Rochester, New York
We protect your home and business from pests
Removal from decks, garages, and crawlspaces, with exclusion so opportunistic denning stops.
Opossum Removal In Rochester usually starts with figuring out how the animal got in, since opossums rarely create their own opening and instead move into damage another animal already made. BUGMAN removes the opossum humanely, then traces and closes the original entry point, whether that's a torn soffit, an open crawlspace vent, or a garage door left up overnight. Because opossums are nomadic and non-aggressive despite their dramatic defensive display, the process is usually straightforward once the animal is located.
Opossums are opportunists rather than engineers. They rarely create their own entry point; they move into an opening something else already made, which in Rochester usually means a raccoon-torn soffit, a skunk's dig under a deck, an open crawlspace vent, or a garage door left up overnight. They are nomadic by nature and often use a den for a short stretch before moving on.
That said, an opossum under a deck or in a garage leaves droppings, brings fleas and ticks, and can be alarming to encounter face to face at midnight. When threatened they hiss and show a full set of teeth, which looks far more dangerous than it is; they are non-aggressive and, being unusually resistant to rabies, present a low disease risk. Our opossum removal service in Rochester handles the animal and then closes the opening for good.
Behavior
Unlike raccoons or squirrels, opossums don't tend to establish a permanent den in one location. They move frequently, often using a space for a few nights to a few weeks before relocating, which means an opossum problem can sometimes resolve on its own if the entry point closes behind it.
That mobility also means an opossum found under a deck today may not be the same one seen there last month, particularly in yards where the underlying access point, like a gap in the deck skirting, has never actually been repaired.
Misconceptions
An opossum that hisses and bares its full set of teeth looks alarming, but this is almost entirely bluff behavior from an animal that would rather flee than fight. They're also unusually resistant to rabies compared to other mammals, which makes them a lower disease-transmission concern than their reputation suggests.
The bigger practical concerns are fleas and ticks hitching a ride into a garage or crawlspace, and droppings accumulating in an enclosed space. Both are manageable once the animal is removed and the space is cleaned.
Don't Let Them Take Over
Rochester's toughest pest and wildlife work is one call away. No forms, no waiting — just a local crew that shows up.
What you get
The animal is the easy part. The lasting fix is the opening it walked through:
Removal handled without harm to the animal, under New York wildlife regulations.
Opossums move into damage another animal made. We find and report that root cause instead of just the tenant.
Crawlspace vents, deck skirting, garage gaps, and shed openings are closed so the next opportunist has nowhere to go.
Females carry and den with joeys. We check before sealing so nothing is left behind in the space.
Droppings and nesting debris are removed, and the fleas and ticks they leave behind are treated.
Warning signs
Opossums are nocturnal and quiet, so evidence usually comes before a sighting. Call when you notice:
An opossum playing dead is an involuntary stress response that can last for hours. Do not assume the animal is deceased or safe to move by hand.
Don't Let Them Take Over
Rochester's toughest pest and wildlife work is one call away. No forms, no waiting — just a local crew that shows up.
BUGMAN in Rochester
Because opossums typically inherit somebody else's hole, we spend the inspection working out who made it. If a raccoon tore that soffit or a skunk dug that gap, you need to know, and you need that fixed, or you will be calling about a different animal in six weeks.
Opossum removal is included in our animal control service in Rochester, and the flea treatment that usually follows is handled by the same company. Call (585) 334-3880 for a free quote.
FAQ
Not necessarily. Playing dead is an involuntary stress response that can last for several hours, so an opossum that appears lifeless may simply be immobilized by fear rather than deceased. It's best not to move or handle it by hand.
Almost always through an existing gap rather than one it created itself, such as a garage door left open overnight, a torn crawlspace vent, or damage from a previous animal like a raccoon or skunk. We identify that original opening so it can be sealed, not just the opossum removed.
Opossums are non-aggressive and generally avoid confrontation with pets when possible. The bigger concern is usually fleas or ticks they carry into an enclosed space, which is why we include flea treatment as part of the cleanup when needed.
Possibly. Female opossums carry joeys in a pouch and later on their back, so we check for young before sealing any opening to avoid separating a mother from her litter inside your property.
Don't Let Them Take Over
Rochester's toughest pest and wildlife work is one call away. No forms, no waiting — just a local crew that shows up.
Keep exploring
For more context on opossum removal, start with BUGMAN Pest Control and Wildlife or review the full Animal Control Service In Rochester category.
No obligation
Dealing with this in Rochester? We can be out this week.
147 Clay Road, Rochester, NY, 14623 · (585) 334-3880
