Will Opossum bother squirrels?

[Barby]

Squirrelie - my little girl - lives in a tree (with a nesting box) in my side yard. I also have rabbit hutches/yards there, which attracts a local opossum. I don't have a problem with him (her?) and always leave a little something for him. If I happen to go out at night when he's there, he wanders away. Tonight when I went to put my bunnies away, there he was but instead of sliding down behind a bunny hutch, he went straight up the tree that Squirrelie lives in. He paid no mind to the nesting box but could he one day?

[Mel1959]

I don’t think opossums bother squirrels, but I really don’t know for sure. I’ve had them occasionally in my yard and I have noticed anything unusual. Raccoons for sure will kill squirrels. And rats don’t seem to like opossums.....for what it’s worth.

I hope someone that knows for sure will post about opossums and squirrels.

[Barby]

Thanks. Opossums are pretty shy creatures. My concern is in the spring, if one would bother (i.e. eat) babies but I know though they are omnivores, they are more opportunists than straight up predators. On the other hand, I'm sorry but racoons are full blown jerks! :( It pains me to say that ;) but I learned this from a friend who has chickens. A fox will steal/kill/eat a chicken. Racoons - as happened to my friend - will go in and just kill and behead all the chickens it can and then leave their poor little bodies (and your broken heart) lying on the ground. I haven't seen any rats - though that doesn't say anything I know - but I have three dogs and lots of cats so I think that may help keep them at bay.

[Charley Chuckles]

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?37122-Are-Possums-dangerous-to-squirrels

Here is an old link I found.

[Mel1959]

Great info. I learned something new. :grin3

[MyBushyTail]

I am not sure if opossums would kill squirrels but I do know that raccoons will kill squirrels of all ages. I have had raccoons kill many, many squirrels of all ages - babies, juveniles and adults. The raccoons would kill the squirrels overnight while they were sleeping by either taking them out of their leaf nests and nest boxes or jumping on top of their nest boxes startling the squirrels who would then exit the nest boxes in the pitch dark and the raccoons would grab and kill them. It is terrible, the screams from the squirrels and the left over bloody body parts that the raccoons would leave behind. I personally wouldn't leave food out for the night time animals, but that is mostly because here it attracted the raccoons to my yard which then lead them to the squirrels nest and nest boxes killing them.

[Barby]

Racoons are such jerks!! I'm sure there are racoons around but I have never seen one in my yard. I don't know if it's because I have three dogs and the scent keeps them away. The opossum started coming around because I have a "stray" cat that lives on our front porch and he liked the cat food. I will have to "re-confine" him to the cat food and front porch.