Opossums in the Bronx
The Bronx supports healthy opossum populations around Pelham Bay Park, Van Cortlandt Park, the New York Botanical Garden and Bronx River corridor. Homeowners in Riverdale, Throgs Neck, Country Club and Pelham Bay commonly find opossums under decks and sheds or raiding trash and outdoor pet food.
The fastest results come from pairing targeted treatment with exclusion and sanitation fixes. A Bronx exterminator will explain what’s attracting opossums, what they’ll treat, and what you can do between visits.
The Virginia opossum is North America's only marsupial, and it has quietly become a regular resident of New York City's backyards. Opossums are shy, nocturnal scavengers that rarely cause trouble, but they will move into crawl spaces, under decks and porches, inside sheds and garages, and occasionally into basements. Once settled, they raid garbage and pet food, leave droppings and odors, and sometimes raise a litter of young under your home. They are generally not aggressive, yet few homeowners want a wild animal living under the kitchen floor or beside the back door.
Signs of Opossums in Your Bronx Home
- Overturned garbage cans, torn trash bags or scattered compost in the morning after nighttime foraging.
- Pet food bowls left outside emptied overnight, sometimes along with birdseed spilled beneath feeders.
- A gray, cat-sized animal with a pale face and hairless tail seen at night near decks, sheds or fences.
- Droppings resembling a small dog's, often near den entrances, under porches or along fence lines.
- A persistent musky or foul odor coming from beneath a deck, porch, shed or crawl space.
How Opossum Removal Works in the Bronx
- 1
Inspection
A licensed wildlife professional confirms the animal is an opossum, locates the den and all openings under decks, porches, sheds or foundations, and checks for signs of young before any removal work begins.
- 2
Humane Removal or Exclusion
Depending on the situation, the operator may use a one-way door to let the opossum leave on its own or use live traps where appropriate. All handling and release follow New York State wildlife regulations.
- 3
Den Sealing
Once the animal is gone, entry points are closed with durable materials such as hardware cloth and buried L-shaped mesh footers, which prevent opossums and other animals from moving back in.
- 4
Sanitation
Droppings, nesting material and contaminated insulation are removed where needed, and the area may be sanitized and deodorized to reduce odors, parasites and the scent trails that attract other wildlife.
- 5
Prevention Plan
The provider recommends changes to garbage storage, pet feeding, compost and landscaping that reduce food sources, and schedules a follow-up if needed to confirm the exclusion is holding. These steps discourage other wildlife as well.
Seasonal Activity in the Bronx
Opossums are active year round in NYC, though they slow down during the coldest winter stretches. Breeding begins in late winter, and young are carried in the pouch and then on the mother's back through spring and summer. Calls often increase from March through September as females seek den sites and juveniles disperse to find territories.
Bronx pest activity shifts noticeably through the year. Spring brings more rat activity in parks and yards, ant invasions, and termite swarms in wood-frame homes. Summer heat increases cockroach sightings in apartment buildings and waterbugs in basements. In fall, mice and wildlife such as raccoons and squirrels look for shelter indoors. Winter keeps rodents and roaches active in heated buildings, where steam heat and radiator gaps give them comfortable harborage.
Want the full guide? Read our citywide page on opossum removal in NYC for species identification, health risks and detailed prevention tips.