Finding · Opossums
Opossums in the crawl space, trapped and sealed out
Shuffling under the floor at night, tipped trash, a gap in the vent screen. Resolve traps the opossum and seals the opening it came through.
Chapter 01
Shuffling under the floor, tipped bins, a bent crawl space vent
Opossums are slow, shy and surprisingly hard to dissuade. The signs are a shuffle under the floor after dark, a hiss behind the garage, a vent screen pushed in, cat food bowls emptied overnight and bins tipped over on pickup day. Crawl spaces in Barnegat and Tuckerton are warm, dry and quiet, which is all an opossum asks.
They are not aggressive, and most simply want a dry den. The trouble is what a den leaves: droppings and nesting material under the house, a smell that rises through the floorboards, and dirt on the pipes or insulation. A single animal sharing the space also draws fleas and other pests. Because they eat ticks, snails and fallen fruit, they are far from the worst guest, but they should not live in your floor.
Daytime sightings do not mean a sick animal. Opossums wander when food is scarce, and one in the yard at noon is often just hungry. A second look at where it goes next is more useful than panic, and a note of the spot helps the technician. Still, give any wild animal space, and keep children and dogs indoors until the technician has looked at it.
Resolve technician kneeling at a live-catch trap beside a house foundation
Walking the foundation, setting the trap, closing the opening
The technician walks the foundation to find the opening and the worn path leading to it. A live-catch cage trap is set along that route and baited for how opossums eat. Resolve handles trapping and removal for raccoons, skunks, opossums, groundhogs, snakes and squirrels, so the crew can tell a visiting opossum from a different animal using the same hole.
Traps are checked on a schedule, and the technician will tell you the date of the next check. If the crawl space needs a look from the inside, that happens with a light and a camera in hand, and the photos show what is under there before and after. Inspections cover the whole perimeter, since an animal that leaves by one hole can return by another.
When the animal has been removed, the opening is closed with material that holds, usually screen or metal flashing that cannot be bent by paws or shoved aside. The follow-through is what counts, because waiting a week to close the hole means a second animal moves in. A stapled piece of screen is not a fix, and that is why materials are chosen to match the opening.
Chapter 03
Cleaning up and keeping the crawl space dull
After removal, the crawl space deserves a look. Droppings, torn insulation and nest material should be cleared or at least noted, and the technician can point out the spots. Pet food left outside overnight and unsecured trash are the two habits that bring opossums back. Insulation that has been matted down or soiled can be noted for a contractor, which prevents surprises in the heating bill.
Use lidded bins, feed pets indoors and clear fallen fruit from under trees. Opossums do not need much encouragement, and removing the free dinner removes most of the reason to return to your address. Compost bins deserve the same attention, since they are a free buffet for any hungry visitor.
If another animal turns up and you are not satisfied, the 100% satisfaction guarantee brings Resolve back to retreat at no additional cost. Manahawkin and Forked River owners can call (732) 527-5770 at any hour. Family owned, licensed and insured, NJ LIC# 91689B. The office takes calls all day and night, including about an animal under the floor.
Entry route found, trap set, vent and foundation gap closed.
CROSS-REFERENCE · NJ LIC# 91689B
Found alongside opossum removal
Skunk Removal
Skunks denning under porches, decks and sheds, trapped and the den closed off.
Raccoon Removal
Raccoons in the attic, the shed or under the deck, trapped and their way in closed.
Crawl Space & Basement Pest Control
The dark, damp places pests live first, inspected with a light and photographed.