Opossum
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axp.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74123.htmlOpossums are generally 25-40 inches long weighing about 4-14 lbs. Long white hairs cover black tipped fur underneath. It has a long tail with no fur about 10-21 inches long.
The head and throat are whitish in color. The ears are large with no fur and black with pinkish tips. They are nocturnal and very good climbers. One of their main characteristics
is they can play dead if cornered. Generally they have 2-3 litters per year consisting of between 1-14 young. Each one of the young attaches themselves to their mother and
remains there for 2 months. At birth they are the size of navy bean then climb into their mothers pouch. Upon birth if they don’t attach to their mother they perish. The females
build nests made of leaves in hollow logs, fallen trees, other abandoned burrows, or other sheltered locations.
When threatened they may roll over, shut their eyes, and even allow their tongue to hang out as if they are “dead”. If they feel that is not a good warning to escape danger,
which is most of the time, they will try to bluff the threat by hissing, screeching, salivating, opening its mouth real wide to expose all of its teeth to the threat. Sometimes they
may even excrete a greenish substance. In some places they are trapped/hunted for their fur and meat. The meat is considered a delicacy.
Their typical habitat is in open woods, brushy or tree line areas, and farmland areas where there is plenty of sheltered areas to harborage. A typical diet consists of insects,
frogs, birds, snakes, small mammals, earthworms, berries and fruits, apples, corn, and road kill. Because they are nocturnal and sometimes feed on road kill a lot do perish
on roads and highways at night. They do not hibernate but do stay in their shelter areas in extreme cold until driven out by hunger.
One of the main reason that makes them a nuisance is them tearing up yard and landscape areas in search of earthworms. We carry a product called
Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent 1 qt Btl
and
Whole Control Burrowing Animal Repellent 1 gal Jug
that contains castor oil in a concentrate container that attaches to the end of a garden hose and is applied over the lawn and landscape areas in the damaged areas.
The next time they dig for worms they get a bad taste of castor oil and leave that area alone.
Another method of control is with cage traps such as
Safeguard Std Rear Release Trap M52824 24x7x8,
Safeguard Pro Rear Release Trap M54124 24x7x8,
Safeguard Pro Rear Release Trap M54130 30x11x12, and
Safeguard Std Rear Release Trap M52830 30x11x12.
We handle Safeguard brand of traps for the ease of removal. This trap has a rear release door that simply pulls up to allow the animal to leave out the back of the trap.
Some other traps do not have this type of design.
Traps can be placed in the attic or on the ground in activity areas. The best type of bait for placement in cages is to use a small can of cat food.
Traps need to be checked at least once a day. If you are going to release a captured animal it needs to be released at least 15 minutes away from the capture location.
Another reason for control is them entering into attics and similar areas making a mess with their feces and urine or possibly tearing up wires or other items.
If no activity is present, seal the hole to deny any further access into this area. A way to tell if any animal has made it back into this area is to take a wadded
up newspaper, paper towel, or other similar item and place in the hole. If the material is still intact, this is a good indication an animal has not returned to this
area. Seal the hole to minimize entry areas.
They could also fall into roof vents, chimneys, or into wall voids where they could die and create an odor. For this situation we have some odor control reduction materials such as
X-O 16 oz. Btl,
X-O 16 oz Btl 12/ case,
Epolean N7C ½ gal, and
Rat Sorb 1 oz Btl
For additional information or product purchases, we can be reached at www.expresspest.com, bryan@expresspest.com, 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, or 866-562-8999.
