People don’t normally think of opossums as pests. The mammal is more known for its propensity for faking death when it feels threatened by predators. However, the opossum can often wind up inside homes near its habitat. When this happens, the opossum might take up residence in someone’s attic in search of a warm, dry home. Opossums, however, make very poor housemates. If an opossum takes up residence in your home, it is important to call a New Jersey animal control professional immediately to relocate the animal safely.
The Problem with Opossums
Opossums can cause a great deal of damage to a home, and are wild animals. With all wild animals, it is always important to contact an animal control specialist and leave relocation and removal to professionals. Opossums can carry a wide variety of pathogens and parasites including the rabies virus. This makes them dangerous for the inexperienced person to attempt to handle on their own.
Damage to Your Home
Opossums that are not removed can cause severe damage to the home and severe inconvenience to the homeowner. Opossums can cause a great deal of noise as they move about your attic. Moreover, the opossum has an incredibly unpleasant scent, even when alive. This scent will be worst in their attic habitat, but the smell can easily begin to permeate the rest of the house if left unresolved. Opossums can also cause a great deal of damage to the attic insulation and duct work. Damaged duct work can mean less efficient heating and cooling for your home and can increase your electrical bill. Additionally, baby opossums are small enough to fall from the attic into the wall voids of your home, and they will often die as a result of this fall. Now not only do you have a problem with opossums in your attic, you also have the odor of dead opossum coming in from the walls of your home. Opossum feces can add to the foul stench that these critters can bring into your home, and such droppings are large and can cause stains on your ceilings.
Proper opossum removal means relocating the animal to its natural habitat whenever possible, and it is often necessary to follow removal with repairs of any damage done by the opossum. Part of this is simple house maintenance to get your home back in good working order, but it is also sometimes necessary to make repairs in order to prevent a re-infestation by opossums or other small mammals.
Speak to a Professional Animal Removal Company
For over 25 years, Precise Termite & Pest Control has been serving northern NJ and surrounding counties as pest and animal control experts. If you are having trouble with opossums in your home or would like to learn more about opossum and other small mammal infestations, call us at (866) 971-2847 or fill out a contact form to schedule a free home inspection. For first time customers, we are offering a 15% off of the service.