You might consider having possums around your residence to be an excellent idea. Given that they eliminate harmful insects and clear thrown-off garbage, many households have a fascination for these rodents. However, do you know that these small animals can be detrimental to your health, as they serve as the carriers for several diseases? This explains why people reach out to professionals for possum removal from their residential areas. It would be wise to leave wild animals in their natural habitats.
Do possums pose health threats to humans?
Possums are known to carry various diseases. These include:
- Relapsing Fever
- Tularemia
- Tuberculosis
- Leptospirosis
- Trichomoniasis
- Chagas Disease
- Coccidiosis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Spotted Fever
Moreover, possums may be infested with various insects like ticks, fleas, lice, and mites. Eventually, when you allow them to prowl around your home, or feast on your food leftovers in the kitchen, you become susceptible to diseases carried by these perils. Moreover, possums often host dog or cat fleas, particularly in urban areas. This makes possum removal a necessity. While you can prevent possums from visiting your home by blocking off the entry points, it is still recommended to seek professional services from experts.
Tips to get rid of possums in and around your home
- The best way to get rid of possums is to cover or block their access points like vents, roofs, eaves, broken times, chimneys, etc.
- Using smell repellants or chemicals in your garden might be an effective way to do away with their intrusion.
- You may consider installing possum traps to capture them. However, you might need a license or permit in some areas for capturing them, given that they are a protected species. You may also contact professional teams for capturing these animals in a humane way.
- These days, ultrasonic possum repellants are available in the market, which you can use to scare them away from your residential zone.
- To prevent them from getting into your yard, install your fences with spikes.
- You may install a box for possums to nest away from your home, or around the trees, which would serve as an alternative environment for them.
Remove sources of food from the reach of possums
- In general, possums tend to visit homes and yards from where they can easily obtain food. It is recommended to remove the sources of food, which would make your home less appealing to possums. Remember, do not provide food to possums intentionally. When you feed them, they would stop fearing humans. Over time, these animals would grow aggressive when they do not get food.
- Check whether your garbage bins are shut properly. This would keep away possums from feasting in these spaces. If possible, feed your pets inside your home and clean the water and food outside, in case they have eaten outside.
- In case your garden has fruit trees, make sure to pick the dropped fruits. You might also install netting to avoid possums from feasting on these fruits on the ground.
Apparently harmless, possums can result in health issues for your family members. Evidently, removing them from your surroundings would be recommended. In case all these measures fail, you might reach out to the professionals to get rid of possums. They would either help you eliminate these creatures, or capture and take them to their natural environment.
