What Does Possum Poop Look Like? Possum Scat Identification
The raccoon family, which includes the possum, is one of the most common groups of invasive pests that could be found in and around human settlements.
Even though this cute and furry animal that resembles a cat might not appear to be a significant threat at first glance, once they have made their home in your home’s attic or basement, they can cause you a lot of trouble.
These hairy creatures are notorious for producing a large number of waste products through their excretion.
Possums can turn your attic or basement into their bathroom in a matter of days if you do nothing to prevent them from doing so.
To make matters even worse, their waste smells terrible, but it also has the potential of carrying a wide variety of pathogens that can cause disease.
Like other invasive species, possums are picky about the territory they choose to raise their young. They may have already done scouting in the surrounding area before settling down in one location, say your attic.
Attics are favored as nesting locations for possums because of the darkness and because they are the safest place for them. Because they are nocturnal animals, they start their invasion at night most of the time.
They will start showing up there more frequently before making your garden, backyard, attic, or basement their nesting ground. This could happen anywhere from the garden to the attic to the basement.
Because possums hibernate during the day, you can’t determine with absolute certainty whether or not they are present on your property.
However, you can rely on other signs to validate your suspicions of a possum invasion. You could, for instance, search for a paw print or listen for scratching sounds coming from the attic, amongst many other things.
But when it comes to possum invasions, the best way to identify them is from their poop because they leave quite a lot of it behind. After all, they are nocturnal animals.
So, what does possum poop look like? The consistency, color, and general appearance of a possum’s waste are comparable to a dog’s.
On the other hand, possums collect their waste in a heap, in contrast to dogs. Their feces are large and cylindrical, and each one measures about three-quarters of an inch in diameter.
We have listed here all the information that can assist you in recognizing the feces left behind by a possum in the subsequent sections of this article.
Which Place Do Possums Poop The Most?
In contrast to other invasive species such as raccoons, possums do not defecate in a single latrine location where they live.
Instead, it has been discovered that they defecate wherever they are.
Possums are notorious for producing a large amount of waste, and as was mentioned earlier, it won’t be hard to track down their droppings because of this trait.
Possums, for example, have been observed defecating in swimming pools, on the grass in the backyard, close to the garbage can, and most frequently in attics and basements.
What Does Possum Poop Look Like? Identification Of Possum Dropping
As mentioned in the prior paragraph, possums are free to move about and defecate wherever they choose while active at night.
The droppings of a possum have a consistency, appearance, and even color and odor not dissimilar to those of a dog. For this reason, it may be very difficult to distinguish the feces of a possum if you also have other animals living in your home.
For this reason, it is recommended to exercise extreme caution whenever you are removing the waste left behind by your pet from your yard. Possum defecation is a strong possibility, given the circumstances.
Poo from possums is typically quite large, measuring about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and has smooth sides.
Because these furry animals are omnivorous and scavengers, it will not be possible to identify the feces based on their color. Poop from possums is typically described as being dark brown to almost black.
Because possums are opportunistic eaters, using a stick to inspect the poop for berries will not be helpful in the same way that using a stick to inspect the poop for other commonly seen pests will be.
The characteristic that sets possum feces apart from other animals is that they are typically arranged in piles that resemble trains.
Aside from these characteristics, the excrement of a possum is not one continuous mass but rather will be broken up in the middle.
In a nutshell, a brown or blackish-colored poop that is often found in piles and has a discontinuous appearance might be that of a possum!
Does Possum Poop Stink?
Possums are notorious for being invasive and for the offensive odor of their waste.
The odor of possum feces is typically described as putrid, not regarding how long it has been there. If feces and urine are combined, the odor of the feces may become even more offensive.
If there is a pungent odor coming from your basement or attic, there is a good chance that you have a possum living in your attic. Possums are notoriously bad smellers.
How Can You Tell Identify Possum’s Poop?
The feces of a possum and those of a dog share several similarities, including a striking resemblance in terms of color.
Because of these factors, recognizing the excrement left behind by a possum is not an easy task, and this is especially true if you keep dogs as pets in your home.
In addition, possums are opportunistic hunters or scavengers when the opportunity presents itself. Because they are omnivores, they will consume anything that they can get their mouths on.
This means that we cannot use a stick to look inside the poop of an animal to determine what species it is based on the food it has eaten, as is done with raccoons.
A putrid odor is one of the earliest telltale indications that a possum has defecated nearby. The majority of the time, possums defecate and urinate simultaneously. Because urine contains ammonia, the feces will become wet and produce an intolerable odor.
Second, the droppings of a possum are typically large and cylindrical in shape, with smooth sides and a color that is either dark brown or almost black.
Most of the time, possum feces are discovered stacked in piles, with the droppings lying on top of one another and mixed with urine.
If you examine a possum’s droppings closely, you will notice that the droppings are not in one continuous line but are instead broken up in the middle. This is a characteristic of possum droppings.
In a nutshell, you need to be watchful for the following three warning signs:
- the odor of decaying matter combined with the odor of ammonia
- A color that is brown or almost black.
- The accumulation of falls that are stacked atop one another
- Large pellets that are shattered in the center
Is Possum Poop Dangerous?
Possum feces indeed pose a significant health risk due to numerous bacteria and viruses known to be the cause of various diseases.
It has been discovered that the feces of possums carry potentially lethal bacteria that can lead to diseases such as salmonella and leptospirosis.
Researchers have determined that direct contact with possum feces is the vector for the transmission of these diseases.
The disease caused by the Buruli bacteria, which is most frequently discovered in possums, is considered the most dangerous of all diseases.
Buruli bacteria are a type of skin-eating bacteria capable of causing ulcers on human skin.
As was mentioned in the previous paragraph, possums are known to defecate in swimming pools and other bodies of water where they find themselves.
If you are living in an area always frequented by possums, it is recommended that you always keep them closed and inspect them regularly to ensure that possum feces do not taint the water inside.
In addition to all of these dangers, the fungi spores in possum poop represent another significant health risk. When inhaled, the spores of this fungal infection can cause severe damage to the lungs and heart, eventually leading to an infection of the blood.
In light of the aforementioned, even though it is necessary to clean the area of any possum droppings, it is of equal significance to do so appropriately while exercising the utmost caution.
Are There Any Diseases That Possums Can Pass On To Humans?
Indeed, humans can catch diseases from possums. If any of these diseases or sicknesses are not treated at the appropriate time, there is a possibility that they could eventually become fatal.
It is essential to remember that these diseases can only be transmitted from possums to humans through direct physical contact. Given that possums are generally passive animals, the likelihood of them attacking humans is low.
This indicates that the only way to come into direct contact with a possum is to either physically touch the feces with an open wound or consume food or water that the feces of a possum have tainted.
One of these types of bacterial infections that can affect humans is leptospirosis, and leptospira bacteria cause it. This bacterium is found in very high concentrations in the feces and the urine of possums.
Humans can contract the zoonotic disease known as leptospirosis if they have an open wound or cut in their skin and come into direct contact with the feces or urine of a possum.
Leptospirosis is a relatively uncommon disease, but if it goes untreated, it can lead to several serious complications, including kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, and respiratory problems.
The Buruli ulcer is yet another serious condition primarily brought on by bacteria found in the feces of possums. The Buruli ulcer is brought on by the bacteria known as Mycobacterium ulcerans, which can be found in high concentrations in the feces of possums.
Buruli ulcer is a disease that can be contracted by coming into direct contact with possum feces, much like leptospirosis.
Mycobacterium ulcerans is a skin-eating bacteria that manifests itself in the form of achy lumps on one’s arms or legs in the beginning stages.
At some point in the future, these bumps will turn into large ulcers. The Buruli ulcer can cause permanent disfigurement if it is not diagnosed and treated in its early stages when it is most treatable.
Possum feces have been linked to the transmission of various diseases. Animals, just like humans, are susceptible to the diseases discussed.
If you are having pets at home, you are responsible for exercising extreme caution whenever you let them outside, especially if you live in an area known to have possum populations.
Is It Possible For Pets To Contract A Disease From A Possum?
Other animals can indeed catch diseases from possums. Animals, rather than people, are at a greater risk of contracting diseases from possums.
Dogs and cats have the highest mortality rates of all domesticated animals. These pets are both very curious and possessive of their space.
Do these pets frequently find themselves engaged in combat with possums? Because of this factor, domesticated animals like cats and dogs are in jeopardy.
If your house is close to where there are a lot of possums, you should talk to your veterinarian about getting your pets vaccinated against the diseases they carry and spread.
How To Remove Possum Poop From Your Yard Or Attic Without Endangering Your Health
It is advised that you clean up any possum feces or the feces of any other invasive pet as soon as possible if you find any of their waste, especially so if there are young ones or other animals in the house.
Now that you have an idea of how hazardous the waste left behind by a possum can be, we will discuss the methods that can be used to remove the waste from your property in a safe manner.
The cleaning method must be adapted according to the location of the droppings and the quantity of droppings present.
Let’s begin by investigating the various methods available for cleaning up the droppings left behind by pests that have made their homes in your home’s attic, basement, or any other area with a significant amount of droppings.
- You will have to put on a pair of disposable gloves, a rubber boot that is covered in a disposable cover, and a surgical mask to protect yourself from inhaling the suspended particles left over from the decomposing feces.
- If the pile of feces has become dry, spraying it with water will help ensure that the dried-up particles do not become airborne or linger in the air after the pile is disturbed.
- Remove the feces from the area securely using a shovel and place them in a bucket. It is not good to dig a hole in the ground and then throw the waste.
The least likely method to result in injury is lighting the poop on fire with gasoline. Setting it ablaze eliminates the risk of contamination of the surrounding land and water.
- Utilizing a mixture of boiling water and a disinfectant spray, thoroughly clean and sanitize the affected region (indoors, in the attic, or in the basement).
- The shovel, the rubber boot, and the glove should all be cleaned and disposed of appropriately.
And if you find possum poop lying around in your garden or backyard, you should put on a mask and gloves, then light it on fire with gasoline.
After the fire has been extinguished, disinfectant should be sprayed. In a similar vein, if the feces are found in your swimming pool, you should empty the pool of all of its water and then clean it with a disinfectant.
How Can I Prevent Possums From My Area?
Because there is an abundance of food near human settlements, invasive pests of all kinds, including possums, are drawn to those areas.
Possums are not only omnivorous animals that will hunt when the opportunity presents itself, but they are also excellent scavengers.
In a nutshell, areas where humans have settled, can provide possums with an excellent food source.
Because of this, if you live in an area frequented by possums, you should take special care to store pet food in an inaccessible location to possums and ensure that garbage cans are always kept securely.
Because possums are nocturnal animals, they prefer the dark, and your attic or basement is the perfect abode for them to build a nest because it provides them with protection from predators.
Spreading fur from cats or dogs in these areas can be an effective method of possum control because the odor of other animals that could potentially harm them deters them.
In addition, you can also try using ammonia, mothballs, or garlic to ward them off. You mustn’t eradicate the possum population using any cruel methods.
In addition to this, you can get in touch with specialized companies that deal with pest control to have the possums humanely removed from your properties.
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