San Mateo opossums are medium-sized creatures, meaning that they will be able to get into tight spaces that you haven’t even noticed are there. The best way of preventing an opossum from entering your home is to ensure that they are not able to gain entry. However, if you think you might have an opossum in your wall, it may be too late.



Opossums seem to prefer small, confined spaces. This means that other than critters like California squirrels and mice, who end up in your walls by accident, an opossum might enjoy living there. This means that you will have greater difficulty getting them out.

1. What to do first
The most important step is to determine whether it is in fact a San Mateo opossum in your wall. It might be a large rat or even a bird that has gotten stuck in there. Try to find the entry point and look whether you can get visual confirmation. Opossums make a lot of noise, this would be your first indicator as to what you will find inside the wall.

2. Visual confirmation has been made.
As soon as you have confirmed that it is, in fact, a California opossum, you can look at your options. There are a few options, but unfortunately no sure-fire way to remove the pest. Your only option is to see which one works for you.
• Opossums are very motivated by food. As they cannot see well, their sense of smell is very well developed. This means that you could possibly lure them out of their burrow with some fresh fruit. If the fruit does not work, try whatever you have in the fridge, something might be more appealing to him.
• You can use that same sense of smell to make it a very unpleasant place for them to be. By putting mothballs in the wall cavity, you may force them to vacate.
• If you can reach the San Mateo animal, you can remove it by hand. You will have to wear protective gear though, as an opossum that it cornered will fight back.
• Cut out a portion of your drywall. This is not as easy to do if you have brick walls. If you have drywall, you can cut a hole in and fix it after you have removed the opossum.
• If all else fails, phone a professional. There are companies that specialise in removing animals from your home safely.

3. What now?
After you have removed the California critter, close all possible entry points to keep it from happening again.

Visit our San Mateo wildlife control home page to learn more about us.