Opossum Removal
Opossums in South Carolina are abundant. They thrive in nearly every environment in North America making them a very common species to encounter. Identifiable by their dusty white color and naked tails made for grasping, opossums are the only marsupial native to the United States. They typically weigh between 4 and 7 pounds and females are tend to be smaller than their male counterparts.
These opportunistic eaters feed on anything from insects and bird eggs, to mice and of course cat food, which is probably why they enjoy hanging around your home.
Females usually produce 2 litters a year with the average number of pups being nine. After the pups are born, the mom will carry them around with her until they are old enough to move on their own usually 6 weeks. Most pups are born February through June. This is when you will see most opposums breaking into your home. This time of year they are searching for a safe den to have their young. Your attic and crawl spaces are their 5 star hotels.
You might see an opossum wondering around your home or riffling through your garden, or maybe even eating your cat food off your porch. What should you do? Well I wish that I could tell you to simply ignore them, but that opossum could very likely have taken up residence in your home. Opossums are good climbers and can take advantage of holes or gaps in your house and can quickly become your new upstairs or downstairs neighbor.
Here are some reasons why you should call us if you see opossums in your yard or home.
Thankfully, opossums will not likely carry the rabies virus because of their low body temperature, but they can still carry a number of other diseases such as toxoplasmosis.
Like raccoons, opossums are opportunistic eaters and will dig through trash cans and rummage through your outdoor pets food. Not only is this messy, but it can attract more wildlife to your home.
If opossums have gained access to your home, they can cause significant damage to your insulation, wiring, and more.
Opossums will dig in your lawn, root up flower beds, and tear up your nice grass in order to find their next meal.
Opossums can carry a round worm parasite in their excrement. This parasite can get into your air ducts and spread through your home, especially if the opossum has access to either your attic or crawl space.
There are many other reasons to remove opossums from your property, so we recommend taking all precautions when dealing with them. We can review them together during your consultation.
Here at Mustard’s Wildlife Removal, we try to handle all of our jobs, including opossum removal, as humanely and responsibly as possible. The animals overall health and the satisfaction of our customers are our main priorities.
Call us today to set up your opossum inspection and lets get that opossum off your back!
