Problems caused by Possums
As pests go, there is probably none that receives more unfair publicity than the opossum. These creatures certainly meet a couple of the criteria attributed to pests (one being their ability to reproduce rapidly) but as pests go they are much more mild than most. Let’s take a look at some common areas where pests annoy people, and see which ones the possum fits into.
* Creepy. This is another area where the opossum fits the bill for most people. They look like really big rats, and a lot of people find that look unbearable. It’s important to note that possums are not rats, nor in fact rodents at all. Rather, they are marsupials, the only species of the group naturally found outside of Australia. With that said, the long naked tail, pointy face and teeth, and general body shape of the possum does indeed resemble a rat. Possums are actually much more benign creatures, though.
* Vandalism. Possums can be responsible for a degree of vandalism in areas where they are pests. They will tip over garbage cans with their weight as they seek to get in after food (opportunistic eaters, they can make a meal of almost any food a human will). An opossum may also leave garbage strewn about as it hauls tidbits off to eat. However, that is about the extent of the damage that a possum can do. They have soft hands and no thumbs, and do not have very functional brains either. Their biology prevents them from getting into well sealed garbage cans and other places. Moreover, possums cannot dig or burrow; they need to take advantage of the dens built by other creatures.
* Diseases. Possums are one of the least likely North American mammals to carry the rabies virus, something which has been attributed to their low body temperature. In fact possums are very clean animals, although horses who accidentally consume their droppings may contract EPM (this is rare).
* Threats. Possums are the least threatening pest there is aside from mice. When cornered they may bite, as any animal would, but for the most part they prefer to run away from both pets and humans.
* Consumption of fruit. People with fruit trees will find that possums can consume a few pounds of fruit in a night, so this might qualify them as pests to those who like to harvest their own crop in its entirety.
The opossum has been given a reputation that makes it out to be much more of a pest than it actually is. Integrated pest management is particularly important for these creatures, as many time the damage that is attributed to a marauding possum may actually be the work of a different pest, most likely a raccoon; this is particularly true if the damage is occurring night after night.