Opossum Removal Services

Triangle Wildlife Removal & Pest Control handles opossum removal through live trapping, exclusion, and habitat modification. Opossums are not classified as a rabies vector species in North Carolina and can be relocated onto private property with the landowner’s permission. They are the least destructive of the common nuisance wildlife species, but their presence under structures creates odor, droppings, and ectoparasite concerns that warrant attention. All work is performed under WCA Permit #DCA25000312.

How the Process Works

Inspection. The technician identifies where the opossum is accessing the property and what is attracting it. Common denning locations include under decks, porches, sheds, concrete stoops, and inside crawlspaces with open or damaged foundation vents. Food attractants – unsecured garbage, outdoor pet food, fallen fruit, compost piles – are also identified.

Live trapping. Cage-type live traps are set at or near the denning location or along established travel routes. Traps are checked every 24 hours. Because opossums are nomadic and rarely den in the same location for more than a few days, trapping is typically quick – most opossums are captured within one to three nights.

Relocation. Captured opossums are relocated to suitable habitat on private property with the landowner’s permission. Opossums are one of the few nuisance species in North Carolina that can be legally relocated (raccoons, skunks, and foxes cannot because of their rabies vector status).

Exclusion. The denning access point is sealed. For decks and porches, this typically means installing heavy-gauge hardware cloth or galvanized screen along the base, buried several inches below grade to prevent digging. Crawlspace vents with damaged screens are repaired or replaced. Gaps under stoops and sheds are closed with durable materials. The exclusion prevents the next opossum – or raccoon, skunk, or feral cat – from using the same harborage site.

Habitat modification. The technician provides guidance on removing attractants: securing garbage in hard-sided containers, bringing pet food indoors at night, picking up fallen fruit, and closing off ground-level openings around outbuildings.

Breeding Season and Timing

Opossums breed in late winter through early spring, with a second litter possible in late spring or early summer. Gestation is remarkably short – only 12 to 13 days. Newborns crawl into the mother’s pouch immediately after birth and remain attached to a nipple for approximately 55 days. They ride on the mother’s back for another few weeks after leaving the pouch, and are fully weaned and independent at roughly 100 days.

Females typically raise 4 to 7 young per litter, though up to 15 may be born. Only those that successfully attach to one of the mother’s 13 nipples will survive. A mother opossum carrying young on her back is a common sight in spring and early summer. If she is found under a deck or in a crawlspace during this period, the young should not be separated from her.

Signs of an Opossum Problem

Odor near ground-level openings. A musty, unpleasant smell near the crawlspace, under a deck, or around a shed can indicate an opossum den. The odor is distinctly different from skunk spray but noticeable at close range.

Tracks. Opossum hind foot prints are distinctive – five toes with the first toe (an opposable “thumb”) splaying out at nearly a right angle. Front prints show five toes with visible claw marks.

Disturbed garbage and pet food. Overturned garbage cans and emptied outdoor pet food bowls found in the morning. This sign overlaps with raccoon activity.

Night sightings. A slow-moving, gray-white animal with a pointed snout and hairless tail seen in the yard or on the porch after dark. Their eyes reflect greenish-white in flashlight beams.

Dead opossum odor. Opossums have short lifespans (1 to 2 years) and frequently die under structures. Decomposition odor from under a deck, porch, or crawlspace may indicate a dead opossum rather than a living one.

What to Know Before You Call

Opossums are generally transient. An opossum under your deck tonight may be gone tomorrow on its own. If the animal is simply passing through and not denning under a structure, the best approach is often to let it move on. If it is repeatedly returning to the same denning site, or if it has taken up residence in a crawlspace, trapping and exclusion are warranted.

An opossum that is hissing and drooling is scared, not rabid. This is normal defensive behavior. Opossums are highly resistant to rabies due to their low body temperature. Do not attempt to handle or corner an opossum – give it space and it will leave when it feels safe.

If you find orphaned baby opossums – either on a dead mother found on the road or as a group that has been separated from the mother – contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator rather than attempting to care for them yourself.