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Hearing thumping in the attic at night, or finding one curled up under the porch playing dead? That’s almost always an opossum, and once one has decided your property is a good place to den, it usually doesn’t leave on its own. Action Services has been handling wildlife calls across Waco and McLennan County since 1994, and opossums are one of the most common animals we’re called out for, especially in older neighborhoods with crawl spaces, sheds, and homes backing up to creeks or wooded lots.
Opossums aren’t usually aggressive, but they’re not harmless either. They’ll tear into insulation to build a nest, leave droppings in attics and crawl spaces, and raid trash cans and pet food left outside. A female opossum can also be denning with a litter of young, which means what looks like a one-animal problem is often several. We remove them humanely, confirm the property is clear, and seal up the spot they got in through so you’re not dealing with the same problem again in a month.
Opossums are nocturnal and tend to stay hidden during the day, so most Waco homeowners notice the aftermath before they ever see the animal itself.
Scratching, shuffling, or thumping sounds coming from the attic, crawl space, or under a deck between dusk and early morning is a strong sign of opossum activity. Unlike squirrels, which are active during the day, opossum noise almost always happens at night.
Opossums are opportunistic feeders. If your trash cans are getting knocked over repeatedly, or the outdoor pet food bowl keeps turning up empty overnight, an opossum is a common culprit, especially in neighborhoods near Cameron Park, the Bosque River, or other wooded areas around Waco.
Opossums will den in insulation and leave droppings behind, which creates both a smell and a sanitation issue over time. If you're catching an odor coming from the attic or a vent, it's worth having it checked before the damage spreads.
If you've actually spotted one curled up, motionless, and appearing sick or lethargic in your yard, it's likely doing exactly what opossums are known for. It's not actually sick, it's a defense reflex, and it means the animal has already decided your property is safe enough to stick around.
Opossums don’t respond well to repellents or noise deterrents, and DIY box traps baited incorrectly often just relocate the problem to a different corner of the same yard. We use a process built around actually getting the animal out and keeping it out.
We check the attic, crawl space, shed, deck, and yard perimeter to find where the opossum is denning and how it's getting in and out. This also tells us whether we're dealing with one animal or a mother with young.
We set live cage traps in the locations where activity is confirmed, using the right bait and placement for opossums specifically. Traps are checked regularly so animals aren't left waiting once caught.
Once trapped, the opossum is removed from your property and relocated in accordance with Texas wildlife regulations. If there's a litter involved, we make sure the whole family is accounted for before calling the job done.
An opossum that got into your attic or crawl space used a specific gap, vent, or broken foundation vent to do it. We identify and seal those entry points so a raccoon, squirrel, or another opossum doesn't move into the exact same spot next.
Why Waco Homeowners Call Action Services for Opossum Removal
We’ve been doing wildlife and pest work in Waco since 1994, and we’re licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s Structural Pest Control Service. We’re locally owned, not a national chain, and we’re available 24 hours a day if an opossum situation turns urgent, like one getting into a living space or denning somewhere close to small children or pets. Every job starts with an honest inspection, and we’ll tell you plainly what we find, no upselling, no pressure.
Areas We Serve Ants Control
If you are in McLennan County or a nearby county, call us to confirm service availability at your address.
Opossum Removal FAQs
A: They’re generally not aggressive toward people, but they can carry parasites and occasionally diseases, and they’ll cause real damage to insulation and attic spaces if allowed to den there. They’re also a magnet for pet conflicts if a dog corners one at night.
A: Texas has specific regulations around trapping and relocating wildlife, and getting it wrong can mean the animal is released somewhere it can’t survive, or simply comes right back. We handle removal within the proper legal guidelines so you don’t have to sort that out yourself.
A: Sealing the entry point the opossum used is a major part of it, but we also check the rest of the property for other vulnerable spots, since opossums (and other wildlife) will typically find the next weak point if only one gap is closed.
A: We’re available 24/7 and can often get to urgent wildlife calls same-day. Call or text 254-717-6077 and we’ll give you a realistic window based on the day’s schedule.
A: If you’re hearing activity in more than one location, or a female was denning, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with a litter rather than a single animal. Our inspection is built to catch that before we call the job finished.