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How To Attract Possums Using 7 Easy Methods

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Opossums are nocturnal marsupials that are found primarily in North America. Because opossums are related to kangaroos, they act similarly to them because they have an outside porch to raise their young.

These creatures are omnivores, which means they eat nearly anything edible. They can, however, cause havoc in areas since they enjoy rummaging through trash cans.

These animals, despite their adaptability, are slow runners and have poor eyesight. Possums can be a nuisance to pets and create a lot of noise while hunting through garbage cans when they are active.

But what draws them to a yard in the first place? In this article, we’ll discuss how to attract Possums.

Despite their reputation as pests, possums (or opossums) are handy tiny critters in your garden. They consume actual pests like snails and tiny rodents but rarely cause issues.

Because of their quickness and intelligence, possums are also intriguing to watch. Possums, like other species, have lost much of their natural habitat due to development and agriculture. This means that you can entice them to come to your yard by providing food and nesting areas.

They are drawn to your yard when there is plenty of food, so putting food leftovers in the rubbish will keep them there. In most situations, odorous and overflowing garbage cans, containers left outside, or exposed compost piles attract these creatures.

Because opossums are scavengers, they can eat anything they come upon. They enjoy damp environments, so they prefer to live near water. Yards next to a sewer, a drainage ditch, or a pond are more prone to attract these creatures.

How To Attract Possums
via Pxhere

A Guide on How to Attract Possums

Method 1: Provide a Feeding Station To Attract Possums

  • Make a possum feeding station out of a couple of bowls on the ground.
  • They are opportunists who prefer to eat what is simple to come by.
  • They can eat various foods, including fish, insects, birds, vegetables, rubbish, crabs, rodents, dead animals, snakes, mushrooms, eggs with shells, grass, and all sorts of fruit because they have so many teeth.
  • Rodents, worms, frogs, snails, and slugs are the most common food sources. Birdseed, nuts, berries, and even dried and canned cat and dog food will be consumed by these animals.
  • Meaty goodies, such as cat chow and fruits and vegetables, are favorites of omnivorous possums.
  • Do not leave human food out, particularly junk stuff.
  • Possums may enjoy this diet, but it is unhealthy for them.
  • To avoid feeding rodents, put the food out in the evening, observe the possums feed, and remove the food bowls.
  • Opossums will be attracted to the dog and cat food left outside.
  • Other nocturnal creatures will get familiar with the delicacies to be found at your location, and they will also be attracted to your food source.
  • To be fair, the raccoons, coyotes, skunks, and wild cats that will come to feed can’t be blamed.
  • Rats and mice may also be drawn to the area. They will, fortunately, fall prey to the opossum, who will consume them as well.

Method 2: Plant A Dense Variety of Plantations To Attract Possums

  • Gardening organically and establishing a dense range of plants will encourage other creatures to supply possum prey.
  • Possums rely on natural sources for the majority of their diet.
  • If your yard is mostly cement, large potted plants with trellises can be used to provide the opossum with a way to rappel down into your yard and hide behind the potted plants as they investigate your yard.
  • If you have a lot of lands, the opossum will travel around your property looking for food, using tall grass or little ravines. If you want them to come to your house more often, create a series of low-lying brush clumps about 15-20 feet apart for them to go through instead of having to travel through an open, exposed area.
  • Opossums also enjoy overripe fruit that has fallen to the ground.
How To Attract Possums 2
“Northen brushtail possum eating an apple” via Wikimedia

Method 3: Keep Pets Indoors at Night To Attract Possums

  • Pets should be kept indoors at night and supervised outside during the day.
  • Cats and possums rarely fight, although a huge cat may attack possums, discouraging them from coming to your yard.
  • If left unattended, a dog poses a hazard to possums.

Method 4: Install Possum Nest Boxes To Attract Possums

  • Install a possum nest box to imitate possums’ nesting holes in trees.
  • A possum nest box resembles a huge bird box with a hole at the top that is 5 inches in diameter.
  • Follow thorough instructions for creating possum enclosures suitable for bigger opossums.
  • 6-10 feet off the ground in a tree, hang the nest box.

Method 5: Dig An Underground Burrow To Attract Possums

  • Make a hole or a den underneath.
  • Because some possums prefer to nest in abandoned animal burrows, create an artificial one.
  • Dig a foot-deep and a-half-foot-wide trench, then cover it with scrap wood sheets.
  • Allow a few inches of space at the entrance.
  • Cover the wood with anything you like, like a tiny shed, plants, or a pile of branches and waste wood to give a haven from other wildlife.

Method 6: Provide Water To Attract Possums

  • Because water is so important to all living things, keep a water container near the meal.
  • Keep the feeding place clean, and the water bowl changed out, just like you would with bird feeders and birdbaths, so mosquitoes don’t use it to lay eggs.

Method 7: Use Attractive Scents To Attract Possums

  • Some odors are particularly appealing to opossums.
  • They are often attracted to cinnamon scents, so if you have any remaining in your yard, be prepared to welcome these animals.
  • This is why most people who want to get rid of possums in their yards employ these aromas to attract them to baits.
  • The smells of ammonia and garlic repulse possums, so do not use them if you want to lure them to your yard.

Final Remarks

Before you take steps to encourage increased animal traffic into your yard deliberately, consider all of the above methods. Opossums are beneficial to urban and rural yards, clearing up damaging pests and rodents and scavenging disease-carrying ticks and rats.

If your property is 15 years or older, there is likely enough mature foliage/concealment to attract opossums. Opossums are endemic to North America and rummage through trash in urban and suburban areas.

They eat a range of nasty items, including trash, veggies, birds, and other animals. They may harm fruit and vegetable gardens because they consume vegetables and fruits.

Despite being such a nuisance, the animals provide several advantages. So, before you throw them out, don’t forget about the environmental benefits they provide.

The majority of people assume that opossums are filthy and dangerous animals that could endanger their life. In reality, this is not the case. Opossums are gentle and tidy creatures.

They prefer not to fight; they may growl, hit, or even bite in rare situations, but they are generally calm creatures. When confronted, opossums can opt to act dead or faint so that they won’t hurt you.

Possums are thus useful animals that bring a great deal of value. Now that you know how to attract possums, you can easily lure them to your yards.