Stop Opossums from Damaging Your Attic, Garage, and Garden
Are you noticing:
- Overturned trash cans or scattered garbage in the morning?
- Thumping or slow, heavy movement on your roof at night?
- Droppings around your patio, deck, or crawl space?
- Pet food disappearing overnight?
These are strong signs that opossums got into your property.
Opossums tear into trash, eat pet food, dig through gardens, and look for sheltered areas to den. Once they move under a structure or into a crawl space, they can contaminate insulation, leave droppings behind, and expose your family and pets to parasites and bacteria.
At Smith’s Pest Management, we safely trap opossums throughout the Bay Area and secure the openings they’re using, so they can’t get back in.
Seeing signs of opossum activity? Don’t wait. Call now: (408) 871-6988
Our 3-Step Opossum Control Process
1
Trap and Remove
We place humane live traps along fence lines, near trash storage areas, and around dens.
We check traps daily and remove active animals, in accordance with California regulations, and address conditions that allow activity.
2
Remove Attractants
Opossums stick around when food is easy to access.
We identify the attractants like unsecured garbage, fallen fruit, and outdoor pet food, and remove them to keep opossums from coming back.
3
Exclude and Repair
We close off openings under decks, stairs, sheds, and foundations to stop re-entry.
If opossums have entered a structure, we clean contaminated areas and remove damaged insulation to restore a safe environment.
We stand behind our exclusion work, with coverage options available depending on the scope of the project. Contact us for specifics.
Success Story: How We Helped a San Jose Homeowner Remove Opossums From Their Crawl Space
A homeowner in San Jose contacted us after hearing heavy movement under their home at night. They also noticed pet food missing from their back porch and droppings near the foundation vents.
During our inspection, we found an opossum den inside the crawl space with clear entry points through a damaged vent screen.
We set live traps along the crawl space perimeter and safely removed the animals.
Then, we reinforced the vent openings with heavy-duty hardware cloth and sealed additional gaps around the foundation. We also sanitized the affected crawl space areas to eliminate contamination.
Within a week, the nighttime noise stopped, and the property was fully sealed and protected.
Why Choose Smith’s?
Local experts serving the San Francisco Bay Area including Marin, Contra Costa, Alameda, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Monterey, and Santa Cruz Counties
Licensed, certified professionals with 15+ years of wildlife control experience
Humane, eco-conscious methods that meet California regulations
Programs for homes, HOAs, schools, parks, golf courses, farms, and commercial properties
What Our Customers Say
FAQ
Opossums are not typically aggressive, but they can bite or scratch if cornered. They also carry fleas, ticks, and pathogens that can pose health risks.
They are primarily nocturnal, but you may occasionally see one during daylight hours, especially if food sources are nearby.
If food and shelter remain available, they often stay on your property. Without professional removal and exclusion, new opossums may move in.