Opossums Around the Home: Helpful or Harmful?
Mostly helpful passing through, more of a problem once one decides to stay.
The upside
Opossums eat ticks, slugs, snails, and other pests, and are generally non-aggressive, they will hiss and show teeth as a bluff before anything else, and often "play possum" (feign death) when truly threatened.
When it becomes a problem
An opossum denning under a deck, shed, or in a crawl space is a different situation than one passing through the yard at night. Droppings, odor, and the parasites they can carry become a real concern once one has taken up residence close to the home.
The simple rule
Seeing one in the yard at night is normal and not cause for concern. One that has moved in under a structure is worth a call.