Opossums are skilled climbers with opposable thumbs. They seek out warm, dry places to live, such as attics. Females often make nests in attics to give birth. An opossum in an attic is usually a female with young. Sometimes a group of adult opossums share a den in the winter, which is unusual since they are generally not social creatures.
Once opossums get into an attic, they generally make a mess by leaving droppings scattered about. Young opossums often fall down walls and scratch to try to get out. Opossums also often die in attics, which produces an unbearable odor.
Opossums are nocturnal animals and move slowly. They are generally quiet as they move around in an attic.
Opossums usually climb onto a house and look for an opening to gain access. They often enter through uncovered soffit vents or open eave gaps. They usually do not force their way into a house. Opossums generally make their way into attics in May and June, when mothers are looking for places to give birth, and in December and January, when they are looking for a warm place to live during the winter.
Mothballs and ammonia will not make opossums leave. Ultrasonic sound emitters and strobe lights do not work either.
If an opossum is living in your attic, call Anderson Wildlife Control. We will safely and humanely trap the animal and relocate it to another location and seal up the entry point it used to gain access to your attic. Young opossums cling to their mother 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it is easy to remove them all at once without needing to worry about missing a baby and leaving it behind.
