How to Get Rid of a Possum Without Losing Your Mind (Or Your Garden)

Midnight rustling in the garbage cans. That distinctive hissing sound when you flip on the porch light. The telltale droppings scattered across your deck like unwelcome calling cards. If you're reading this, chances are you've got yourself an uninvited marsupial houseguest, and you're probably wondering what cosmic joke led to North America's only native marsupial deciding your property was prime real estate.

Possums—or opossums if we're being scientifically precise—occupy a peculiar place in the suburban wildlife hierarchy. They're not quite as charming as raccoons (though that's debatable), not as universally despised as rats, and certainly not as photogenic as deer. Yet here they are, shuffling through our yards with their prehistoric faces and prehensile tails, making themselves at home in ways that range from mildly annoying to genuinely problematic.

I've spent the better part of two decades dealing with wildlife conflicts, and possums present a unique challenge. Unlike many pest animals, they're actually beneficial in numerous ways—they hoover up ticks like living vacuum cleaners, rarely carry rabies due to their low body temperature, and generally mind their own business. But when they decide your attic makes a cozy nursery or your chicken coop looks like an all-you-can-eat buffet, the relationship sours quickly.

Understanding Your Adversary (Who Isn't Really Your Enemy)

Before we dive into removal strategies, let's talk about what you're actually dealing with. Virginia opossums—the species you're encountering unless you're reading this from Australia—are fascinating creatures of habit. They're nomadic by nature, typically staying in one area for only a few days unless they find exceptional resources. This wandering lifestyle is actually your first advantage in the removal game.

These animals are opportunists of the highest order. They don't dig their own burrows or build elaborate nests. Instead, they're the ultimate squatters, taking advantage of whatever shelter presents itself—abandoned burrows, hollow logs, the space under your deck, or that gap in your shed you've been meaning to fix for three years.

Their diet reads like a garbage disposal's dream menu: insects, snails, rodents, berries, pet food, compost, and yes, your trash. They're not picky eaters, which explains why urban and suburban environments suit them so well. We've essentially created possum paradise with our landscaping choices and waste habits.

What really sets possums apart is their defense mechanism. That famous "playing dead" routine—technically called thanatosis—isn't voluntary. It's an involuntary response to extreme fear, like fainting but with added theatrical flair. They'll fall over, drool, release a foul-smelling fluid from their anal glands (charming, I know), and remain in this state for up to four hours. It's nature's way of saying "nothing to see here, just a very dead, very smelly animal."

The Art of Gentle Eviction

Now, I'm going to level with you—there's no magic possum-be-gone spray that'll solve your problem overnight. Anyone selling you that snake oil is taking advantage of your desperation. Effective possum removal is about making your property less appealing than your neighbor's. Sorry, neighbors.

The first rule of possum eviction is timing. If you're dealing with a female possum between February and September, there's a decent chance she's got babies. Those babies ride on mom's back once they're old enough to leave the pouch, but before that, they're completely helpless. Evicting mom means condemning the babies to a slow death, which besides being cruel, often results in a smell problem you really don't want to deal with.

Start with the basics—eliminate food sources. This means securing garbage cans with bungee cords or investing in locking lids. Don't leave pet food outside overnight. That includes the cat food you put out for the "stray" that's actually your neighbor's well-fed tabby. Clean up fallen fruit from trees promptly. If you're composting, avoid adding meat scraps or dairy products, and consider a closed bin system.

Bird feeders present a particular challenge. Possums aren't interested in the seeds themselves, but they're very interested in the mice and rats that bird feeders attract. If you're serious about possum prevention, consider removing feeders temporarily or investing in designs that minimize ground scatter.

Exclusion Tactics That Actually Work

Physical barriers remain your best long-term solution. I've seen people try everything from moth balls to predator urine (usually purchased at shocking prices from garden centers), but nothing beats good old-fashioned exclusion.

For possums living under structures, wait until nightfall when they've left to forage, then seal entry points with hardware cloth or welded wire mesh. Quarter-inch mesh works well—possums aren't chewers like rodents, so once blocked, they typically move on. The key is thoroughness. These animals can squeeze through gaps as small as four inches, roughly the size of a softball.

If they're in your attic, one-way exclusion doors work brilliantly. These devices let animals exit but prevent re-entry. Install them over the main entry point after sealing all secondary openings. Give it a week, then remove the door and permanently seal the opening.

For deck and shed intrusions, L-shaped fence extensions work wonders. Dig a trench about six inches deep along the structure's perimeter, attach hardware cloth to the structure, bend it 90 degrees at ground level, and extend it outward about 12 inches before burying it. Possums aren't diggers, so this simple barrier usually sends them packing.

The Nuclear Option: Trapping and Relocation

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you need to physically remove a possum. Before you rush out to buy a trap, check your local regulations. Many jurisdictions require permits for trapping, and some prohibit relocation entirely due to disease concerns and the stress it places on wildlife.

If trapping is legal and necessary, use a large cage trap—at least 32" x 10" x 12". Possums aren't trap-shy, making them relatively easy to catch. Bait with sweet fruits, peanut butter, or canned cat food. Place the trap along their travel route, which you can identify by droppings, tracks, or disturbed vegetation.

Here's where I might ruffle some feathers: relocation often isn't the humane solution people think it is. Dropped into unfamiliar territory, relocated possums face territorial disputes, struggle to find food and shelter, and often die within weeks. If you must relocate, choose a spot within a mile of capture, near water and natural shelter.

Coexistence: The Radical Alternative

After years in this field, I've come to a possibly controversial conclusion: sometimes the best solution is no solution at all. A resident possum that isn't causing actual damage might be worth tolerating. They're eating the grubs that would otherwise destroy your lawn, controlling rodent populations, and yes, consuming thousands of ticks annually.

I once worked with a client who spent hundreds of dollars trying to evict a possum from her garden shed, only to deal with a rat explosion the following month. The possum had been keeping the rodent population in check. She ended up building a small shelter to encourage a new possum to move in—probably the first person in history to actively recruit these creatures.

If you can secure your garbage, protect your chickens, and seal your house, a garden possum might be more asset than liability. They're quiet, non-aggressive, and surprisingly clean animals. Their reputation as disease carriers is largely undeserved—they're actually less likely to carry rabies than most mammals due to their low body temperature.

When Professional Help Makes Sense

Some situations demand professional intervention. If you're dealing with multiple animals, if they're in your living space, or if you suspect they're sick or injured, call a licensed wildlife control operator. The cost typically ranges from $150 to $500, depending on the complexity of the situation.

Beware of operators who immediately suggest lethal control. Killing possums is rarely necessary and often counterproductive—remove one, and another moves into the vacant territory. Reputable professionals focus on exclusion and habitat modification.

Signs of a sick possum include daylight activity (though mothers foraging for babies may be out during the day), apparent blindness, seizures, or unusual aggression. These animals need professional help, not DIY intervention.

The Long Game

Ultimately, managing possums is about managing your property. Every unsealed entry point, every accessible food source, every brush pile and wood stack represents an invitation. You can spend years playing whack-a-mole with individual animals, or you can address the root causes once and properly.

I've noticed that properties with persistent possum problems often share common features: deteriorating outbuildings, overgrown landscaping, inadequate waste management, and deferred maintenance. Fix these issues, and possums become occasional visitors rather than permanent residents.

Consider this: possums have been around for roughly 70 million years. They survived the extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. They've adapted to everything from pristine forests to urban sprawl. You're not going to outsmart millions of years of evolution with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or a ultrasonic device you bought off a late-night infomercial.

What you can do is make your little corner of the world less appealing to them than the alternatives. It's not about winning a war against possums—it's about negotiating a peace treaty that works for both parties. And honestly? Once you stop seeing them as invaders and start recognizing them as fellow travelers just trying to make their way in an increasingly human-dominated landscape, the whole situation becomes a lot more manageable.

The next time you encounter a possum, before you reach for the phone to call an exterminator, take a moment. Watch how it moves, how it investigates its surroundings with those delicate pink hands. Notice how it freezes when it realizes you're there, not out of aggression but uncertainty. You might find, as I have over the years, that sharing space with these ancient, odd creatures isn't the catastrophe you imagined. Sometimes the best solution to a possum "problem" is simply adjusting our definition of what constitutes a problem in the first place.

Authoritative Sources:

Gehrt, Stanley D., and Suzanne Prange. "Urban Carnivores: Ecology, Conflict, and Conservation." Johns Hopkins University Press, 2010.

McManus, John J. "Behavior of Captive Opossums, Didelphis marsupialis virginiana." American Midland Naturalist, vol. 84, no. 1, 1970, pp. 144-169.

National Wildlife Control Operators Association. "Best Management Practices for Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators." NWCOA.com, 2019.

Nowak, Ronald M. "Walker's Mammals of the World." Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999.

Seidensticker, John, et al. "Mountain Lion Social Organization in the Idaho Primitive Area." Wildlife Monographs, no. 35, 1973, pp. 3-60.

United States Department of Agriculture. "Managing Wildlife Damage: Opossums." APHIS Wildlife Services, 2016.

Wright, Jessica L., et al. "Urban Wildlife Management." CRC Press, 2011.