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Opossums | Opossum Overview | Opossum Damage Assessment | Opossum Damage Management | Opossum Acknowledgements | Opossum Resources | ICWDM | Wildlife Species Information |
Opossums are omnivorous and occasionally eat fish, crustaceans, insects, mushrooms, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and carrion. They will also raid poultry houses. The opossum usually kills one chicken at a time, often mauling the victim (Burkholder 1955). Eggs will be mashed and messy, the shells often chewed into small pieces and left in the nest. Opossums usually begin feeding on poultry at the cloacal opening. Young poultry or game birds are consumed entirely and only a few wet feathers left.
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Summary of Damage Prevention and Control Methods
Exclusion
Practical where opossums are entering structures.
Habitat Modification
Remove cover and plug burrows to reduce frequency of visits by opossums.
Frightening
Generally not practical.
Repellents
None are registered.
Toxicants
None are registered.
Fumigants
None are registered.
Trapping
Leghold traps. Box traps. Cage traps. Body-gripping (kill) traps.
Shooting
Effective where firearms are permitted. Use a shotgun with No. 6 shot or a .22-caliber rifle.
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Opossums | Opossum Overview | Opossum Damage Assessment | Opossum Damage Management | Opossum Acknowledgements | Opossum Resources | ICWDM | Wildlife Species Information |
