Opossums: Not the Hero we want, but the Hero we need

[bwframe]

I seen a huge one earlier this year, headed towards my neighbor's house. It was either pregnant or carrying live babies. I gave the neighbor (where my eggs come from,) a heads up.

Ten days later, I heard an odd sound coming from my basement at 2:00 AM. There was a "rat" in the basement, but it wasn't. The baby opossum moved slow and acted messed up. I moved it out to the grass pasture next door.

Upon further inspection, I found five more babies drowned in the sump pit of the basement.

 

[johntheplinker]

Anybody got a possum you want to get rid of, let me know, I'll take them. Had a couple around last year and didn't have much of a tick problem. They either left or died and we've got ticks out the ying-yang this year.

 

[churchmouse]

Anybody got a possum you want to get rid of, let me know, I'll take them. Had a couple around last year and didn't have much of a tick problem. They either left or died and we've got ticks out the ying-yang this year.

I have one in a live trap this morning. Its a young one. I will be letting it go in a few.

 

[ghuns]

We had a few kittens when we first moved to our current house in the country. Fed them outside under the back porch light. Was locking up the house one night and looked out the window to see not a few, but a dozen+ kittens eating out of the bowl. Figured somebody dumped another couple litters off. Walked outside to find we still had just a few kittens, the rest were baby possums. Happily eating away with the kittens. Peeked around the corner of the garage to see their mom just hangin out.

In the 20+ years since, that mom and her babies are the only possums I've had around the house that left alive.

I appreciate what the do. They just need to do it someplace else. I'll handle tick control.

 

[spencer rifle]

From Snopes:
What's False
How much of an impact opossums' eating ticks has on Lyme Disease infection rates is indeterminate.

Not sure about ticks, but I am certain they eat our chickens. Or actually just eat one and kill the rest. Not a fan.

 

[indiucky]

The young ones are cute as a button. They don't age well. Some of them start to resemble country music artists...

Beat me to it......Keith Richards wanted to meet George Jones and George's manager arranged it even though George didn't want to...George and Keith ended up hanging out all day...When Keith left George told his manager..."I like that kid...He's kinda funny looking...Kinda looks like Woody the Woodpecker..." George's manager chuckled and said, "Whatever you say Possum..."

 

[JettaKnight]

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/opossum-vs-possum/

A Way with Words dealt with this recently.
https://www.waywordradio.org/cabin-fever/



TL/DL: The words are interchangeable in the US. Anyone ever say "playing opossum"? I certainly never heard it pronounced that way.

[video=youtube;PLFKmyGhZPM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLFKmyGhZPM[/video]

 

[Expat]

From Snopes:
What's False
How much of an impact opossums' eating ticks has on Lyme Disease infection rates is indeterminate.

Not sure about ticks, but I am certain they eat our chickens. Or actually just eat one and kill the rest. Not a fan.

I have a cousin that quickly pointed out they kill his chickens, when I posted some pro possum propaganda.

 

[SmileDocHill]

We had a pet possum once. The problem was having to have the "death is a part of life" conversation with the kids, about twice a week, for the same pet.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I have a cousin that quickly pointed out they kill his chickens, when I posted some pro possum propaganda.

Posted pro possum propaganda... Say THAT three times fast!

 

[Tyler-The-Piker]

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cIkLKZBEETc[/video]

 

[Leadeye]

Here in tick-a minute land I think they get most of their sustenance from carrion.

 

[Tombs]

I really don't understand how people can hate opossums.

[video=youtube;ZIEU0Q4leEY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIEU0Q4leEY[/video]

 

[KLB]

I don't hate them, but watch your pony have trouble simply standing up because he has parasites in his central nervous system and see how you feel about them. The poor pony seemed to hardly be able to think at all. Thankfully a month of expensive drugs got him back to normal, although he did have a relapse a couple of years later. If an opossum stays away from my barn and pastures, they can eat whatever they want. If I see them in the pastures or my barn, they won't be there for long.

 

[Farmerjon]

I don't hate them, but watch your pony have trouble simply standing up because he has parasites in his central nervous system and see how you feel about them. The poor pony seemed to hardly be able to think at all. Thankfully a month of expensive drugs got him back to normal, although he did have a relapse a couple of years later. If an opossum stays away from my barn and pastures, they can eat whatever they want. If I see them in the pastures or my barn, they won't be there for long.

One of the many reasons I wear a 22 when mowing, have accounted for many groundhogs, possums, skunks, and a couple muskrats while mowing.