Opossums are scavengers that love to eat discarded items found in the trash. When they feast, opossums can over trash cans, leaving a mess to be cleaned up in your driveway, yard, or street. Since opossums are food-driven critters, they will continue to return and rummage through your trash until you install barriers to their entry. Here’s how to keep opossums out of your trash.

Make Your Trash Can Impenetrable

To prevent attracting hungry opossums, it’s important to have a trash can with a secure lid. Investing in a metal trash can with a lid that locks in place is ideal, but plastic cans with lids will also get the job done. However, you should note that many wild animals can chew through plastic, making entry into a plastic receptacle possible.

You can also keep possums away from your trash can by securing its lid with clamps or a locking system. To clamp the can, string rope, chains, or bungee cords around the can’s lid and through its handles, fastening them together. For further reinforcement to keep opossums from getting into your trash, you can lock the trash can lid with a combination lock or simply place a large item on top of the can’s lid that is too heavy for the critters to lift.

Keep Possums Away with Strong Scents

Repelling opossums with unappealing smells is another approach that can be taken to keep your garbage undisturbed. The overwhelming scent of ammonia causes animals, including opossums and rodents, to vacate the area. To repel unwanted opossums, spray the interior of your trash can with an ammonia-based solution. Other natural opossum repellents such as hot pepper or cayenne pepper can also be used to effectively keep possums away.

Ultimately, the best and most effective way to keep possums away or prevent them from coming back is to rely on the experts at Critter Control® of Dallas.

Your Dallas Area Opossum Removal Experts

At Critter Control® of Dallas, our licensed team of trained professionals are equipped to quickly and safely remove nuisance opossums and other unwanted wildlife from your Dallas area property. To schedule your inspection and receive a free estimate for our effective opossum removal services, call Critter Control® of Dallas today at 817-222-1101.