Whether or not you find opossums adorable, chances are, you’re not going to want them invading your property or your home. These cat-sized marsupials have a rat-like appearance with pointy pink noses and long naked tails. While the playful and cuddly videos of young opossums might be fun to watch online, when it comes to wild opossums, they can be quite frightening and dangerous for any South Portland resident to handle alone.
Do I Have Opossums?
Opossums are not a pest you want invading your property. Not only do they have the capability to spread diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, leptospirosis, and tularemia, but they can also be quite damaging to your South Portland home. If opossums are living on your property, they will always leave behind a few signs of their presence if you know what to look for. Common warning signs that opossums are on your property include:
- Damage to the exterior of your home. Torn roofing and missing shingles may be a sign that an opossum has used its strong teeth and claws to get into your attic. Additionally, roof eaves and gutters may show signs of scratching or climbing.
- Strong odors. Opossums leave large wet droppings that may soak into the wood or insulation of your home, creating a distinctly unpleasant odor.
- Noises at night. Being nocturnal animals, opossums are generally only active after the sun goes down. Frequent scratching, shrieking, or hissing noises during the night strongly indicate an opossum infestation.
Damage Caused By Opossums
Knowing where damage is most likely to occur will help you identify an infestation before it becomes a major problem. Because opossums are significantly larger than rodents, they have the tendency to create more widespread destruction to the homes they invade. These apt climbers will often damage shingles, siding, and insulation with their claws and teeth as they attempt to invade, which may end up costing hundreds of dollars to repair. Opossum droppings can also create foul-smelling stains on the exterior or interior of your South Portland home.
How Professional Pest Control Can Help
Opossums are damaging to homes and dangerous to the health of you and your family. Attempting to handle an opossum infestation on your own can lead to serious bites or scratches if you are not familiar with what you are dealing with. For this reason, it is always important that you reach out to a professional pest control expert to remove these pests from your home. Big Blue Bug Solutions provides quality pest control services for South Portland homes in need of pest protection. If opossums are infesting your home this year, contact the pest technicians here at Big Blue today for the most advanced pest solutions.