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Opossum Removal in Valdosta

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.

Valdosta specifically

Opossums move into what is already open, and after Helene there is more open than usual. Crawlspace vent screens torn by debris, skirting knocked loose, a shed wall that never quite went back together; an opossum will not make any of those, but it will absolutely use them, and it will use whatever a raccoon made too.

Opossums in Lowndes County: who does what

Lowndes County Animal Services lists removal of rabies vector animals from inside the home among the services it provides, and refers broader human-wildlife conflict to UGA Extension. That is a genuinely different answer from most Georgia counties, where the county will not touch wildlife at all. It is worth knowing the limit of it: that covers the bat loose in your bedroom or the raccoon in your kitchen. It does not cover the colony in your roof, and it is not an exclusion; nobody is sealing the hole it came through.

Lowndes County Animal Services’ own FAQ describes opossums and squirrels as unlikely rabies carriers.

For identifying an animal or damage before anyone is paid to look, the UGA Extension, Lowndes County office is at 2102 East Hill Avenue, Valdosta, GA 31601, 229-333-5185 (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: Lowndes County Animal Services, FAQ; 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); Lowndes County Animal Services, Services Provided. 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 Valdosta?

$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.

Who handles opossums in Lowndes County?

Lowndes County Animal Services’ own FAQ describes opossums and squirrels as unlikely rabies carriers.

Request a quote

We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Valdosta 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 Valdosta 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.

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