Opossums also keep rats and cockroaches at bay by competing with them for food. In fact, it's common for opossums to kill cockroaches and rats if they find them in their territory." Not only do they take care of pests, they do so without spreading disease to humans.
Although considered a nuisance in some areas where their populations are high, opossums provide natural pest control. They kill and eat mice, rats and cockroaches, as well as snails, slugs and other garden pests, according to the National Wildlife Foundation(Opens in a new window).
Like most possums, the common brushtail possum is nocturnal. It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. In most Australian habitats, eucalyptus leaves are a significant part of the diet, but rarely the sole item eaten.
Small mammals including possums and bandicoots often consume poisons such as snail bait, or rat bait that has been laid out to attract and kill rats, mice, and rabbits. Poisons such as pindone are often added to oats or carrots, and lead to a slow, painful death of internal bleeding.
There are certain smells that opossums find unpleasant and may avoid. In addition to ammonia and mothballs, possums will also steer clear of odors of vinegar, garlic, onion, peppermint, and camphor.
The many beneficial qualities of opossums include:
Keeping neighborhoods clear of unwanted pests like cockroaches, rats, and mice. Reducing the Lyme disease carrying tick population, eating nearly 95% that cross their path. Resistance to snake venom, and eat venomous species.
Bromodialone (in some Ratsak products) and Difenacoum (e.g. Talon, Mortein, Ratsak Fast Action, Pestoff Rodent Bait 20R, Klerat). Some of the most common rat baits (rodenticides) are attractive and lethal not only to their intended target but to our pets and to wildlife such as Quenda and Possums.
Opossums have high mortality rates at all ages. They are killed by dogs, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, eagles, hawks, and owls, with young opossums being the most vulnerable.
Do you / can you / can I kill the possum? No, it is against the law. They are a protected species.
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey are famous for feeding on rodents. Hawks and falcons hunt by day, and owls typically hunt by night. Owls are especially dangerous to rats because they hunt at the same time that rats forage for food.
Possums are Australian marsupials protected by the law. That doesn't make them any less of a pest. It merely makes them a pest that's a nuisance to deal with. Hurting or capturing a possum is illegal, and it can land you a huge fine.
Possums aren't aggressive, however, they do have the tendency to eat whatever they can and take shelter anywhere they feel safe, including inside the household roof.
They might be interested in attics, as they like high spaces and dark areas. They also like basements, storage sheds, and even garages. There is also the chance that decks and crawl spaces might be a good home for an opossum. If it is a dark place, the nocturnal opossum might be interested in it.
Do not feed possums almonds, cheese, onions, dairy products, green potatoes or junk food. Put food in containers in high, sheltered areas.
Possums respond negatively to noxious odors. They abhor the smell of ammonia, garlic, and napthalene (chemical found in moth balls). They are also afraid of lights at night, and don't like to be wet.
Raptors, including hawks, owls, eagles and falcons, are common predators. Red tail hawks, found across most of North America, and American kestrels, the smallest falcon in North America, will hunt rats by day. The barn owl, known for its characteristic round and white face, is a common nocturnal predator.
Opossums become dangerous with their ability to transmit diseases to pets and people(Opens in a new window). Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments.
Both can squeeze into tiny gaps to access your roof. Rat baits are unfortunately highly attractive to possums. If you put rat baits in your roof to kill rats and you also have possums living in your roof, then you are sentencing the possums to die a slow and extremely agonising death.
Spicy Peppers – Like garlic, hot peppers produce a taste and scent opossums dislike. Mix one cup of water, a half cup of dish soap, and a half cup of hot sauce or crushed hot peppers together. Spray this mixture around your yard.
“Opossums are shy, harmless animals who are the size of an average housecat,” says Lynsey White, director of humane wildlife conflict resolution for The Humane Society of the United States. “They do not pose any danger to people or pets and [they] want to avoid [us] if they can.”
Are possums good to have around your house? Possums are a good ally to have in your yard — they kill an estimated 5,000 ticks a season and catch and eat cockroaches, rats and mice. They are also resistant to snake venom, the National Wildlife Federation writes, and prey on them.
Possum poop is usually blackish or very dark brown and can look like the feces of a small cat or dog. You may find bits of paper or garbage in the poop because these animals can be scavengers if their normal food source is not available. Possum feces is usually found in a pile or in a row of broken droppings.