Tips to Find and Remove a Dead Opossum

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The carcass of any animal is an environmental concern and it is more so for wildlife like the opossum that are susceptible to all kinds of infections. They should in essence, be removed as fast as possible because of the potential dangers involved. Dead opossums for instance, are often precursors to foul odors alongside maggots and many other disease-causing agents.



The Odor
The size of a dead animal and the time lapse since it died are the main determinants of how bad the resulting odor will be. Opossums, being about the same size as cats, are fairly large enough to produce so much foulness as to overtake even a big building.

Locate the Carcass
If you intend to remove a dead opossum, the first step is to locate where the animal is. The odor comes in useful here; follow the smell with your nose to the area where the ooze is strongest. After this, search thoroughly within the identified angle to locate the dead opossum. In cases where the carcass is located inside the walls or attic of a house, you may want to invite your local animal service department or get help from a wildlife practitioner.

Wear thick gloves
It is of utmost importance that you protect yourself by wearing thick gloves while handling the carcass of any animal, or even their fecal and body wastes. Never touch or handle a dead opossum with bare hands as the health risks are real and numerous.

Use a shovel
Even after you have worn your thick gloves, it is still not advisable to carry opossum carcass with your hands. Use a shovel instead to scoop it up as well as any material or waste around it. Subsequent to the operation, remember to disinfect this shovel thoroughly.

Seal it up
Drop your scoop into a strong garbage bag and seal it up tight.

Dumping
Do not dump the bagged opossum in the trash can on your property or any other one around as its stench would continue to pervade the neighborhood. Take the garbage bag to a dumpster or landfill far from your house and dump it there. Or better still, incinerate it.

Disinfect
Very often, maggots and foul smelling body fluids are left at the spot where the dead opossum was removed from. Carefully employ a strong disinfectant or enzymatic cleaners to sanitize this area to prevent spread of diseases.

You may also want to deodorize the area in order to dispel the odor faster.

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