Horticultural activities, such as weeding, put gardeners As an Amazon Associate, Homestead.org earns from qualifying purchases.

After my son mentioned that they are actually good to have in the garden I became curious and googled the benefits of these critters. Opossums not only play an essential role in ticks.

Opossums are non-aggressive, reclusive animals that only want to be left alone. Having said this, I’m sure I will not succeed in convincing some of you that opossums are indeed very good to have around, in both rural and urban settings, but I’m going to try nonetheless.

In

Your email address will not be published. In fact, they are most closely related to the koala and kangaroo, their marsupial cousins. Fun facts to know. Perhaps, it’s the opossum’s appearance and nocturnal lifestyle that makes this Up to 10 newborn opossums may migrate to the mother’s stomach pouch instinctively. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

wildlife, they are very helpful. Should you happen to encounter one, do nothing! I have one sheltering under the deck. First of all, while some folks find opossums ugly, scary-looking, and/or rat-like – they are not big rodents despite their general gray appearance and hairless tails. from coming too close or sticking around too long near our domiciles. Consider these opossum facts before enticing them to stay: Read more articles about Beneficial Garden Friends. They will eat overripe carcasses as well, including the skeletons. When in this shock-like state, the opossum’s body goes completely limp, its mouth gapes open and oftentimes foams. Keep compost containers secure, and use tightly-fitting lids on garbage cans. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. I’m sure the description immediately above didn’t help my argument that opossums are good to have around, so I’ll get right to the many benefits they bring.

Required fields are marked *. In general, the opossum prefers fallen or rotting vegetation to fresh. He quickly escaped Barney’s aggression by wedging himself between the wall and a shelf. I’m sure this is probably an unusual statement coming from me, a person who has lived all of her life in an urban area. Place them near the trouble spot, such as your. You can also subscribe without commenting.

Learn how your comment data is processed. What is North America's only native marsupial and what does it do. I gingerly got my feed and left, leaving the door open so the hapless creature could leave the same way it came in. These pests are carriers of Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain

They are not aggressive, however when they are startled they will hiss and bare their rather numerous, sharp teeth to attempt to ward off predators.

Opossums hunt, kill, and eat mice, rats, and snakes (including poisonous ones). In conclusion, the North American Opossum is a mammal that aids those of us that garden with natural pest control and rotten fruit removal.

Thank you for the information on the opossums. Remove brush piles, dilapidated buildings, and holes under concrete slabs to eliminate possible hiding places.

After all, spotting a large rat-like creature with

Opossums are about the size of a cat and have a distinctive long, white, conical-shaped face with a pink snout. As such, I leave you with one of my most favorite photos –. Within a couple of days, the possum moved on. Keep your yard well lit at night. I expect your little visitor will venture off when the cherries are gone. “The opossum wanders through the woods and ticks get on them just like they might get on any animal wandering through the woods, but opossums groom them off and kill them in the process.”. I suppose you could sum it up this way – if you come across an opossum in your yard or garden, consider yourself lucky as you’ll have a natural pesticide and garbage disposal at your service for a little while! Best wishes with your new resident. Should you have to remove an opossum, use a live-catch trap baited with a can of cat food, but first check to ensure that trapping is legal in your area, keeping in mind that in most jurisdictions, you can’t trap and release in a different location. Usually the opossum’s eyes remain open as well. I applaud you for being cautious and asking questions – and for watching out for both the opossum and your dogs. An educational and philosophical look at nature – sometimes with humor! take out let cool for ten min. Essentially, these practices are best done to deter any type of wildlife (mice, rats, coyotes, bobcats, etc.) I embrace this fact, actually. Typically, they go about their business so quietly that you won’t even know they’re around.

Think of how its cousin, the kangaroo, uses its tail for balance. then give the possum to the dogs and eat the white oak board . In fact, opossums tend to be resistant to rabies, a trait thought to have something to do with their low body temperature (94 to 97 degrees Fahrenheit), which doesn’t provide a suitable environment for the virus to live. Replies to my comments I don’t mind the baby’s so much as I do the adults, especially with my dogs. Great article, thank you. of the fact that most people are quick to control Motion-activated sprinkler systems are an effective deterrent. As ticks have become more numerous, so have the incidents of They are nocturnal by nature and non-territorial. Compared to other types of Additionally, opossums eat vegetables, berries, nuts, fruit, garbage, pet food and bird seed. As the young opossums grow, they will periodically go in and out of the mother’s pouch. Opossums love a good cat-food snack, so be sure not to leave pet food outdoors, especially overnight. Feed pets indoors or bring in any leftover pet food before dark, when opossums are most active. Surprisingly, the answer is yes. general, the opossum prefers fallen or rotting vegetation to fresh. All It’s estimated that a single

The oft-maligned opossum is actually a fascinating creature that suffers from an image problem. Last year a neighbor had a possum hanging around. Pop quiz. When outside the pouch, they wrap their tails around their mom and hang on tightly to her back as she scavenges for food.

While I certainly don’t expect you to welcome opossums into your home, even as I did unwittingly, I remain convinced they are very valuable to have around. In this article, we look at the top 10 benefits of a healthful diet, as well as the evidence behind them. her deck, and asked me if she should contact an exterminator. With little need to evolve for survival, the modern-day version of this marsupial is somewhat of a living fossil, retaining many of the features of its ancient ancestors. If for any reason you, a family member, or a pet has been in direct contact with an opossum, keep in mind they have an incredible immune system and are 8 times less likely to have rabies than other wild animals. They have excellent memories and return night after night to finish up what Fido or kitty leave behind. As meticulous groomers, opossums consume about 95 percent of the The primary sources of sustenance are small rodents, insects, worms, slugs and snails, frogs and birds. You can also call your local animal control office for help with removing “nuisance” wildlife. I don’t know who was more surprised—the opossum or I. Perhaps due to its youth and the lure of the aroma of left-over dog food, the opossum innocently wandered inside via Barney’s doggie door. As omnivores, opossums consume a variety Learn how your comment data is processed. Opossums favor darkness and won’t consider your property welcoming. As omnivores, opossums consume a variety of foods. I suggested that she remove any leftover food and clean up the area before nightfall , which she did. Clean barbecue grills and grease traps after use. The animal may also excrete an offensive odor when in this state, further feigning death.

creature so unappealing. Again thank you for your article, it has helped to put my mind at ease. Unfortunately, they often fall victim to misinformation, and the results can be disastrous for them. Incidentally, young opossums are called “joeys” – yet another kangaroo reference.

Speaking of, opossums are generally transient by nature and usually stay in an area only for a few days or weeks, moving onto other food sources in the next yard or field. Kangaroo by Photographer Jarrah Tree – Wikipedia. Opossums are scavengers and clean up dead animal carcasses. We’re not Playing, ‘Possum: Why Opossums are Actually Good on the Homestead. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ticks that carry the Lyme Disease bacteria are found on mice, shrews, squirrels, and chipmunks, but not so with the opossum. Opossums are omnivores and survive by eating a variety of foods.

Regularly spraying trash cans with a mixture of half ammonia, half water will keep scavengers away. As if that isn’t enough, opossums are immune to snake venom, and actually kill and eat snakes on the homestead, even venomous ones like rattlesnakes, copperheads, and cottonmouths. Opossums are immune to the toxins in bee and scorpion stings. Hello and thank you for the added information about camels – very interesting! At night it comes out to eat the cat food the was not removed before dark. Turns out opossums are the unsung heroes in the fight against Lyme Disease. Also clean up spilled. Don't subscribe Find more gardening information on Gardening Know How: Keep up to date with all that's happening in and around the garden. As scavengers, opossums will gladly consume pet food left outdoors.

The colonists traded with the Algonquin Indian tribes, and the opossum was named for their word apasum, meaning “white animal.” Opossums are found in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, along the West Coast, and in portions of Mexico, Canada, and Central America. at increased risk. opossum eliminates over 5,000 ticks from the environment each year. I’m sure the description immediately above didn’t help my argument that opossums are good to have around, so I’ll get right to the many benefits they bring. My neighbor has a cherry tree that drops over into my yard, so I’m sure the little one will have plenty to eat for a couple of weeks. If gutters or other vertical surfaces are being climbed, cover them with an 18-inch piece of sheet metal, or apply vegetable shortening up to a height of 18 inches.

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