What Can Opossums Eat?
Opossums are opportunistic omnivores, meaning they will eat a wide variety of foods based on what is available in their environment. Their diet is highly adaptable, which is one of the reasons they thrive in both wild and urban settings. Here’s what opossums can eat, organized by type of food:
Animal-Based Foods
Opossums eat a range of animal matter, both live prey and carrion. This includes:
Insects: Beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, and other common insect pests
Ticks: Opossums groom themselves thoroughly and consume large numbers of ticks—up to 5,000 in a season, making them valuable in controlling tick populations
Other Invertebrates: Earthworms, snails, and slugs
Small Vertebrates: Mice, rats, frogs, snakes (including venomous ones, as opossums are resistant to snake venom), lizards, and birds
Bird Eggs: They may raid nests for eggs and young birds
Carrion: Dead animals are a major food source, especially in winter
Pet Food: If accessible, they will eat cat or dog food left outside
Plant-Based Foods
Plant materials make up a significant part of their diet, particularly when animal food is less available.
Fruits: Apples, grapes, bananas, berries (blackberries, blueberries, raspberries), melons, and persimmons
Overripe or Fermenting Fruit: They are also attracted to fruit that has fallen and started to ferment, which can sometimes lead to intoxicated behavior
Vegetables: Corn, tomatoes, peas, carrots, and leafy greens
Grains: Corn, oats, wheat, and other grains found in gardens or trash
Nuts and Seeds: Acorns, peanuts, sunflower seeds
Human-Provided Foods (Intentionally or Unintentionally)
Garbage: Leftovers, discarded meats, and spoiled produce
Compost: Particularly if not properly managed
Birdseed: They will raid feeders or eat spilled seed
Pet Food: As mentioned, they commonly eat dry or wet pet food if it’s accessible
Opossums are omnivorous scavengers that play an important ecological role as both pest controllers and clean-up animals. Their diet is wide-ranging and includes insects, small animals, fruits, vegetables, and carrion. In urban environments, they often eat garbage, pet food, and compost. If you're dealing with opossums on your property, managing attractants such as uncovered trash, pet food, and fallen fruit can help reduce their presence.
What Do Opossums Like To Eat?
If we were to rank food based on preference, opossums are most attracted to:
Insects and grubs
Rotten or sugary fruit
Meat and carrion
Pet food
Eggs and small prey
Garbage and leftovers
Their choices are driven by availability, smell, and nutritional density. Managing and removing these preferred food sources is essential to making your property less attractive to opossums.
Top Food Preferences of Opossums
1. Insects and Invertebrates (High Protein)
Preferred: Beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, cockroaches, earthworms, slugs, and snails.
Why: These offer easily digestible protein and are abundant in most natural environments.
2. Overripe or Fermenting Fruit (High Sugar Content)
Preferred: Bananas, apples, grapes, melons, peaches, persimmons, and especially fermenting fallen fruit.
Why: Opossums are highly attracted to sweet smells and flavors. Fermenting fruit gives off strong odors that draw them in from a distance.
3. Meat and Carrion (Protein + Fat)
Preferred: Dead animals (roadkill), raw or cooked meat scraps, and small vertebrates (mice, birds, frogs).
Why: Their scavenger instincts make them drawn to carrion, which is a nutrient-rich and accessible food source.
4. Cat and Dog Food (Commercial Protein Source)
Preferred: Wet cat food, dry kibble (especially high-protein varieties).
Why: These foods have strong odors and taste appealing to opossums, offering high protein and fat content. This is a major attractant in residential areas.
5. Eggs and Nestlings
Preferred: Bird eggs, especially from ground nests or low shrubbery.
Why: Eggs are calorie-dense and easy to consume.
6. Human Garbage and Food Waste
Preferred: Greasy leftovers (fried foods, meat bones), bread, pasta, and anything sugary or fatty.
Why: In urban areas, opossums commonly raid trash bins for accessible calories.
Behavioral Food Preferences
Opossums often show specific foraging behaviors based on preference:
They forage at night, relying heavily on their sense of smell.
Sweet and strong-smelling foods are consistently more attractive to them.
When given a choice, they will choose meat or fruit over vegetables or grains.
In captivity or controlled environments, wet cat food and bananas are often used as preferred bait for traps or feeding.
Highly Attractive Baits (For Trapping or Observation)
If you're looking to attract opossums—either for pest control, relocation, or wildlife photography—the following baits are especially effective:
Canned cat food (especially fish or chicken varieties)
Overripe bananas or grapes
Peanut butter mixed with oats or fruit
Marshmallows or sweet pastries (used in wildlife traps due to scent appeal)