Oh Brother, We’ve Got Opossums

We fear the more sinister pests because we know their intentions. Termites will gut the interior of your home and cost you thousands of dollars. Bed bugs and mosquitos will leave you covered in red lumps as they bite and draw blood from you. However, other pests may seem more harmless. The opossum, for example, is probably best known for its death-faking exhibitions. That’s more of a survival tactic than a malicious agenda. Despite their seemingly innocuous nature, opossums can still cause big problems in the home. These nocturnal pests infiltrate your attic or basement and come after food and resources. Like other rodents, they can gnaw away at your home and cause costly damage. Here’s what to do if you find yourself saying, “We’ve got opossums.”

Check for Potential Entry Points to Your House

If the night-dwelling rodents have made their way into your home, they’ll probably be in your basement, garage, or attic. Like most pests, they’re after shelter and food. Once they feel secure, they may start to multiply, so early detection is key. Check for holes around the foundation of your home, or any openings in the shingles on your roof. This measure is a good preventative step, as well as a way to confirm whether or not the creatures could enter your home.

Set an Exclusion Trap for the Opossum

One-way exclusion traps are designed to let pests leave and bar them from re-entry. You can set traps to capture the opossum, but your goal is to remove the animal from the home, not trap it inside. Sealing all but one point of entry to the home forces the opossum to use a single door to get in and out. Set up a one-way exclusion trap at this one entry point to prevent the pest from getting back inside when they go to search for food.

If You’re Unsure of How to Attack the Problem, Contact an Expert

It can be difficult to determine where pests are entering your home. This is a problem you want to solve quickly and efficiently, so maybe an expert is right for you. Carmel Valley Pest Control is a team of talented professionals that can quickly diagnose problems and offer solutions. Let the experts at Carmel Valley help you prevent pests like opossums from giving you headaches. To set up an appointment, contact Carmel Valley Pest Control in Carmel Valley, CA, today at (858) 350-8838, (760) 736-8838, or (888) 989-8838.