Opossum Removal in New York City
The Virginia opossum is North America's only marsupial, and it has quietly become a regular resident of New York City's backyards. Opossums are shy, nocturnal scavengers that rarely cause trouble, but they will move into crawl spaces, under decks and porches, inside sheds and garages, and occasionally into basements. Once settled, they raid garbage and pet food, leave droppings and odors, and sometimes raise a litter of young under your home. They are generally not aggressive, yet few homeowners want a wild animal living under the kitchen floor or beside the back door.
NYC Pest Control Pros is a free referral service that connects you with independent, licensed wildlife control providers in your area. Opossum problems are solved best with humane exclusion and habitat changes rather than repeated trapping. The professionals in our network confirm what animal is present, make sure no young are left behind, remove or exclude the opossum according to state rules, and seal the openings so another animal cannot move in. Our referral is always free, and you are never obligated to hire the provider you are connected with after the inspection.
Why Opossums Are a Problem in NYC
Opossums are found in all five boroughs but are most common in Staten Island, the Bronx and eastern Queens, where detached homes with yards border parks, woodlands and wetlands. Large green spaces such as the Staten Island Greenbelt, Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortlandt Park, Alley Pond Park and Forest Park give them shelter, and adjoining neighborhoods provide food and denning spots. Rail lines, cemeteries, golf courses and waterfront parkland act as green corridors that let opossums travel between neighborhoods largely unseen.
City living suits opossums well. They eat almost anything, from fallen fruit and garden vegetables to garbage, compost and outdoor pet food, and they readily use spaces under decks, stoops, sheds and porches as dens. Opossums do not dig much themselves, so they tend to take over gaps and burrows that already exist, including those abandoned by other animals. Because they are nomadic, a yard may see different opossums pass through over the course of a year, which is why securing food and den sites works better than removing individual animals.
Common Opossums Found in New York
Virginia Opossum
The only opossum species in New York. It is about the size of a house cat, with grayish-white fur, a pale pointed face, dark ears and a long, hairless tail. Females carry young in a pouch, then on their backs.
Juvenile Opossums
Young opossums leave the pouch in spring and summer, ride on their mother's back, and then disperse on their own at roughly mouse-to-rat size. Homeowners often mistake them for large rats, so a careful look at the pale face and tail helps.
Signs You Need Opossum Removal
- Overturned garbage cans, torn trash bags or scattered compost in the morning after nighttime foraging.
- Pet food bowls left outside emptied overnight, sometimes along with birdseed spilled beneath feeders.
- A gray, cat-sized animal with a pale face and hairless tail seen at night near decks, sheds or fences.
- Droppings resembling a small dog's, often near den entrances, under porches or along fence lines.
- A persistent musky or foul odor coming from beneath a deck, porch, shed or crawl space.
- Disturbed insulation, bedding material or rustling sounds in crawl spaces, garages or under porches.
Health & Property Risks
Opossums are generally docile and much more likely to hiss, drool or play dead than to attack. Their low body temperature makes rabies uncommon in the species, though any wild mammal can carry it. They can carry fleas, ticks and mites, and their droppings may contain parasites and bacteria. Denning opossums can tear insulation, soil crawl spaces and leave strong odors, and an opossum that dies under a structure creates a serious smell problem. Pets that confront an opossum may be scratched or bitten.