Opossums in Staten Island
Staten Island has the highest concentration of opossum calls in the city. Detached homes, wooded lots, the Greenbelt and South Shore wetlands give opossums ideal habitat. Crawl spaces, decks, sheds and garages are common den sites, and garbage and pet food left outdoors are the biggest attractants.
Every building in Staten Island is different, which is why professional opossum removal starts with a careful inspection. A licensed pro identifies the species, locates entry points and harborage, and builds a plan that fits your home, apartment or business.
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 Staten Island 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 Staten Island
- 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 Staten Island
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.
Staten Island has a distinctly suburban pest calendar. Spring brings termite swarms, carpenter ants, and wildlife raising young in attics and under decks. Summer increases ant, cricket, earwig, and outdoor pest activity, along with moles tunneling in lawns. Fall is the busiest time for mice, squirrels, and raccoons trying to get indoors before winter, and millipedes often wander into basements after rain. Winter pushes rodents deeper into walls, attics, and crawl spaces.
Want the full guide? Read our citywide page on opossum removal in NYC for species identification, health risks and detailed prevention tips.