Whenever people say they don’t like opossums or they want to get rid of them, what they’re unknowingly saying is that they’d rather have more ticks around.
An opossum’s abundant consumption of ticks is a well-documented, but seldom-mentioned benefit this unique mammal provides to humans. It’s one of several characteristics of an animal that is more interesting than many humans realize.
Of all the feelings opossums evoke in humans, fascination usually isn’t one of them. Most people find an opossum’s sneering facial expression disgusting, its lumbering gait clumsy and its overall appearance repulsive. However, the next time you want to hate on a ’possum, remember the number 5,000.