Waking into your garage one day and suddenly finding that there are a bunch of possums in there would certainly be a shock. It is very likely that the possums will be just as scared as you are, but that doesn’t mean that you can just ignore the issue.
Why are possums suddenly appearing in your garage anyway? What can you do to get rid of these unwanted pests in your garage?
Read on to explore the best ways to get rid of possums in your garage. There are actually a number of different things that you can do to get good results.
Learning a bit about possums and what you can do to get rid of them will allow you to make an informed decision. After you’ve read all of the information, it should be easy to get this possum issue resolved once and for all.
Ensure That You’re Dealing with Possums
The first thing to do before going any further is to ensure that you definitely are dealing with possums. Look up some pictures of possums online so that you can get an idea of what they look like.
This might sound silly to some, but not everyone is familiar with possums or grew up seeing such animals. You might mistake another type of animal for a possum if you don’t get a good look, and it’s very likely that the animal is going to scurry away when you enter the garage anyway.
If you can at least identify that you are dealing with a possum, then you will know what you are dealing with. It’s better to have accurate information so that you can take the necessary steps.
When you’re having problems identifying the animal in question, it might be necessary to utilize cameras. It’s pretty easy to set up cameras in your garage that will send a direct video feed to your smartphone.
This gives you the opportunity to look at the video to see what animal you’re dealing with in the garage. This is a useful idea because you might see signs of animal activity without actually coming across the animal, too.
Many times, possums will do their scavenging at night, and this means that you might see that they have left the garage by the time you are up in the morning. The camera trick is the easiest way to get a visual identification of the possums.
1 – Remove Food Sources From the Garage
One of the most likely reasons why a possum would start showing interest in your garage is that it is scrounging for food. You might have more food sources in your garage than you currently realize.
Lots of people store pet food and other things like that in their garages. If you are finding pet food on the floor of the garage, then it’s obvious that the possums are getting into the food and tearing things up.
Cleaning the garage thoroughly is a magnificent idea, and it shouldn’t take too long to accomplish this. You can clean the garage up nicely so that you don’t have food particles on the ground or other messes to deal with.
Aside from cleaning, you’re also going to want to secure things that you’re storing in the garage. If you must keep food in the garage, then you’re going to need to keep it inside containers that the possums cannot breach.
For example, you could put pet food inside of plastic bins that have locks on them. There are a number of different things that you can do to get good results here.
Eliminating the food sources from the garage will make it so that the possums will have no real reason to keep coming to the garage. You can also eliminate the possums to avoid having to deal with them in the future if they decide to seek shelter or go looking for food elsewhere.
2 – Look for Holes and Entry Points
You might be wondering how the possums even entered your garage in the first place. With the garage door locked and secured, how could possums be getting into the area?
Well, possums are actually really good at fitting through cracks and alternative entries. This means that you are going to have to be vigilant about eliminating spots where the possums can get in.
Look around the perimeter of your garage to check for holes and cracks. You might need to fill up holes or other types of entrances that possums could be utilizing.
In some cases, possums will even use vents to try to get into homes or garages. You might need to make some changes so that you won’t have to keep dealing with unwanted possum visitors.
When it comes to securing vents, chimneys, and things of that nature, you’re going to want to use copper mesh. You can’t use something that the possums would be able to chew through, and you have to block the path to ensure that the possums can’t keep getting into the garage with no resistance.
3 – Eliminate Places for Possums to Hide
If possums are getting into your garage, then there is a good chance that they are living on your property somewhere. Possums will find shelter in many different places, and you can make it tougher for possums to stick around by eliminating the places that they would live.
For instance, possums often like to take shelter in downed trees or brush areas. If you cut up and remove any downed trees and brush, then that will be another spot that you won’t have to worry about any longer.
If you have any abandoned cars on your property, then you should really consider taking them to a scrapyard. These are going to be convenient spots for possums to live, and you don’t want to encourage pests to stay.
Be mindful of the spots in your yard that could cause problems for you. Keep your grass mowed, eliminate clutter, and properly dispose of debris after storms.
4 – Trapping the Possums
Most experts will say that trapping the possums will be a very good idea. You can utilize pretty standard traps that people have been using to catch small animals for years.
The basic idea is to set up a trap in an area that you know the possums have been coming to often. You bait the trap using some type of food, and then the trap will spring when they go to get the food.
It’s a tried and true idea that should work out nicely so long as you know how to set up the trap. If you’re not comfortable with this, then you can get someone with more experience to help you out.
There are a lot of different traps that you can try out, but it might be easiest to just buy possum traps from a company. Some people will build their own traps, but it’s up to you to decide which route you wish to take.
One potential problem to be aware of is the legality of relocating an animal. In some areas, it isn’t legal to relocate animals that you have trapped, and this means that you will need to get specific information about the laws where you live.
Assuming that you’re fine and able to relocate the possum, you’re just going to want to grab the trap and drive the possum somewhere far away. It won’t be able to get back to your property, and you shouldn’t have to worry about it in the future.
It’s worth noting that some people choose to try to kill the possums that they trap, but this isn’t legal everywhere. This is why most people will prefer the relocation idea, but you’ll have to determine which route you wish to take.
5 – Call Exterminators
Exterminators can help you to take care of possums without it being a big deal at all. Professionals deal with this type of stuff on a regular basis, and they’re going to be able to get good results.
If you have possums on your property somewhere, then they will be able to find them and eliminate them for you. Some exterminators will be able to trap and remove the possums for you, but others might choose to truly exterminate the possums.
Which route they will take will likely depend on your preferences as well as the laws in your area. Some areas have made it illegal to kill possums, but you’ll just have to figure out what your options are based on your location.
Whatever the case is, it’s good to know that experts can handle things in a timely fashion. If you don’t have a ton of time to dedicate to trying to figure out this possum conundrum, then this is the route to go.
A simple phone call will make it easy to say goodbye to your possum issues for good. The only real issue is that this is going to cost you money.
Calling in professionals likely won’t be the most cost-effective solution to the possums in your garage. Decide what you want to do based on how much money you have and how much time you’re able to dedicate to solving your possum woes.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.