What kind of diseases do possums carry

Salmonella This disease is one of the most common bacterial infections in the world, and causes symptoms including diarrhea and vomiting, which can be more serious in those with compromised immune systems.

The disease is usually transmitted through contaminated food and water, which means that when an opossum infestation is found in a property it is very important to deal with the situation quickly and effectively, while any contaminated food should be disposed of.

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Continually remove any fallen fruit, which will be readily fed upon by opossums. Be sure firewood is stacked tightly, leaving no major gaps suitable for a den. Store scrap lumber and other items in an orderly manner, preferably about 18 inches off the ground.

Ensure garbage cans have tight-fitting lids and do not place food items or table scraps in your compost bin. Pet food placed outdoors should be removed by nightfall. This will substantially reduce or eliminate the potential negative interactions between pets and opossums. Close off all potential entrances or openings under the house, garden tool shed, mobile home, deck, etc.

The advantage of using the small mesh is that it will also exclude rats and house mice. When possible, bury the hardware cloth up to 6 inches to deter the opossum from crawling or digging underneath the exclusionary structure. Once an opossum has taken up residence beneath a building or deck, you have to be sure the animal has left before blocking the opening. Examine the tracking patch soon after dark; the presence of footprints will indicate the animal has left and the opening can then be closed off.

Normally opossums live alone except when with young and then, since the young remain in the pouch, they leave with the mother. Exclusion of opossums from gardens can be accomplished with a fence built of poultry wire. The fence should be 4 feet high with the top 12 to 18 inches of the fence bent outward, away from the garden, and not attached to any support.

Since the top of the fence is not rigid and bends under the weight of the animal, it cannot be climbed over. As an alternative, any standard wire fence can be made opossum proof by stretching a parallel electrically-charged wire near the top of the fence, 3 inches out from the mesh.

A cattle-type electric fence charger activates the wire. A similar approach can be used to prevent opossums from climbing trees. More electric fence details are provided in Pest Notes: Raccoons.

Opossums are not wary of traps and can easily be caught with a box- or cage-type live-catch trap. Traps should be at least 10 x 12 x 32 inches in size and set along trails or known routes of travel.

Fish-flavored canned cat food works well as trap bait but often attracts cats as well. To avoid this possibility, try using whole raw chicken eggs or jam or peanut butter spread on a bit of bread. Other baits can include overripe fruit such as grapes, bananas, or melons. Live-trapping presents the problem of dealing with the animal once captured. Since it is illegal to relocate an opossum without a permit, those not wanting to deal with its disposal may prefer to hire a professional wildlife control operator.

They are equipped to handle problem wildlife in a legal and humane manner. If the trapper is willing to dispatch the animal, shooting and the use of a carbon dioxide gas chamber are the only acceptable forms of euthanasia. Shooting is the simplest approach, but firearm discharge is not allowable in most residential areas. In these areas, a carbon dioxide gas chamber is the only option. Drowning is illegal in California as a form of euthanasia.

In an attempt to ward off predators, opossums may hiss, bare their teeth, growl and exude a repugnant smell. Regardless of whether an opossum has rabies, it can be a nuisance. Your home may be your castle, but it can also be a welcome shelter for insects, rodents and other kinds of pests.

To keep unwanted visitors away, take the following steps for pest-proofing your home. Though raccoons and opossums possum are thought to be primarily rural animals, these two types of wildlife can become pests in homes, whether located in the country or the city. And while these pests are often grouped together, they have distinct differences when their diet, behavior, and habitats are compared.

Are you seeing strange tracks in the mud, snow or fine soil around your property? If they look to have 5 toes and a strange pattern, they may be opossum tracks. One of the most common questions about this species is "are opossums marsupials?

The opossum, also known as the possum, is a wildlife animal that can be perceived very differently by different parties, including adults, kids and pets.