The only marsupial in North America, the Virginia Opossum is a cat sized gray mammal with a white face, pointed ears, and a long and hairless tail.  People often comment that an opossum looks like an overgrown rat.  When frightened, an opossum will show it's teeth (50 in all), and secrete a smelly gel from a pair of anal glands located at the rear of the animal.  The animal is also known for "playing possum," or feigning death.  During this show, the opossum will roll over onto it's back, dangle it's legs, stick it's tongue, close it's eyes, and secrete the aforementioned gel to appear as a dead and decaying carcass. 

Females can give birth to up to 25 young, which immediately crawl into the pouch and attach to one of 9 to 17 nipples after a gestation period of only 12 or 13 days.  The young stay in the pouch for approximately 3 months, and emerge weighing around 5 1/2 oz. each.  At this point, they are ready to go out with the mother to learn how to find food, which includes just about anything.  Females reach sexual maturity between six months and a year of age.   

Opossums can be regular visitors to your property in search of food, or maybe they've taken up residence in your attic, crawlspace, or a spot in the wall.  Regardless, we provide trapping and removal services to make sure they leave you and your property alone. 

Common Problems
Opossum in the attic
Opossum in the chimney
Opossum in the crawlspace
Opossum under the deck
Opossum stuck in my garbage can
Dead opossum somewhere

Signs of Opossums
Thumping and walking in the attic
Open crawlspace vent
Excrement found all around crawlspace
Garbage knocked over and spread around yard

Diseases
Tularemia
Murine Typhus - carried by the fleas that attach to opossums
Opossums very rarely carry rabies, but it is possible
Mites, ticks, lice, fleas, roundworms, flukes, and tapeworm