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Living With
Opossums in Dupage County
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 The opossum is the only marsupial found in North America. Marsupials reproduce in a unique manner in which the young are born in an embryonic form and make their way into a pouch, or marsupium, where they are nourished. Approximately at 80 days of age the young may leave the pouch for short periods of time, clinging to their mother’s side and back. Young opossums are on their own when they are 8” to 9” in length from their nose to the base of their tail. Opossums are nocturnal and mostly live a solitary life. They are not aggressive and a common means of defense is faking death or “playing possum.” When frightened they may show their teeth and hiss. Opossums are a shy and secretive animal. Here are some humane solutions to unwanted opossum situations.
Preventing Problems With Opossums
- Do not encourage opossums by feeding them.
- Keep pet food and watering dishes inside, especially at night.
- Do not allow spillage to accumulate outside bird feeders.
- Keep grills and barbecues clean. Even the smallest food scraps may attract opossums.
- Do not keep garbage cans outside if possible.
- Cover window wells.
- Use welded wire to exclude animals from underneath decks.
Opossums Living in Your Yard
Opossums prefer to live in wooded areas near streams. Cities and suburbs provide adequate food and shelter. Common den and resting sites include abandoned woodchuck burrows, hollow logs, wood or brush piles, under buildings, elevated sheds, openings under concrete slabs and porches and access to crawl spaces under houses. Inside the cavity a nest is made of leaves and grass. Opossums are capable climbers and may take shelter by day in trees or old squirrel nests. Most animals only use our home temporarily during March through August to raise their young. If at all possible, consider “living with them” until the young are on their own at approximately 5 months of age.
Recommended Deterrent Techniques:
- Place lighting (such as bright flashlights, flood lamp, blinking strands of holiday lights, etc.) in their den. It is best to leave the lights on 24 hours a day. If this is not possible, the lights must be on during the daytime to disturb the animal’s sleep.
- Play a radio (portable alarm clock, noisy children’s toy, anything that plays music or makes noise repeatedly) either in or near their den. It is best to leave the lights on 24 hours a day. If this is not possible, the lights must be on during the daytime to disturb the animal’s sleep.
- Place rags soaked in ammonia in the den area for one week. Ammonia has an irritating smell. Over time the ammonia will dissipate and it is important to re-soak the rags on a daily basis. *VERY IMPORTANT* We do not recommend using ammonia soaked rags during baby season (March – August). It may injure infant wildlife, which are too young to escape.
- Deterrent techniques should be used at least 7 – 10 days and it is important to use all the techniques at the same time in order for the deterrents to be successful.
- To determine if the animal has left the den site, wad up newspaper and pack it into the den entrance. If the opossum is still using the den, the newspaper will be pulled out. If after a few days the newspaper has not been disturbed, securely repair any access openings. Failure to do so may result in the opossum or another animal moving in.
Opossums Visiting Your Yard
Raiding your garbage cans:
- The simplest solution is to bring the cans inside where opossums cannot reach them. If this is not possible, pour 1 cup of ammonia inside the garbage can or sprinkle black pepper on the top bag inside the garbage can. Another deterrent is to place rags soaked in ammonia over the top of the garbage can lid and secure with bungee cords. Use the techniques for a 5 to 7 day period or use when putting garbage out for your weekly pick up.
Gardens:
- Exclusion is always the best technique. Build a 4’ high chicken wire fence around the garden leaving the top 12” to 18” unattached to any support and bent outward. The opossum’s weight will pull the fence downward, landing him right back where he started. Taste deterrents will work also, however they will need to be reapplied after a heavy dew or rain. Recommended taste deterrents are; mixing 2 tablespoons of hot sauce with 1 gallon of water, make a garlic puree and spray onto plants, sprinkle baby powder on the entire plant or check with your local nursery or home center for commercial products.
Opossums Stuck in a Window Well
Two methods are recommended for getting opossums out of window wells.
- Place a roughed board at a 45º angle into the window well. Make sure the board is long enough to act as a ramp to the top. If you do not have a roughed board, wrap a towel or carpeting around the board to provide traction for the opossum. Place fish scented cat food, Twinkies ®, or Brie cheese at the top of the ramp to entice the opossum out. Opossums are nocturnal (active at night) and it may not leave the window well until night.
- Attach a string/rope to a 5-gallon bucket handle and lower the bucket into the window well with food placed inside the bucket to entice the opossum. Place the bucket on its side so the opossum is able to walk inside. Once the opossum is inside slowly raise the bucket up to ground level and place on its side away from you so the opossum can walk out. Try to stay out of the opossum’s sight. You do not want to agitate him.
Public Health Concerns
- Opossums have a lower body temperature than most mammals, making them fairly resistant to many diseases. Historically, rabies is very rare in opossums and there have been no rabid opossums found in DuPage County in recent years. They are known carriers of leptospirosis, bacteria carried in their urine, that can cause disease in other animals. To be safe your pet’s vaccinations should always be current and any opossum urine or feces found in your garage/window well, etc. should be removed and disposed of. Do not handle feces or urine with bare hands, use gloves or a shovel. The area can be disinfected with bleach after removal of the organic material.
What Not To Do
- Please remember that it is illegal to keep wild animals even for a very short time and that they have specialized nutritional, housing, and handling needs that you are unlikely to be able to provide. Inexperienced individuals who attempt to raise/treat them inevitably produce an unhealthy, tame animal that cannot survive in its natural habitat
- Trapping and removing opossums is illegal without the proper permits and is not always the solution to the problem. Removing the animal creates an open space for another animal. Focus on removing the attraction, not the animal.
- Never move young. Contact Willowbrook Wildlife Center for advice at (630) 942-6200.
- Do not use poisons. They are inhumane and may be illegal. They can result in secondary poisoning of raptors and wild scavengers. Poisons also kill indiscriminately, including neighborhood pets.
When to Contact Willowbrook Wildlife Center
- If you come across a wild animal and are concerned, leave it alone. Call Willowbrook Wildlife Center at (630) 942-6200 for advice.
- Willowbrook is open daily from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
- If you find an animal with visible wounds and it is after Willowbrook’s business hours, please follow the instructions below:
- Place the animal in a box or animal carrier using heavy gloves, a broom or shovel.
- Keep in a dark quiet space, away from people & pets.
- Place a heating pad on low underneath ½ of the box/carrier.
- Do not feed. Improper food or drink can harm them.
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