How to Get Rid of Opossums Under a Deck

Never seal an opossum under a deck or it will die.

Nocturnal by nature, the opossum usually seeks out a dark, cool location to reside during the daylight. The dry confines beneath a deck often provide the perfect retreat for the opossum. Opossums do not do any structural damage, but they can mark their territory during the breeding season with foul-smelling urine. Homeowners may also hear thuds or other disturbances as the animal moves around beneath the decking. Most opossums will naturally move on, but the homeowner may wish to hasten their departure.

Things You'll Need

• Radio
• Flour
• Ammonia
• Rags
• Outdoor lights

Instructions

1. Place a radio on the deck. Turn the radio up so the opossum can hear the noise beneath the deck. The opossum usually craves a quiet location, and the noise of the radio may drive the animal away.

2. Sprinkle flour around the deck to locate the opossums' entrance and exit hole. Opossums usually exit the hole during the evening hours, right after dark, and return before morning. The animals leave footprints in the flour so you can find the entrance hole.

3. Soak rags in ammonia and stuff them around the entrance hole. The ammonia works as a repellent to drive the opossum away from the deck.

4. Seal the hole up under the deck when the adult opossum is out, but only from October to December, which is the nonbreeding season and guarantees no babies are under the deck, according to the Opossum Society of the United States website. Inadvertently sealing up the hole when a baby opossum remains under the deck results in its inevitable death.

5. Place outdoor lights around the deck. The opossum likes darkness and usually seeks another shelter if an area becomes well-lit.

Tips & Warnings

• An omnivore, an opossum will often take up residence to be close to a food source such as pet food or open garbage cans. Avoid feeding pets outside and keep all garbage cans sealed to deter the animal.

• Opossums have a gentle disposition, but they will growl and snarl if cornered, according to the National Opossum Society.

• The Minnesota Nuisance Wildlife Control's website states that opossums can carry diseases such as Chagas disease, leptospirosis,tsrichomoniasis, tuberculosis, relapsing fever, spotted fever, toxoplasmosis, coccidiosis and tularemia. They can also harbor fleas, lice and ticks.

References

• The Opossum Society of the United States: Frequently Asked Questions
• Wildlife Hotline: Coexisiting With Opossums
• Minnesota Nuisance Wildlife Control: Opossum Removal
• National Opossum Society: Opossum Facts

Resources

• The National Opossum Society: Welcomes You To The World of The Virginia Opossum