Opossum Removal in South Jersey
Humane Opossum Control That Keeps Them From Coming Back
An opossum that finds a dry, quiet spot under your deck, shed, or crawl space rarely moves on by itself, and the odor and droppings build up fast. UFO Nuisance Wildlife Control handles humane opossum removal in South Jersey, from wooded Burlington County lots on the edge of the Pine Barrens to raised shore homes in Ocean County. We confirm the species, ease the animal out with a one-way door, then seal the entry with buried wire mesh so the next opossum can’t claim the same space.
Signs an Opossum May Be Living Around Your Home
Opossums are quiet and nocturnal, so most homeowners find the evidence long before they see the animal. Watch for:
- Trash cans tipped over or pet food bowls emptied overnight
- A musky, sour odor near a deck, porch, or crawl space vent
- Droppings along the foundation, fence line, or inside a shed
- Shuffling or scratching under the floor after dark
- A gap under a shed or AC pad with packed-down soil and gray hair caught on the edges
- Torn vapor barrier or insulation pulled loose in the crawl space
- Tracks with five spread toes and a thumb-like hind toe, easy to spot in sandy soil
One opossum crossing the yard isn’t a problem. The same signs showing up in the same spot night after night usually mean it’s denning there. In newer neighborhoods around Cherry Hill and Voorhees, the first clue is often an opossum walking out of a garage left open overnight.
Why Opossums Settle Around South Jersey Properties
Opossums wander and rarely keep one den for long. That changes in fall, when cooler nights push them to find a spot that stays warm through winter, and a crawl space or deck against a heated home is hard to beat. A property that also offers easy food and a safe place to raise young can hold one for months.
Accessible Food and Water Sources
Opossums eat almost anything: fallen fruit, pet food, compost, birdseed, grubs, and garbage. Late summer is a big draw in farm country, where backyard fruit trees and orchards around Mullica Hill drop more than anyone picks up. Bird baths, ponds, and pet water bowls left outside cover the rest of what they need.
Shelter Beneath Decks, Sheds, and Crawl Spaces
Opossums rarely dig. They borrow burrows that foxes and groundhogs carve into the sandy soil around Medford and other Pine Barrens towns, or squeeze through gaps that already exist. Along the bays, homes raised on pilings in Beach Haven West and Mystic Island have lattice-covered undersides that stay dry and out of the wind, one of the most common dens we find at the shore.
Protected Areas for Mothers and Young
Breeding runs from late winter into summer, and a female can raise two litters a year. Her young spend about two months in the pouch, then ride on her back until they forage alone. She needs a fully enclosed spot for that stretch: under a porch, inside a garage, or behind mobile home skirting. One opossum in March can mean eight by June.
Problems Opossums Can Create Around Your Property
Opossums aren’t aggressive, but a denning one leaves a mess that grows the longer it stays.
- Odor and waste concentrated under living space, where it seeps up through floors and vents
- Crawl space damage, including shredded insulation, torn vapor barrier, and loose ductwork wrap
- Fleas and mites that move onto pets using the same yard
- Contaminated soil and droppings in gardens and play areas
- Raided coops, a common call from properties with chickens in Gloucester and Salem counties
- Risk to horses, since opossum droppings can carry the parasite behind equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM), a real concern on horse farms in Burlington and Monmouth counties
- Lingering death odor when an opossum dies under a deck or inside a wall
Opossums also climb well. One that gets into a garage can reach the space above it, and at that point the job calls for attic cleanup and sanitation on top of removal.
Our Humane Opossum Removal Process Explained
Every job follows the same four steps, and we walk you through each one before any work starts.
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Property Inspection and Species Confirmation
The free inspection covers the perimeter, crawl space, and anything under the deck or shed. Tracks, hair, and the shape of the entry confirm it's an opossum, since a den that calls for skunk removal, or a roofline gap that points to raccoon removal, needs a different exclusion. We also check for a mother with young first.
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Humane Removal Planning
A one-way door at the den lets the opossum leave on its nightly forage without getting back in. With several openings, we use a live trap instead, and a mother is always removed together with her young. Most opossums are out within a few nights, and release follows New Jersey's relocation policy.
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Entry Point Sealing and Ground-Level Exclusion
Next, heavy-gauge welded wire goes around decks, sheds, and porches in an L-shaped footer buried below grade, set deeper in sandy inland soil. On raised homes from the Ocean County bay towns to Ocean City, we use galvanized materials built for salt air and reinforce the lattice along the pilings.
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Cleanup, Repairs, and Prevention
We remove droppings, soiled insulation, and any dead animal, then sanitize and deodorize the space. Torn vapor barrier and broken vent covers are fixed through our wildlife damage repair service by the same crew. You'll also get a short list of what attracted the opossum, so you can keep the next one away.
Which Factors Affect the Cost of Opossum Removal?
Every quote is based on what we find during the inspection. The main factors are:
- Where the den is. Under an open deck is simpler than inside a sealed crawl space or above a garage.
- How many animals. A mother with young takes more time than a single adult.
- Exclusion footage. Each foot of buried mesh adds cost, and homes on pilings have long perimeters to cover.
- Construction type. Older homes with low crawl spaces, common in towns like Haddonfield, take more labor to access and seal.
- Cleanup and repairs. Insulation replacement and sanitation are priced by the area affected.
We offer discounts for seniors and military members. If the opossum caused damage, homeowners insurance may cover part of the work, and we can help you through the claim.
Why Choose UFO for Opossum Removal in South Jersey?
Owners Jesse Miller and Joshua Chambers built UFO on two backgrounds: home repair, and hands-on animal work that includes volunteering at local wildlife sanctuaries. That mix shapes every opossum job. We’re careful with the animal and thorough with the house.
- Removal and repair from one crew. UFO is a licensed New Jersey home improvement contractor (NJ HIC 13VH11098000), so sealing and carpentry don’t get handed off to a second company.
- Three local bases. Offices in Southampton Township, Mount Laurel, and Toms River keep crews close to Burlington, Camden, and Ocean County properties.
- Orphaned young go to a refuge. Any wildlife we can’t keep with its mother goes to Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in Medford, an organization UFO supports.
- No-kill methods that follow state rules. One-way doors and live traps, with release handled under New Jersey’s relocation policy.
- Proven by neighbors. More than 200 five-star Google reviews and a Trustindex Top Rated Service badge for 2026.
Before You Close a Burrow: Common Groundhog Questions
Shouldn't I Keep an Opossum Around to Control Ticks?
Opossums do eat some ticks, but the popular claim that each one eats thousands a week hasn’t held up in later research. One passing through a wooded South Jersey yard is harmless. One denning under your home brings odor, waste, and fleas that outweigh any tick benefit.
Does Seeing an Opossum During the Day Mean It Has Rabies?
Usually not. Opossums rarely carry rabies, and New Jersey’s main rabies concerns center on raccoons, skunks, foxes, groundhogs, and bats. Daytime activity often means a nursing mother or a food shortage in late winter. If one is circling, stumbling, or unable to move, keep pets away and call us.
Can I Remove or Relocate an Opossum Myself?
New Jersey lets property owners control opossums causing damage, but only by lawful methods. State relocation policy limits how far a nuisance animal can be moved, so driving it to a park or the Pine Barrens isn’t allowed. DIY traps also catch skunks and neighborhood cats more often than people expect.
Will Mothballs or Ammonia Drive an Opossum Out?
Not for long. Mothballs, ammonia rags, bright lights, and radios may push an opossum out for a night or two, but it comes back because the shelter hasn’t changed. Mothballs used outdoors also go against their label and can sicken pets. Closing the opening is the only lasting fix.
Can Opossums Be Dangerous to Dogs or Cats?
They rarely start a fight. A cornered opossum hisses, shows its teeth, or plays dead, and most bites happen when a dog won’t back off. If you know one is denning nearby, keep dogs leashed after dark and bring pet food inside so there’s no reason for a standoff.
Don't Let Opossums Make Your Property Their Home
Every night an opossum spends under your deck adds to the odor and the cleanup. Wait until spring and that single animal can become a den full of young. If one is already inside your garage or living space, tell us when you call and we’ll get there as soon as we can.
Call (609) 480-3121 and we’ll show you exactly where it’s getting in and how we’ll close it for good.
Opossum Removal Service Areas Across South Jersey
Cape May County, NJ
Bucks County, PA
If you are located nearby, contact us to confirm availability in your area.