Any wildlife invading the roof, including opossums, can cause damage to the structure of your house. Opossums are known to invade man-made buildings for a variety of reasons, such as shelter and food. If you have discovered an opossum living in your roof, take the necessary precautions to get rid of the animal.

The primary cause of opossum damage is their need for finding shelter. Opossums that stay outside will look for a suitable place to shelter.

If the opossum gets in your house, they will look search for a location to live in your attic or crawlspace. The animal may gnaw on wires and support beams, causing damage to the building structure. Wires that are chewed can cause electrical fires or cause an animal to be electrocuted. Support beams are important in keeping the structure of your house intact. If chewed, severe damage or even collapse can occur.

Opossums are also known to cause damage through their need for food. These marsupials will look for openings in which they can enter homes to find food. They are omnivores and may go after insulation, carpet, vinyl flooring, and drywall for food. Opossums also feast on insects such as termites and carpenter ants, which they consume while scratching the foundation of your house.

If you find an opossum in your roof, try to make the animal leave on its own accord. Often, the animal is seeking shelter or looking for food; it may not explore your home for very long. Leave the animal a well-lit exit to use, such as an open door or window. If you want to remove the opossum from your home yourself, make sure to do it safely. The last thing you want is a fight between an opossum and a human.

Opossums are generally not harmful to people, with rare exceptions. They might become dangerous with their ability to transmit many diseases such as tuberculosis leptospirosis, spotted fever, coccidiosis, tularemia, and others, thus, posing a serious health threat to humans and pets.

If you do not want opossums in your roof or anywhere on your property, contact a wildlife removal specialist to help remove the animal.

How Do Opossums Get In Your Roof?

Opossums get on the roof by climbing the trees surrounding the house. Once they’re on top of a tree beside your house, they can jump onto your roof. They may also climb a house’s corner, stairs, drain spout, or porch railing.

Once at the top of your house, the opossum will find a way inside to eat their favorite foods – insects, fruits, pet food, and garbage. They’ll leave smelly droppings behind as well. You will start noticing some exterior damage around the place it is residing.

To prevent a possum from climbing and getting in your roof and attic, trim large trees and branches back at least 5 feet away from the house. Wrap tree trunks to prevent scratching by sharp claws as they climb. Trim any exposed tree roots to keep opossums from using them as a foothold. Keep your porch, stairs, and other “hard-toed” areas free of grease, oil, or sticky substances that they could get stuck to. Clear away brush piles and dense ground foliage so they will not be an easy spot for the opossum to hide.

Can Opossums Live In Your Roof, And Why?

Opossums can live on your roof, and they surely will if you’re not careful. They can climb nearly any surface, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they want to live on top of your house.

They’ll only go up there when forced out of their territory, and this typically happens during the mating season. Since they can’t get very far, they’ll usually start looking for a place to sleep, which is often your roof. They may even have a den already set up in one of your gable vents or soffits! Once they find a comfortable spot, safe from predators and without too much noise, their new home will be hard to evict.

What To Do When You Have Opossums In Your Roof?

Opossums are shy creatures, so you need to give them a safe route to get out without being exposed. The best way is to have a cover on the ground below the roof. If this isn’t possible, place boards or anything opossums can use as a bridge between your roof and another structure nearby. After the opossum has left the roof, clean the areas thoroughly with disinfectant to get rid of the bad odor.

Once you have got the possum out of your roof, make sure to check the area for entrance points. An opossum is known to be a great climber, so it may have left through a window, or other opening, that should be easily closed and sealed with caulk around the frame. It is important to close all access points to the attic, which the wildlife may use to get inside.

If an opossum is currently living in your roof, do not attempt to go up and get it out. They may bite and scratch and the risk of contracting a disease through their teeth or claws is high. Do not approach the animal and call a professional pest and wildlife control company for assistance. The experienced technicians will humanely trap it and remove it from your house.

If you have an opossum problem or any problem regarding wildlife that has invaded your home, contact our team of experts at Westchester Wildlife right away. We serve Westchester, Dutchess, Putnam, NY, and Fairfield County, CT.