Gentle Opossum Removal & Relocation
Opossums are North America’s only native marsupials and are some of the most misunderstood and beneficial neighbors in Western North Carolina. When they seek shelter under decks or crawlspaces, they are simply looking for a quiet home. Go On, Git! provides structural exclusions that keep opossums out of crawlspaces while ensuring they can continue their valuable role in our local ecosystem.
Why Trapping & Killing Opossums is Counterproductive
Trapping and killing opossums is highly counterproductive to the health of your yard and home environment. Here is why:
- Nature’s Pest Control: Opossums act as natural yard vacuums, consuming up to 5,000 ticks in a single season. They also feed heavily on mice, cockroaches, garden pests, and venomous snakes.
- Snake Venom Immunity: Opossums have a unique blood peptide that makes them highly resistant to venomous snake bites. They actively search for and eat copperheads and rattlesnakes, helping keep WNC yards safe for kids and pets.
- Extreme Rabies Resistance: Opossums have a very low core body temperature (around 94-97┬░F), which makes it nearly impossible for the rabies virus to survive in their bodies. They are not high-risk rabies vectors.
How We Handle Opossum Exclusions
If an opossum has settled into your crawlspace or porch void, our technicians install temporary one-way exit gates. Since opossums are quiet and non-destructive, they will safely exit the crawlspace at night to forage and find they cannot re-enter. We then reinforce the crawlspace screening and vent openings with heavy-duty, corrosion-resistant metal mesh to ensure the space remains secured.
If an opossum must be physically moved from a property, our Wildlife Control Agents handle them gently. Unlike raccoons or skunks, North Carolina law permits agents to relocate opossums off-site, provided we secure explicit permission from the target landowner. We coordinate with willing private landowners to release them safely back into appropriate wooded habitats where they can continue their ecosystem services.
NC WCA LAWS
RELOCATION RULES
In North Carolina, Wildlife Control Agents are allowed to humanely relocate opossums off-site to private land. However, this relocation is strictly conditional on obtaining written or verbal permission from the private landowner of the target release site before releasing the animal.
ECO-FRIENDLY RELEASES
Our company maintains relationships with private woodland owners who welcome opossums onto their land to help control local tick and snake populations naturally. When we must perform an off-site relocation, the animal is released gently onto permitted, safe private land, preserving their life and local ecosystems.
Are opossums dangerous to have around?
Not really. They’re not a rabies vector species due to their low body temperature, and they eat large numbers of ticks and even venomous snakes. Most of what people find alarming about them is just how they look when startled.
Can opossums be relocated off-site?
Yes, unlike raccoons or skunks. North Carolina law allows opossums to be relocated to private land with the landowner’s written or verbal permission, and we coordinate that directly when relocation is the right call.
Related reading: What’s Living in Your Crawlspace? A WNC Homeowner’s Guide and How We Confirm a Crawlspace Exclusion Is Actually Working.
Unlike raccoons, skunks, and foxes, opossums aren’t considered a rabies vector species in North Carolina. Our rabies guide covers how the state treats different species, and why that matters for relocation.
Begin with a Wildlife Safety Assessment
Every project starts with a detailed $149 Wildlife Safety Assessment and Consultation. Our licensed Wildlife Control Agents perform a safety walk-through of your property, deploy thermal imaging to check nesting spaces, and deliver a custom structural sealing proposal. The $149 fee is credited 100% back toward your exclusion service.