Possum problem?
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From: Bothell
Possum problem?
Have any of you had a problem with possums, e.g. digging under your house, eating your pets' foods, etc? Is there a humane way to get rid of them? I really need some suggestions. Thank you!
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From: Blackswamp
I've had problems in the past with possums sneaking into my garage and eating my cat's food.
Unfortunately they are very good at climbing (about as good as a cat, just slower, caught one scaling straight up the siding of the garage). If its cold outside, and warm with easy access to food inside they can get determined to get inside, and once they are determined its hard to change their mind.
Placing the pet food in a location that they can not get to may help, but as I mentioned before that is dificult, as possums can climb pretty well.
As far as a humane You could get a live trap and catch them, then release them in a rural area, but if you're not familiar with handling wild animals, I'd suggest having a professional pest exterminator do it (there is always the chance of getting bit, and catching some nasty disease with a wild animal).
Try calling a pest control company in your area, possums sneaking into homes are pretty common this time of year, I expect it should not be difficult finding someone with experience at removing them.
Unfortunately they are very good at climbing (about as good as a cat, just slower, caught one scaling straight up the siding of the garage). If its cold outside, and warm with easy access to food inside they can get determined to get inside, and once they are determined its hard to change their mind.
Placing the pet food in a location that they can not get to may help, but as I mentioned before that is dificult, as possums can climb pretty well.
As far as a humane You could get a live trap and catch them, then release them in a rural area, but if you're not familiar with handling wild animals, I'd suggest having a professional pest exterminator do it (there is always the chance of getting bit, and catching some nasty disease with a wild animal).
Try calling a pest control company in your area, possums sneaking into homes are pretty common this time of year, I expect it should not be difficult finding someone with experience at removing them.
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From: In the heart of the USSA!
If you can scare one bad enough to make it "play Possum" you can handle it fairly safely by picking it up by the tail. Just watch out for the teeth and hold it well away from you. A live trap is the best way but again, watch the teeth, they're big and nasty since things critters will eat anything.
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From: Bothell
Originally Posted by Tormac,Dec 28 2004, 07:24 AM
I've had problems in the past with possums sneaking into my garage and eating my cat's food.
Unfortunately they are very good at climbing (about as good as a cat, just slower, caught one scaling straight up the siding of the garage). If its cold outside, and warm with easy access to food inside they can get determined to get inside, and once they are determined its hard to change their mind.
Placing the pet food in a location that they can not get to may help, but as I mentioned before that is dificult, as possums can climb pretty well.
As far as a humane You could get a live trap and catch them, then release them in a rural area, but if you're not familiar with handling wild animals, I'd suggest having a professional pest exterminator do it (there is always the chance of getting bit, and catching some nasty disease with a wild animal).
Try calling a pest control company in your area, possums sneaking into homes are pretty common this time of year, I expect it should not be difficult finding someone with experience at removing them.
Unfortunately they are very good at climbing (about as good as a cat, just slower, caught one scaling straight up the siding of the garage). If its cold outside, and warm with easy access to food inside they can get determined to get inside, and once they are determined its hard to change their mind.
Placing the pet food in a location that they can not get to may help, but as I mentioned before that is dificult, as possums can climb pretty well.
As far as a humane You could get a live trap and catch them, then release them in a rural area, but if you're not familiar with handling wild animals, I'd suggest having a professional pest exterminator do it (there is always the chance of getting bit, and catching some nasty disease with a wild animal).
Try calling a pest control company in your area, possums sneaking into homes are pretty common this time of year, I expect it should not be difficult finding someone with experience at removing them.
I didn't think they could by looking at them. Those things freak me out, so I will not try to handle them. They look like rats loaded with steroids and chemical radiations. 
Freakazoids!I will call pest control. Come to think of it, there may be one in my garage because I kinda left the side door open for my dog. That freaks me out. Is my dog going to be okay in the meantime? He is around 120 lbs, though still young. I hope he doesn't try to play with that freakazoid.
Thanks for the responses!
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From: limerick
Not quick slow and dumb but you're not going to chase them away if you get too close they will pplay dead or they will attack. Best way beat some pots together from a distance so they walk out of there.
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From: Bumpass, VA
Well, you could do what my wife did with one and duct tape a butcher knife to the end of a...(well, I'll stop there...but just appreciate that she was wicked-pissed that a possum had passed a disease to one of her horses from having urinated in the horse feed. The disease nearly killed the horse. The possum wasn't so lucky when my wife found it 
).
Since then, we've used a Hav-A-Hart Live Trap and caught 4 other possums as well as two racoons (new sub-division developments around our rural horse farm have created somewhat of an explosion in "unwanted guests" in and around our horse barn).
Also, regarding pet food. Develop timed feedings for your animals rather than leaving out free-choice. Figure to set the food out when you first get up in the morning...then pull it inside before you leave for work. If you want 2-feedings per day, then do the same again when you first get home from work each evening (set food out, then gather it up about 1/2 hour later). Your pets will learn to nail the feeding times if they wanna eat. But better yet, the undesireables will find no reason to hang around...and will go to your neighbors that don't follow such a strategy.
http://www.havahart.com/
).Since then, we've used a Hav-A-Hart Live Trap and caught 4 other possums as well as two racoons (new sub-division developments around our rural horse farm have created somewhat of an explosion in "unwanted guests" in and around our horse barn).
Also, regarding pet food. Develop timed feedings for your animals rather than leaving out free-choice. Figure to set the food out when you first get up in the morning...then pull it inside before you leave for work. If you want 2-feedings per day, then do the same again when you first get home from work each evening (set food out, then gather it up about 1/2 hour later). Your pets will learn to nail the feeding times if they wanna eat. But better yet, the undesireables will find no reason to hang around...and will go to your neighbors that don't follow such a strategy.
http://www.havahart.com/
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From: Bothell
Originally Posted by w1ngman,Dec 28 2004, 09:38 PM
Well, you could do what my wife did with one and duct tape a butcher knife to the end of a...(well, I'll stop there...but just appreciate that she was wicked-pissed that a possum had passed a disease to one of her horses from having urinated in the horse feed. The disease nearly killed the horse. The possum wasn't so lucky when my wife found it ).
). Now, I'm afraid my pets may get diseases from those criters. 
I haven't seen or heard from them in the past two days. But if they return, I will have to call the pest control. Thanks for the advice!
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Hi
I've trapped out lots of possums. Get a have a heart trap that way you'll get them all.
Ready for this... The best possum trap bait in the whole world is WAFFLES.
They love waffles. Cats and other carnivores don't so they stay out of the trap.
I get them in my orange trees this time of year. So far I've trapped and relocated over a dozen since October.
fltsfshr
I've trapped out lots of possums. Get a have a heart trap that way you'll get them all.
Ready for this... The best possum trap bait in the whole world is WAFFLES.
They love waffles. Cats and other carnivores don't so they stay out of the trap.
I get them in my orange trees this time of year. So far I've trapped and relocated over a dozen since October.
fltsfshr