your yard simply wait awhile and he’ll likely be on his way.
* Discourage visits by picking up pet food, and securing pet doors
* Even though opossums rarely raid gardens, chicken coops or garbage cans—make sure lids on trash cans are secure as well.
* If one does take up residence in a wood pile or under a porch, his nomadic lifestyle will likely move him out before long—but if you must get rid of him try spraying the area with a mixture of 8 ounces of dish detergent, and 8 ounces of castor oil in a gallon of water.
* Once everyone’s out seal off the area by using chicken wire buried below ground extending to the deck or patio.

Answer 4

Our possum helped himself to a drink of Mom's coffee one morning. He likes to sit on our bench and eat the birdfood that falls from the feeder. Our Raccoon, Ringo, watches us in the window and likes fruit. You can get a conservation department trap and relocate them. I enjoy having nature so close.

Answer 5

Put the cat food where the opossum can't reach it. Leave a bright light on and a radio playing loud; they don't like light and noise. Leave the dog out and it will not only use the dog house, it will also chase the opossum away.

Answer 6

Call you local animal shelter and request a live animal trap. When the little critter falls for the bait, call the shelter again and they will come remove him and release him in an area where he can roam freely and not be a pest. Be sure you check the trap frequently so he doesn't become too stressed in the confinement.

Answer 7

We had the same problem. It got to the point that they weren't afraid when we turned on the porch light any more. They were chasing the outside cat away from his food! And they left nasty slobbers in his dish--really gross.
Use a box trap--a "live" trap--with peanut butter or something yummy in it to trap it, or them, one at a time. Then you have to drive them way out into the country or WAY across a large town and let them out over there. Let someone else worry about it, hehe.

Answer 8

well you can either get someone in to catch it and relocate it, or you can sit and watch one night to see how it gets to where it is and cover its tracks with plastic roll or wire or i even saw one house that had cut a hole into a plastic ice cream container and wrapped this around the wires so the possum couldnt climb past
People put chicken wire around the base of trees or plastic so they cant grip and climb etc

Answer 9

usually it is racoons that do that, so; have you actually seen it there and know it is an opossum? put the dog and cat up and get a box of d-con rat poison, blend an equal amt with the cat food and put a bowl of antifreeze next to it..The antifreeze garantees the kill and the coumadin in the poison will mummify the rodent and it wont even stink,, well;; not any more that they already do. but dogs love it so keep it well out of thier reach.

Answer 10

You have to remove the food source. Feed the cat and take the remaining food inside. He will move on.