Can I Kill An Opossum Using Poison? (yes, but you shouldn't)

So, you’ve got an opossum causing trouble and tearing things up. You’ve decided to eradicate the animal and you are exploring methods. Surfing the web may convince you that poison is the best way to get the job done. This couldn’t be further from the truth and there are several reasons why.

First, you should know that there are many ways to eradicate opossums without utilizing poison. There are different types of traps for killing or relocating these animals and they are highly effective. You can also implement different methods to discourage their presence on your property and repel them altogether.

The Danger with Poisons

First, there are actually no registered opossum poisons on the market. While some substances may be advertised as such, they are really just glorified rat poison. This just makes them all the more dangerous.

Poisoning an animal is a terrible thing to do. The death is slow and agonizing. It causes dehydration and a host of other symptoms for the animal to suffer through before finally dying. In the end, the animal usually dies from starvation or dehydration instead of the poison itself.

Secondly, poison can end up killing a nontarget animal. It is more likely that a household pet will ingest the poison before an opossum will. Even if you don’t have a pet, think of your neighbors because they might.

Last, using poison means you don’t know where the animal may die. It will take time to be effective giving the animal ample opportunity to crawl into any tiny space. It could end up in your attic or anywhere else in your yard. The animal’s rotting carcass will emit a terrible stench that will linger and could cause other problems.

Don’t Use Antifreeze

Many sites on the internet may suggest the use of antifreeze to effectively poison nuisance wildlife. This is a really bad idea for all the reasons listed above and then some.

Ethylene glycol is the active ingredient in antifreeze. It emits a sweet smell that tastes pleasant. However, it is also very attractive to children, household pets and other wildlife. You could end up killing many different animals with antifreeze.

It only takes a tablespoon of antifreeze to kill a cat and not much more for a dog. Just one more thing to consider. Out of 3,500 antifreeze poisonings in a four-year period, nearly 700 of them involved children. Just don’t use antifreeze to poison anything.

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