Have you seen strange animals lurking in your backyard at night? If you live in certain parts of North America, they may very well be possums.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: Possums are found throughout much of the United States and Canada, and they often live in backyard areas, nesting in places like woodpiles, under decks or sheds, and sometimes even in people’s attics or garages.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about where possums live in relation to your backyard and home.
What Are Possums and Where Are They Typically Found?
Basic Facts About Possums
The Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana), commonly known as the North American opossum, is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. Opossums are omnivores and eat a variety of plants and animals. They are generally solitary creatures and are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night.
An interesting fact about opossums is that they have opposable thumbs on their hind feet and a prehensile tail they can use to grasp objects.
Opossums have grayish fur, a pointed snout, large eyes and hairless ears. They typically grow to the size of a house cat. Opossums have 50 sharp teeth, more than any other North American land mammal. They have a robust immune system and strong resistance to toxins produced by snakes, insects and plants.
Opossums are well known for “playing possum” when threatened – they fall into a comatose-like state that can last for hours, emitting a smelly fluid from their anal glands to deter predators.
Natural Habitats of Possums
Opossums are found throughout much of North and Central America. They originally lived in deciduous forests and prairies, but now inhabit forests, deserts and urban areas. Possums have adapted well to urbanization and are frequently found near or in houses, sheds, garages and other manmade structures.
This is especially common in suburbs and cities where housing is denser.
Opossums are excellent climbers and often make dens in the hollows of trees, abandoned burrows and woodpiles. They prefer areas close to water sources like ponds, streams and rivers. In urban areas, possums may nest under houses, in attics, crawl spaces, sheds and garages.
They are drawn to readily available food sources like pet food, garbage, bird seed and compost piles in residential yards.
Opossums have a large geographic range because they can thrive in varied habitats – as long as there is sufficient cover and a reliable food and water source. They have expanded their territories north in recent years due to milder winters from climate change.
Opossums are now found as far north as Ontario, Canada and as far south as Costa Rica in Central America.
Do Possums Commonly Live in Backyards?
Possums are definitely drawn to backyard environments, as these areas provide many benefits that appeal to the possum’s natural instincts and needs. Here’s an in-depth look at why possums love making their homes in backyards.
Possums Are Drawn to Backyard Environments
Backyards offer several features that make ideal possum habitat:
- Food sources – Backyards provide access to trash cans, fallen fruit from trees, vegetable gardens, and pet food bowls. Possums are omnivores and will eat just about anything.
- Shelter – Possums seek out dark, enclosed spaces for nesting and raising their young. Sheds, woodpiles, decks, and crawl spaces under homes provide perfect shelter options.
- Water – Sprinklers, birdbaths, ponds, and other backyard water sources allow possums to stay hydrated.
In addition, backyards located near woods or parks allow possums to move safely from area to area under the cover of darkness when foraging for food. Overall, the combination of food, water, and shelter found in suburban backyards creates an ideal habitat for possums trying to survive in an urban environment.
Specific Areas Possums Nest in Backyards
When searching for a nesting spot, possums specifically target these common backyard areas:
- Woodpiles – Stacked firewood provides hollow openings for nests filled with leaves or grass.
- Dense bushes – Especially evergreens like juniper that offer concealment and protection.
- Garden sheds – Dark, sheltered spaces often containing piles of stored junk that allow nesting.
- Crawl spaces under decks/homes – A favorite nest spot that provides warmth in winter and shade in summer.
- Hollow stumps/trees – Natural nesting sites that possums readily move into.
Possums may take up residence in a single nesting area for an extended period. Or they may frequently switch nests depending on weather conditions, availability of food/water, perceived safety, or if they are raising young.
Some possums even construct a new nest every night out of leaves and twigs in a temporary shelter spot.
So if you spot a possum peeking out from under your wood deck or shed, it has likely made itself at home! These quiet marsupials are highly adaptable and skilled at finding suitable housing in residential neighborhoods.
Embrace your backyard possum roommate – just be sure to take precautions to avoid attracting large numbers of them.
Signs of Possums Living on Your Property
Evidence of Possum Droppings
One of the most obvious signs of possums taking up residence on your property is finding their droppings or scat. Possum poop resembles the feces of small domestic cats and will be about 1⁄2-inch long and 1⁄4-inch wide. The droppings are usually black or sometimes gray in color with a slight sheen.
They tend to be more solid and compact than the loose stool of raccoons. Check areas like wood piles, decks, porches, attics, garages, and crawl spaces for small piles of possum droppings to determine if they are inhabiting your structures.
You may also find trails of possum droppings if there is one particular path they follow across your roof, through vegetation, or elsewhere on your property. They tend to repeatedly use the same paths as they travel to and from their den site or food sources.
Areas around openings in your home’s exterior or holes leading to enclosed spaces can contain heavier amounts of possum scat from juveniles sheltering in a den with their mother.
Holes or Damage to Home Infrastructure
If you discover holes dug near the exterior foundation of your home, especially those 2-3 inches wide, this may indicate possums have tunneled their way under a porch or deck to create a nesting spot.
Carefully peek inside the access hole with a flashlight to check for signs of activity, like bedding materials or possums themselves.
Possums may also leave holes in soffit panels or fascia boards as they try to enter interior attic spaces or the gaps between walls. You’ll need to block these openings once the animals have been removed so more don’t invade.
In addition to holes, possums can potentially weaken roof shingles and panels by using them as travel corridors. Listen for sounds of scrambling in the attic or walls to determine if possums are moving within these voids.
Heavy possum activity in the attic can also lead to staining or wet areas on ceiling drywall from leaks near vents or through cracks they widen from use. An excess of droppings and urine drip may produce an unpleasant musky smell in interior rooms below their nesting sites.
Checking for these signs of structural damage and odors can confirm if your attic, roof, or crawlspaces have become habitat for possums entering through vulnerable areas of your home exterior. Blocking all access holes is key once the pests have been safely evicted.
Deterring and Removing Possums from Your Yard
Exclusion Methods to Block Access
Possums are notorious for their ability to climb, dig under, and access seemingly inaccessible areas, so blocking access is key to deterring them from your yard. Some common exclusion methods include:
- Installing metal flashing along the top of fences
- Attaching coiled metal guards to fence posts and trees to prevent climbing
- Burying 18-24 inch high metal mesh skirting around the bottom perimeter of garden beds and sheds
- Sealing all potential entry points with hardware cloth, heavy vinyl, metal sheeting or cement patching
According to pest control websites like Pest Now, employing a multi-pronged approach using these methods to physically block possums from getting in makes continued access difficult and will deter them over time.
Harassment and Removal Techniques
If possums have already accessed your yard, additional techniques may be needed to encourage them to leave and discourage return visits:
- Noise harassment: Play loud music, bang pots and pans, or set up vibration/ultrasonic devices in problem areas at night when possums are active. This helps create an unwelcoming environment.
- Light harassment: Install bright floodlights with motion sensors pointing along fence lines and near den entry points. Possums prefer darkness and will avoid well-lit areas.
- Odor harassment: Soak cotton balls in ammonia and place in dens or areas possums frequent. The strong smell drives them away.
- Combining these with physical blocking makes the yard unwelcoming for possum families.
As a last resort if harassment does not work, live-catch cage trapping with humane removal may be necessary. However, Wildlife Control experts recommend releasing trapped possums more than 10 miles away to prevent them from easily returning.
Using an exclusion-first approach makes re-entry difficult and deters possums most humanely without resorting to poisoning, shooting or other lethal means.
Conclusion
As we’ve covered, possums frequently live in close proximity to homes and backyards across much of the United States and Canada. Now that you know where they like to nest as well as signs of their presence, you can take steps to evict possums from areas on your property where they are unwanted guests.
With some diligent prevention and exclusion work as outlined above, you can maintain control over possums living in or entering your backyard. This will allow you and your family to freely use your yard without interference from these pesky nocturnal creatures.
