Why You Should Be Kind to Opossums

America’s only marsupial, the opossum, gets a bad rap. For whatever reason, they tend to be misunderstood and sometimes even feared, leading to some unfortunate outcomes. In reality, opossums are very shy and gentle creatures, and the hate for them is misplaced. 

The Clean Up Crew 

Opossums are scavengers with a delicious diet filled with insects, small rodents, and carrion. They are essential members of the environmental clean-up crew, consuming ticks, beetles, and other pests. As such, opossums should be a welcome addition to any garden. Additionally, they clean up rotting fruit and vegetables, which are common sources of pests. Opossums keep rats and cockroaches away due to the fact that they compete with them for food. It is also common for opossums to kill cockroaches and rats if they find them in their territory. How’s that for some pest control? 

Why Opossums Aren’t as Scary as You Think

Contrary to popular opinion, opossums are generally not aggressive. They may hiss when frightened as a defense mechanism to appear vicious, but when that doesn’t work, they will just play dead, a behavior that has earned them the reputation of “playing possum.”  People often mistake this defensive hissing as a sign of rabies; however, while not immune, rabies is extremely rare in opossums, as they have a low body temperature, which makes it difficult for the virus to survive in their bodies. Unlike other wildlife species, opossums pose little risk of transmitting rabies and other major viral diseases to humans or domestic animals due to their unique immune systems and grooming habits. Opossums even produce a protein that, in lab studies, can neutralize the venom of snakes, bees, and other animals, and scientists are working to develop low-cost rattlesnake antivenom by recreating this protein found in opossums.

But They Get in My Trash!

Umm… yeah. They’re scavengers. They’re just doing what comes naturally to them. If you leave it out.. well, they might get into it. Does that mean they deserve to die? No. Of course not. So what can you do to peacefully coexist with these little creatures while maintaining a trash-free yard? Might I offer a couple of suggestions?

• Secure Your Trash Can – invest in animal-proof trash cans with secure lids. Opossums are good climbers, so be sure to choose trash cans with a locking mechanism or bungee cords to prevent these little guys from prying the lids open. And make sure to actually put your trash in these cans.. don’t just set it outside your door in the bag because you don’t feel like walking to the trash can. If you do this, you're just asking for all types of creatures to break it open and see what food scraps you left for them to eat. 
• Outdoor Lighting – opossums prefer dark. They are nocturnal after all. Consider leaving the outdoor lights on which can make the area less appealing to them. 
• Regular Cleaning and Maintenance – opossums are attracted to the smell of rotting food. Yum. Take care to clean your trash cans regularly to minimize these delicious scents. 

In our own yard, we used to have a regular opossum visitor who would show up sometimes in the backyard, sometimes he would come right up to our door. We named him Oscar, and sometimes we would leave little bits of fruit out for him, and he'd snack on them before moving on. Instead of being afraid of him, we were fascinated by getting to watch him.

Opossums mean you no harm, and they’ll move on once they’re done exploring your yard. The best thing we can do is shift the way we talk about them. Instead of treating them as pests, we can see them as quiet helpers doing their part in the ecosystem.

They’re shy, fascinating, and deeply misunderstood. If you spot one in your yard, maybe give them a silent thank you as they’re likely cleaning up more than you realize.