What To Do If You Find An Opossum In Your Yard In Amarillo, Texas

I'm not a fan of opossums. Their superpower is their terrifyingly ugly features. They aren't aggressive and don't carry rabies, but their looks are enough to make me have a total existential crisis. Recently, I had a run with an opossum and I learned a few helpful tips for dealing with them.

Your Dog Will Scare The Opposum Into Playing Dead. Deal With It.

I honestly thought there was a dead opossum laying in my floor. The dog had been barking and going crazy, then there was silence. When I went to the backdoor, there it was laying on a rug. The dead opossum my dog had dragged in.

Funny thing about opossums is that they aren't the nasty filthy creatures you imagine them to be based on their looks. There's some kind of life lesson that would make for a good children's book in that statement. Knowing this, I still had a hard time dealing with it. The thing played dead the whole way out the door. I put it under a tree in the front yard, and before long it was gone.

Opossums Are Really Easy To Deal With If You Get Over Their Looks

You don't really need to be afraid of them. The hissing bit they do is all for show. They typically don't have rabies, and actually can make a habit out of cleaning pests out of your yard for you. However, that doesn't mean you have to be happy about your new guest.

One of the best ways to keep them from getting in your yard is to make sure you don't leave pet food out at night, and make sure your trashcan lids are closed up tight. If one does show up, chances are it will move out sooner rather than later.

If you have a momma opossum on the premises, there are ways you can encourage her to leave with her babies. This is a lot easier than it sounds thanks to the fact that she'll carry her possum-tots with her everywhere she goes. You can find details on how to go about covering up a "possum hole" by following this link.

It's summertime in the Texas panhandle. Everything is blooming as best it can, birds are singing, and opossums are annoying our dogs.

You can also contact Animal Management and Welfare for more help.