Bellingham opossums can be furry and cute to look at, however, they may create unsanitary conditions inside the home. They are not generally aggressive and may even shy away from human presence. However, they hunt for food and shelter inside residential homes. They pose a threat by bringing different kinds of diseases inside to homeowners.



Why Washington Opossums Enter the House
There are many reasons why you can see an Bellingham opossum inside your house. They might find a source of food through garbage cans or they might find your bird feeders convenient when they are looking for food.

Where Opossums Are Commonly Found
You can find opossums on dark places such as abandoned sheds, the void inside the house’s outer walls, insulation batts, or dark basement spaces. They can enter through kitchen doors, through the attics, or other areas that provide access around the house. They are generally good climbers and they might use the trees near your place in order to get inside your attics.

Opossums inside the house can mean that your home is vulnerable to other rodent infestation. Opossums are marsupial animals. This means that they generally carry their young in a pouch that is attached to their body. If you find an opossum inside your house, you might also have to look if there’s a baby nearby.

Opossum Threats
Opossums just like any other rodent can cause property damage if they are left alone inside the house. An infestation usually consists of just two or more opossums even though they live in a small group.

They rip roof shingles, insulation or sliding using their claws or teeth. They can also cause tuberculosis and coccidiosis. These diseases are common in houses where opossums’ droppings and urine are commonly found.

When you see an opossum inside your house, you have to do your best to remove it by trapping it. You can relocate them to other areas after trapping them. You have to relocate them at least 10 kilometers from your house so that they won’t have the least chances of coming back.

What to Do
You have the option to trap an opossum yourself or call a professional if you notice that there’s an infestation. If you have a lot of experience trapping rodents, you can set a bait that they will fall for and you can trap them. Each state in the US has different laws about putting down opossums or relocating them. Make sure that you are aware of your state’s law before doing anything to the caged opossum. It is also very important that you have to relocate them as soon as possible. They can die from hunger or thirst if they are left inside the cage for too long.

If you are in doubt, you can call a professional pest control technician. They know the right ways of trapping opossums as well as the state laws in your area. You will also have the convenience of doing whatever you need to do while leaving the rodents to the professionals.

Visit our Bellingham wildlife removal home page to learn more about us.