Do you have any advice in getting rid of mommy opossum and her litter? She has been around off and on for years, but now she has a family and now they come to feed with our cat! I don't want to try to catch her or her litter, very nasty.
Kathryn from Houston, TX
My hubby and I fed the possums and raccoons over a couple of winters in the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. The winters were very harsh there and the animals really suffered. We had a feeding platform and camera and folks could log on and see the animals. They were cute but can be ferocious fighters. We bought cheap cat food in bags and fed scraps. One of our greatest memories is when the mama possum "parked" all the babies in a rhododendrun bush and went on about her business. They hung from their tails and waited for her to come back. My advice is that if you want to get rid of them is to not have trash outdoors, don't toss out scraps and change the place where you feed the cat so they can't have access to the food. They will go away if the food source dries up. (09/08/2007)
You could ask around at your church, and borrow a humane cage trap, then have a friend take them out into the country. and yes, the other poster is right, they will not come any more when there is no food. (09/10/2007)
I had one getting into my garage at night. We put a Have-a-Heart trap in the garage and then drove it out to the country to set it free. (09/11/2007)
By Beth
I just sent this to my sister since she is having problems with groundhogs. I don't know if this will work for opossums but it won't hurt to try.
Natural Groundhog Control
As a licensed wildlife rehabilitator of over 25 years, I am
always explaining natural, non-lethal methods of controlling
Groundhogs (aka woodchucks) are shy burrowers with multiple
entrances to their dens. They dislike strange movement, which
can indicate predators. If the area you want them out of is
enclosed (fenced), place a few inflated beach balls in it.
Wind will cause random movement of the balls. You can also put
two or three Mylar balloons on about a 3' long tether, tied to
a brick or other heavy object, and place them near known den
openings to create movement there. They won't necessarily
leave the area, but will discontinue using that burrow
opening.
To keep them out of a garden, fencing must be placed both
above and underground. Otherwise, they'll simply dig under a
fence. The underground portion should be bent into the shape
of a backwards "L" with the bent section down at least a foot
deep. The above ground portion must be at least 3' high. Or
you can use one strand of electric fence, placed 6" above
Trapping and relocating does not work. Other groundhogs will
simply move into the empty burrows. Also, trapping may be
illegal or can leave babies to starve to death if mom is
removed.
Linda
more suggestions on natural groundhog control at
<http://www.stretcher.com/stories/07/07sep10a.cfm>
(09/11/2007)
By Laura
We had a similar problem. A family of possums entered thru our pet door late one fall, probably enticed by our cats' food (we had seven) and we couldn't get rid of them. A friend was manager of the local zoo and lent us the Hav-a-hart traps. He was amazed that the possums would enter where cats lived, but they all got along just fine! We didn't catch any possums, but we did catch 7 cats! We then placed the cats' food dishes behind closed doors and the possums finally left. So the advice to keep food sources away from them is wise. Good luck. (09/11/2007)
Why? they eat up all the wood roaches & other insects that used to invade our garage. Opossums get my vote. (09/17/2007)
By Judy M
IT WORKED!
I saw this on the "Getting Rid of Possums" thread ...
(i)"If an opossum gets into your house or garage, it can be safely trapped by leaning an empty, tall kitchen trash can at a 30-45 degree angle against something the opossum can climb onto. Place cat food or ripe fruit at the bottom of the trash can. The opossum will be able to climb into the trash can but will not be able to get out."(/i)
I gave it a try to get rid of the possum that has been getting under our house every night at 10:30 for the last 2 weeks. This morning at 5am, the unmistakable sound of claws on plastic woke me up. The flashlight confirmed my catch! I set the trash can upright and put a heavy lid on it. Later this morning I will drive him out to some woods far away from the house and turn him loose. Since I don't have a cat, I will give him some more of the cat food I bought for this purpose as a starter meal in his new surroundings. (11/11/2007)
By Dave
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