Typically, opossums are about the size of a small dog. They have narrow snouts, small eyes, and a long, hairless tail, which may act as a “fifth limb” when climbing trees. These small creatures do not care where they live or where they go to gather food, so long as the place is available, they do not mind giving it a try. Thus, your home easily becomes a target (in as far as search for food is concerned).
An Opossum’s Habitat
Opossums generally live in the forest, but their omnivorous behavior has recently led them to find shelter in more suburban areas. This has given them access to unoccupied attics and basements, allowing them to gain entry into houses without alerting current residents. Opossums usually lead solitary lives, except when raising babies___, and this is one of the reasons you may end up sheltering a possum in your house.
Signs of an Opossum in Your House
There are several telltale signs that can help you determine the presence of an opossum in your house. Some of these are easy to identify, while others are not. These signs include:
Finding the Dead Opossum
This should be easy once you have identified the patterns of the animal in your house. Just follow the trail of droppings, food, leaves, urine, etc. to the animal. If the opossum has been dead for long, all you have to do is follow the resulting stench directly to the dead possum.
Removing the Dead Opossum
Removing a dead animal is not easy, especially if decomposition has already started. Make sure to wear protective clothing in order to avoid contamination from the bacteria on the animal. Once the extraction process is over, disinfect the area immediately to avoid the spread of bacteria and disease.
Conclusion
After finding and removing the opossum from your house, you should take steps to ensure the incident does not happen again. This can be done by making sure every entry point in the house is well sealed. You may also want to use repellents in your house to scare away animals from coming in.