How To Get Rid of a Possum in Your Yard

January 16, 2019

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If you have problems with possums in your yard and you want to know some ways to get rid of them, you have come to the right place. Today I am going to go over some different ways and ideas on how to get rid of a possum in your yard.

How to Get Rid of Possum in Your Yard
possum walking in the ground

What is a "Possum"

The word possum is actually short for the technical term opossum. The term possum is generally used in North America. For the rest of this article, I will just refer to it as a possum. Basically, a possum is a small to mid sized nocturnal marsupial who feeds at night. They will stay in one area as long as there is food available.

Why Get Rid of a Possum

Before I go into why you should get rid of possum, I want to let you know that there are some things you should know about possum. First, they can kill ticks by the thousands. So if you have a tick problem, you may want to think twice about removing the possum from your yard. Second, they are almost immune to rabies and aren't very aggressive unless provoked. However, there are other reasons that you need to get rid of a possum in your yard. Here are some of the reasons:

  • You have pets-if you have pets that you let loose in your yard at night, you want to make sure that it doesn't tangle with a possum. A possum has very sharp teeth.
  • They get into your garbage-a possum will go to wherever food is. A garbage can is a prime eating spot for a possum. If they tip your garbage can over, your yard and driveway will be covered in garbage in the morning.
  • Possum can carry diseases- a possum can carry diseases like leptospirosis,tuberculosis, relapsing fever, tularemia, spottedfever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis, trichomoniasis, and Chagas disease.
  • Possum can have ticks, lice and mites- another good reason to keep your pets away from them.
  • They defecate on your lawn and garden- if you are trying to keep your lawn and garden nice, the last thing you need is a possum defecating on your lawn.
How To Get Rid of a Possum in Your Yard
possum waling on the ground

How To Get Rid of a Possum in Your Yard

Before I start, I just want to let you know that I am not into killing animals unless it is the last resort. All of these ideas on how to get rid of a possum in your yard do NOT include killing them. Now that I have that out of the way, here are some great ideas on ridding your yard of possum.

  • Cover up and secure garbage can lids- here is maybe the easiest ways to keep possum out of your yard. If the possum can't get at the food, it will go elsewhere.
  • Keep pet food covered- if you have pet food outside and it is not covered up or in a secured container, the possum will find it.
  • Keep firewood and other areas free of gaps, openings or holes- because possums are lazy, they don't usually dig their den. They usually look for a vacant den or a hole or space in areas like stacked firewood or under your house or shed. Make sure that there are not any holes that possums can enter and make as their den.
  • Remove fallen fruit- possums love fruit and berries, so make sure that you pick up fallen fruit and protect or remove berry bushes.

If none of the above ideas are working, you may need to get some live traps or repellents. Here are some that I have used or have had friends or relatives use.

Possum Live Traps-The Best Possum Traps

I have personally used a live trap to get rid of animals in my yard. They work great. I take the animal over to a wooded area away from my house and let it go. Make sure you move into your vehicle quickly once you open the door. Here is the one I use.

Havahart 1079 Large 1-Door Humane Animal Trap

Trapro XL Collapsible Humane Live Animal Cage Trap for Raccoon, Opossum, Stray Cat, Rabbit, Groundhog and Armadillo - 43' x 16' x 18'

What I really liked about it is the size. Because possums come in different sizes, this trap is flexible enough to catch all sizes of animals. I would put in some berries and fruits before I go to bed at night and check it in the morning. But beware. You don't always catch the animal you are trying to get rid of. You may catch something totally unexpected.

Possum Repellents-Best Possum Repellents

Using possum repellents can also be a good way to get rid of possums in your yard. In my experience, I have not found any chemical repellent that works well consistently. The only other repellents on the market that seem to work are these: (Please note-I have not used these, but have researched reviews on these products)

GARDEN SECRETS 3-in-1 Professional ULTRASONIC ANIMAL REPELLENT

GARDEN SECRETS 3-in-1 Professional ULTRASONIC ANIMAL REPELLENT, Deer Raccoon Rabbit Skunk Possum Bear etc. deterrent, Keep the pests away from your property within 2-4 weeks, whole year full warranty!

PREDATORGUARD Solar Powered Predator Deterrent Light

Solar Powered Predator Deterrent Light Scares Nocturnal Nuisance Animals Away, Deer Coyote Raccoon Repellent Devices, Chicken Coop Accessories

Here is a video showing how the Predatorguard works:

Well, there you have it. I hope that I have helped in some way with your possum problem. Thanks for stopping by and checking out my article on how to get rid of possum in your yard. Please feel free to comment!!!

2 comments on “How To Get Rid of a Possum in Your Yard”

  1. My yard is shady so solar will not work. I have a 20lb dog and she has encountered the possum twice now. Any ideas?

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