While opossums are often harmless and simply in search of food, water, and shelter, they can cause damage and bring a handful of risks to your property if they aren’t safely and carefully removed from it. Beyond tearing through your trash and creating a mess in your yard, opossums carry bacteria, disease, and mites that will quickly contaminate your home. Therefore, you’ll need to understand which seasons opossums are most active and what you can do to deter them from your home all year long.
Fall and Winter
If opossums are nocturnal, why do you occasionally see them hunting for food during the daytime? Opossums sometimes hunt for food during daylight in the fall and winter simply because it’s the best time to beat the cold. And because there are fewer fruits, vegetables, and other foods grown in the winter, opossums have to spend more time out and about while on the hunt for their next meal.
These critters traditionally build their dens, which act as protection from the cold and a defense against predators, outside. But freezing temperatures drive opossums to look for safe, warm places to build their seasonal dens, like local homes. Therefore, if you have any holes leading to the lower crawl spaces or garage attached to your home, opossums are more likely to try and wander inside during the colder months.
Spring and Summer
It might seem like winter is their busiest season, but the spring and summer months are when opossums typically become most active. Because breeding season starts up just as winter comes to a close, female opossums must venture for food to nourish both their babies and themselves during the spring and summer months.
And with a surplus of thriving produce to harvest, opossums are even more likely to target local gardens, garages, and compost bins when the weather warms up. Similarly, if you store your trashcans outside and they aren’t properly sealed with a tight lid, the rising seasonal temperatures will magnify the smell and attract even more wild animals.
Excluding Opossums From Your Property
To prepare your property for opossum prevention this season, contact the animal experts at Critter Control® of Tampa. Our team of licensed technicians offer safe, humane opossum removal along with entry point restoration, sanitization, and long-term preventative tactics. Schedule a free inspection for your home now.
