Will City or County Animal Services Help With Opossum Problems?

Opossums are an important part of a local ecosystem, but they don’t belong inside your home. If you have an opossum – or more commonly, multiple opossums – in your home, then you need to act quickly to mitigate any damage and ensure the opossums are removed. 

You may turn to city or county animal services, hoping that they can remove your opossum problems. But will they be able to help with this issue? Let’s take a closer look at the signs of opossums in your home and whether or not your local city or county services will step in.

Signs of a Problem

Opossums in your home or attic space are typically noticeable right away. This is due to the fact that opossums are not stealthy and usually make a lot of noise or leave other visible signs that they have made their way inside. 

Here are some common signs of opossums inside the home:

  • The presence of an exterior hole or entryway (for example, you may notice the shingles on your roof destroyed or damaged, or holes in your home’s walls)
  • Disappearing pet food, particularly cat food.  Opossums are drawn to the smell of cat food and can eat enormous amounts of pet food inside the home. If you notice that your pet’s food is missing, or if bags of pet food have been torn into, this is a sign that opossums may be inside your home.
  • Loud noises.  Opossums are quite loud and you will likely hear them inside your home or attic. They make a variety of vocalizations, including hissing and shriek-like sounds. You may also hear smacking or clicking sounds that are associated with mother opossums calling to their children. You may also hear lots of scratching, ripping, and similar noises; this is usually caused by opossums creating a nest.

Will the City or County Help?

When people spot opossums in their home, one of their first steps is to call county or city animal services to have them removed. However, as a general rule of thumb, city and county animal services will not come out to remove opossums from your home. Unfortunately, you will have to turn to alternative means to deal with your problem.

What to Do Instead

If you have opossums inside your home, and city or county animal services will not come out, then you have a few options.

  • You could try to capture the opossum yourself, though this is not recommended as the animals could become aggressive if they feel defensive.
  • You could also contact an animal removal service to have the opossums humanely removed. This is the best option, as it will keep you and your family safe while ensuring that the animals are humanely removed and taken to a proper location.

If you suspect you have opossums in your home, your best bet is to contact a professional animal remover right away.