We're exclusion-first, not trap-first, because it's more humane and it actually lasts. Trapping and hauling one animal away does nothing about the open den or the food that drew it in, so a new opossum simply moves in. We fix the reason the property was attractive.
How the job goes
We start with an inspection and work toward a sealed, food-free property.
- Inspect the deck line, shed, crawlspace, and roofline for the den and entry points
- Check for young before doing anything, especially in spring and summer
- Where an animal must come out, use one-way doors or humane live traps on the active route
- Screen and seal under decks and sheds and close crawlspace gaps and vents
- Clean up droppings and nesting material, and flag the trash, pet food, and fallen fruit that drew it
On relocation
Florida's nuisance-wildlife rules put real limits on relocating animals, which is a big reason exclusion beats hauling one across the county. A licensed operator works within those rules rather than around them.
Seal the property well and that opossum won't be back — though a different one may wander through, since opossums roam widely and don't hold territory. A sealed, food-free yard is what makes yours the hard one on the block.
Common questions
Do you kill opossums or relocate them?
Neither is the goal — we get them to leave on their own and seal so they can't return. Where an animal must be handled, we do it humanely and within Florida's nuisance-wildlife rules, which limit relocation.
Will opossums come back after exclusion?
That one won't, once the den is sealed. A different opossum could pass through later, since they roam, but a sealed, food-free property makes yours far less appealing than the neighbor's.
Why not just trap it and be done?
Trapping removes one animal but leaves the open den and the food source, so another opossum takes its place within weeks. Sealing the structure and cutting the attractants is what actually ends the problem.
