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Opossum Removal in Columbus

Last reviewed September 8, 2026 against Georgia DNR published rules and federal statute. How we research this site.

Opossums are less destructive than raccoons but they den in the same places, and they are much harder to smell out until the mess is substantial.

Columbus specifically

Opossums take what is already open. In the mill housing that is usually a crawlspace vent or a skirting board panel that came loose years ago, which is why the animal is rarely the whole job.

Opossums in Muscogee County: who does what

Columbus Animal Care and Control sits inside the Special Enforcement Division of the Consolidated Government, and its published remit is the Animal and Fowl Ordinance: rabies vaccination compliance, animal registration, bite quarantines, cruelty investigations and a shelter that takes in roughly 8,400 stray, abandoned and surrendered animals a year. That is a domestic animal workload from end to end. A raccoon in a roof is not in it.

For identifying an animal or damage before anyone is paid to look, the UGA Extension, Muscogee County office (Columbus Consolidated Government) is at 1111 1st Avenue, 1st Floor, Columbus, GA 31901, 706-225-4200 (office page).

What Georgia law says about opossums

Opossums share the raccoon’s rules on private land in Georgia: no closed season and no limit. Unlike raccoons they are not a rabies vector species, and Georgia’s Rabies Control Manual says opossum bites and scratches are generally not considered a rabies risk. A licensed operator may hold one for under 72 hours for release into suitable habitat with the landowner’s permission, never onto state property. All Georgia rules →

Sources: Georgia DNR: 2025-26 season dates; Georgia Rabies Control Manual (2024); Georgia DNR: Nuisance Wildlife Control study material (O.C.G.A. 27 and permit conditions); Columbus Consolidated Government, Animal Care and Control. Checked October 2026.

An opossum at a broken crawlspace access door
Illustrative Opossums use holes something else made.

Signs, and why they matter

  • Shuffling or dragging sounds under a deck, shed or porch at night
  • A strong, musty animal odour near a crawlspace vent
  • Droppings and a matted den area under decking
  • Heavy faecal accumulation in crawlspaces and under decks
  • Fleas, ticks and mites carried into the structure

How removal works

Trapping and removal, then exclusion fencing dug in along the deck or shed skirt so they cannot re-enter: opossums will simply move back in if the gap stays open.

Cut-away of a one-way exclusion door fitted over an entry hole A wall in cross-section with the attic on the left and outside on the right. A hinged flap is fitted over the entry hole on the outer face. An animal pushes the flap open from inside and leaves; the flap falls shut behind it, and a stop below prevents it opening inwards, so the animal cannot get back in. INSIDE: ATTIC OR CRAWLSPACE OUTSIDE WALL STOP: IT ONLY SWINGS OUT HINGED AT THE TOP OUT: ONE WAY AND NEVER BACK IN
A one-way door lets the animal leave and not return, which is why sealing the hole is the last step, not the first.

Opossum questions

How much does opossum removal cost in Columbus?

$250 – $500 typical, depending on access and whether young are present. After a long stay in an attic the cleanup is often the bigger bill (attic restoration).

Is there a wrong time of year to deal with opossums?

Active year-round in the Southeast. Females carry young in a pouch, so removal timing matters less than with attic-denning species.

Request a quote

We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Columbus where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

We are an information and referral service, not a licensed wildlife control operator, and we may be paid for the introduction. You are never charged.

Request a quote from a licensed Georgia operator

Tell us what is in your house. We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Columbus where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

Request a Quote