Opossums in our area are among the few creatures that can look terrifying one moment and cuddly the next. Fortunately, residents in Frisco are intelligent enough to know these furry wildlife marsupials are not meant to be kept as pets. They are, however, adept at eating ticks. The question is, does this make them a benefit to local homeowners, or are these creatures pests that you should be concerned about coming onto your Frisco property? Here are some facts to consider to make this decision for yourself.
The Benefits Of Opossums
It is fair to say that opossums are picky eaters. Although these furry marsupials will consume fruits, grass, insects, fish, birds, and carrion when needed, their favorite meal is ticks. In one season, a single opossum consumes close to 5,000 ticks. Not only is this fascinating to think about, but it is also extremely beneficial in reducing the spread of blood-borne diseases in an area. If you didn’t know, ticks are the main spreaders of many dangerous diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and anaplasmosis, so the fact that opossums eat these parasitic arachnids is a huge plus.
Why Opossums Are Dangerous
As helpful as opossums are at removing disease-spreading ticks from properties, they are also disease spreaders themselves. Ironically, one way opossums spread disease is by carrying pests like ticks, fleas, and mites onto properties. A few diseases you might contract from having opossums close to your home are leptospirosis, tularemia, spotted fever, trichomoniasis, and tuberculosis.
One disease you are extremely unlikely to contract from opossums is rabies. Although capable of biting humans, even a rabid opossum’s natural instinct is to avoid interacting with humans as much as possible. However, if you see an opossum acting strangely on your property, do your best to avoid it.
The Reason Opossums Invade Properties
Opossums are urban wildlife animals that seek shelter opportunities on area properties. Sometimes these pests hide under porches, other times they hide inside outbuildings. It all depends on what is available to them when they come into a yard. Another reason opossums invade yards is to find food. As we already mentioned, these furry marsupials eat a lot of different things and should have no trouble finding something to eat in your yard.
Some Methods To Deter Opossums From Your Yard
There are many strategies that will help you make your yard less attractive to invasive opossums. To help you keep these pests off your yard, here are some natural exclusion and prevention tips to use today.
- Pick up fruits, berries, and vegetables that fall into your yard.
- Clean up thoroughly after outdoor gatherings.
- Do not feed your pets outdoors or clean their bowls out after every meal.
- Eliminate sources of water on your property after it rains.
- Seal points of entry around your home and outbuildings on your property.
- Remove clutter and debris from your yard and store firewood and building materials a good distance from your home’s exterior.
When To Call The Professionals About Your Opossum Problems
If opossums are on your property and causing trouble for you, your best option to get them off is to hire the experts at DANCAN The Pest Control Expert. Although we appreciate all the work opossums do to eliminate ticks, we also know they do not belong near your home. Using advanced trapping technology we will remove pests from your property and work with you to put in place prevention to keep them away in the future.
Contact us now to learn more about our wildlife control and schedule your Frisco property for a visit.