By: LaJaunie's Pest Control 
December 18, 2025 
Opossums are a common problem for homeowners in Gonzales and across Ascension Parish. These wild animals move through neighborhoods in search of food, shelter, and water. If they find easy food or a safe hiding spot, they often return repeatedly.
In Gonzales, LA, homeowners often notice signs such as overturned trash cans, crawl space damage, and strong odors. Opossums typically avoid people but can leave droppings, carry fleas, cause animal damage, and attract other nuisance wildlife.
This guide explains why opossums appear in Gonzales, what attracts them, and how pest and wildlife control can help prevent repeat visits. You will also learn when to call licensed exterminators and how LaJaunie’s Pest Control, a local pest control company, provides full-service pest control services in Gonzales, LA, to help keep homes pest-free over the long term.
Key Takeaways
• Opossums infest Gonzales homes due to food access, shelter, and the Louisiana climate conditions.
• Sealing entry points and managing attractants are the most effective prevention steps.
• DIY prevention helps in the short term, but does not stop recurring infestation issues
• Professional wildlife control and exclusion services help prevent future infestations.
Video: 20 Different Types Of Rodents In The World
This video helps explain how nuisance wildlife adapts to residential environments. While opossums are not rodents, many critter species share similar behaviors when seeking food and shelter near homes.
Seeing how wild animals exploit weak areas reinforces why wildlife control focuses on sanitation, exclusion, and habitat changes. Visual examples help Gonzales homeowners understand how minor issues turn into full infestations.
Why Do Opossums Infest Homes in Gonzales, Louisiana?
Opossums move into homes in Gonzales when they can access year-round food, water, and shelter, allowing them to continue their life cycle near residential structures. Warm weather and frequent rain keep wildlife active year-round.
Many homes in Gonzales and near Baton Rouge have crawl spaces, raised foundations, or attached garages. These areas can hide an opossum from bad weather and other animals. If an opossum finds a safe spot, such as a crawl space or garage, it often returns.
Your yard can also pull opossums onto your property. Tall grass, fallen fruit, open trash, and pet food left outside can attract opossums and other wildlife, including raccoons, skunks, armadillos, nutria, and coyotes. If you do not remove attractants and seal entry points, the problem can recur.
What Attracts Opossums to Homes in Gonzales, LA?
Food sources attract opossums first. Open trash cans, bird feeders, pet food, and compost piles give them an easy meal. Even a little food can attract wildlife to your property.
Water sources can bring opossums closer to your home. Poor drainage, leaky outdoor faucets, and low spots can attract bugs and small animals that opossums eat. That makes it more likely that an opossum will stay.
Next, they look for a safe place to hide. Damaged vents, open crawl-space doors, and gaps in the siding can allow them inside. Once inside, opossums can leave droppings, bring fleas, and create health risks.
How Do You Prevent Opossum Infestations in Gonzales, LA?
To prevent opossum infestations in Gonzales, LA, focus on sealing gaps, cleaning up attractants, and keeping up with repairs. If you leave a gap open or keep food outside, wildlife may return.
Seal Entry Points
Check your home for gaps around vents, crawl spaces, roof edges, and utility openings. Opossums can fit through small openings, and some of the same warning signs point to the need for wildlife exclusion in your Louisiana attic. Repair and cover openings to prevent animals from entering.
Reduce Food and Waste Access
Use tight-fitting lids on trash cans and pick up fallen fruit often. Keep pet food indoors and do not leave bowls outside overnight. These steps help keep opossums and other wildlife away from your home.
Control Moisture Around the Home
Fix leaking outdoor faucets, improve drainage, and clean out gutters. A drier yard can deter opossums and reduce the insects and small prey they hunt.
Maintain Landscaping
Trim shrubs away from the house and move woodpiles and clutter away from walls. A clean yard makes your home less tempting to wildlife across Ascension Parish.
Know When Preventive Treatments Help
Deterrents may help when an opossum visits once or twice. If it recurs, you may need wildlife removal and professional exclusion repairs to prevent future infestations.
What DIY Methods Help Prevent Opossums in Gonzales?
DIY steps can help when you first notice wildlife around your home. Motion lights, noise makers, and good fencing can deter occasional visitors.
You can seal small gaps around your home and regularly clean your yard. Look for droppings and tracks so you can act early.
DIY methods usually do not cover locating nests, safe animal trapping, or performing strong repairs that block entry points. If the problem keeps happening, call a pro for opossum removal.
How Does the Gonzales Climate Affect Opossum Prevention?
Louisiana’s weather keeps wildlife active year-round, which is common with winter wildlife in southern Louisiana. Warm winters mean fewer animals die off, so opossums can keep nesting near homes.
Heavy rain can drive opossums to higher ground, such as crawl spaces and garages. Summer heat can prompt them to seek shade and water. Homes in Gonzales and nearby towns face the same weather-driven wildlife problems. That is why prevention matters in every season.
When Should You Call a Professional for Opossum Prevention in Gonzales, LA?
Call a professional if opossums keep coming back after you try DIY steps. Watch for repeat droppings, new damage, and strong smells.
Our wildlife control professional can locate nests, safely trap the animal, handle dead animal removal, and seal entry points. We can also check for related services, including raccoon removal, squirrel removal, bat removal, bird control, snake removal, and rodent control.
We offer a free inspection to identify risks and provide a clear price estimate before work begins.
Making the Right Opossum Prevention Plan for Your Gonzales Home
Preventing opossums helps protect your home, your health, and your property value. Remove food and water sources and seal entry points to lower the risk.
Regular maintenance and professional assistance when needed can help prevent future infestations and support a pest-free home. Local know-how helps when you deal with nuisance wildlife in Ascension Parish.
If you want to prevent opossum infestations that many Gonzales, LA, homeowners face each year, our team at LaJaunie’s Pest Control can help with wildlife control and entry-point sealing.
Contact us today to schedule an inspection and prevent opossums from returning.
FAQs
What’s the most important step in preventing opossums in Gonzales, LA?
The most important step is sealing entry points around your home. Opossums often enter through crawl space doors, damaged vents, or gaps in siding. Blocking these openings and removing food and water sources helps prevent opossums from returning or nesting on your property.
Are DIY pest prevention methods effective in Gonzales, LA?
DIY methods can help with short-term opossum activity in Gonzales, LA. Cleaning up food, using motion lights, and sealing small gaps may discourage brief visits. However, DIY steps rarely address nesting areas or hidden entry points, so recurring problems often require professional wildlife removal and exclusion work.
Does the weather affect how often opossums invade homes in Gonzales, LA?
Yes, weather plays a big role in opossum activity in Gonzales, LA. Warm winters keep wildlife active year-round, while heavy rain can push opossums into crawl spaces and garages. Hot summers also increase their search for shade and water near homes, raising the risk of infestations.
