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Quick answer
Opossum removal in Columbia typically costs $250–$600: humane trapping plus sealing the crawl-space or deck gap the animal used. Opossums are North America's only marsupial, mostly harmless to people — but under a house they foul insulation, damage ductwork, and leave droppings and fleas. The fix that lasts is removal plus exclusion: a trapped opossum with the gap left open is a vacancy sign for the next one.
Price ranges compiled from national cost data and published local pricing, September 2026. Final pricing follows an on-site inspection — most Columbia companies inspect free.
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Opossums are everywhere in the Midlands — river corridors, wooded lots, and any neighborhood with outdoor pet food or unsecured trash. They're slow, non-aggressive, and famous for playing dead; their famous hiss-and-drool display is bluff from an animal with no real defense. They're also genuinely useful in the yard: opossums eat ticks, snails, and fallen fruit, and they're highly resistant to rabies (their low body temperature makes infection rare).
The problem is location, not temperament. An opossum that dens under your deck, in your crawl space, or in an attic compacts and soils insulation, tears ductwork for bedding, and leaves large droppings and a musky odor. In Columbia's humid climate, that contamination under the house turns into a smell that migrates up into the living space. Opossums also bring fleas, which move to pets.
The standard job is straightforward: confirm the animal and its entry points, set humane live traps at the travel routes, remove the opossum (checking in spring and summer for pouch young or juveniles that travel on the mother's back), then seal the gap — hardware cloth trenched into the soil around decks and sheds, screened crawl-space vents, repaired foundation openings. Cleanup of droppings and soiled insulation under the house is quoted when the contamination warrants it.
One honest note: because opossums are transient — a single opossum often moves dens every few days on its own — a good company will tell you when the animal has already left and you only need the exclusion work. That conversation is a sign you're dealing with an honest operator.
Trapping and removal typically runs $250–$600; exclusion work around a deck or crawl space adds $200–$800 depending on linear feet, and under-house cleanup is priced by scope. See Columbia wildlife removal costs for the full table and the companies page for operators listing opossum work.
Rarely. Opossums are non-aggressive and their defensive display is bluff; bites happen almost only when the animal is cornered and handled. They are notably resistant to rabies. The real issues are the mess under the house, fleas, and occasional confrontations with outdoor cats.
Nothing — that's the point of the behavior. Leave it alone and it will "wake up" and waddle off within minutes to a few hours, usually after dark. Keep pets inside until it leaves.
Often, yes — opossums rotate dens. But "often" isn't "always," nursing females stay put for weeks, and the contamination accumulates while you wait. The reliable sequence is removal (or confirmed departure) plus sealing the entry.
Exclusion plus attractants: hardware cloth trenched around decks and sheds, screened crawl-space vents, pet food indoors at night, secured trash, and fallen fruit picked up. Without sealing, removal is temporary by definition.
$250–$600 for trapping and removal, plus exclusion ($200–$800 typical) if the deck or crawl-space gap needs sealing. Inspections are often free.
Noises in the attic, droppings, a snake you'd rather not identify — describe it on one call and hear the next step from a local specialist.
