We often associate backyard wildlife as potential carriers of leptospirosis, fleas and ticks. This article describes a role opossums play in tick reduction. “I had no suspicion they’d be such efficient tick-killing animals,” said Richard Ostfeld, of the Cary Institute for Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, New York.
Source: Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies.
Several years ago, scientists decided to learn about the part different mammals play in the spread of the ticks and the disease. They tested six species – white-footed mice, chipmunks, squirrels, opossums and veerys and catbirds – by capturing and caging them, and then exposing each test subject to 100 ticks. What they found, is that of the six, the opossums were remarkably good at getting rid of the ticks – much more so that any of the others.