Where Do Opossums Sleep During the Day?

If you are wondering where opossums sleep at night, the short answer is that they are not night sleepers at all, they are night hunters. During the day, they hide in quiet, covered spots close to food and water, and that is why you find them under decks, in crawl spaces, in brush piles, or inside sheds. If one has moved onto your property, the real issue is not just where it sleeps, it is how it is getting shelter and whether it can keep using it.

Where Opossums Sleep During the Day

Opossums sleep during the day in dark, protected places that block weather and predators. They rest in hollow logs, abandoned burrows, dense brush, woodpiles, attic voids, crawl spaces, and beneath decks and porches. In neighborhoods, they pick the easiest shelter that sits close to trash, pet food, bird seed, compost, or fallen fruit.

If you spot one at noon, it is not out of place. That is its sleep cycle. The problem starts when the hiding place is inside your structure or under a deck where it can return every day and build a den.

Where Opossums Live During the Day

During daylight, opossums live where they can stay hidden and still move quickly to food after dark. They want tight cover, not open ground. In yards, that means stacked lumber, thick shrubs, overgrown ivy, crawl spaces, outbuildings, and the space under a low deck. In wooded areas, they use hollow trees, rock piles, and old animal burrows.

Why your yard attracts them

Opossums choose shelter near an easy meal. A yard with unsecured trash, outdoor pet bowls, uncovered compost, fallen fruit, or bird feeders creates a steady reason to stay. Once one finds a safe den spot, it will reuse it and may bring young into the same area.

Do Opossums Sleep at Night?

No, opossums are nocturnal. They leave their daytime shelter after dark to forage for food and water, then return before sunrise. So when people ask where do opossums sleep at night, the practical answer is that they are active at night and sleep during the day in concealed shelter.

That nighttime activity matters for homeowners because the sounds you hear after dark, trash raids, pet-food theft, and dug-out garden beds point to an animal that is feeding nearby, not passing through. If you only see the animal at night, its daytime shelter is probably close.

Signs an Opossum Is Using Your Home or Yard

Opossums leave clear evidence. Look for tracks in mud or dust, droppings near decks or fences, disturbed insulation, shredded leaves, and a musky odor near a den opening. Under decks, you may see trails in the soil, flattened nesting material, or a clear entry gap along the edge.

For homes and sheds, listen for light rustling at dawn or just before dusk. That timing matches an opossum moving in and out of its hiding place. If the den is under a deck, the entrance is usually wide enough for an adult to squeeze through, and the ground inside is worn smooth from repeated use.

How to Keep Opossums Out of Homes, Yards, and Under Decks

Exclusion works best when you remove food first, then seal shelter. Start by locking down attractants, then close access points with materials the animal cannot push through. Use galvanized hardware cloth, not flimsy chicken wire, for openings around decks, sheds, and crawl spaces.

1. Remove food sources, including pet bowls, fallen fruit, seed spill, and uncovered trash.
2. Trim shrubs and clear woodpiles so there is no dense daytime cover near the house.
3. Inspect the foundation, deck skirt, and shed base for gaps larger than 3 inches.
4. Cover openings with 1/2-inch galvanized hardware cloth or solid skirting.
5. Fasten the material with exterior screws and washers so it cannot be pulled loose.
6. Leave a one-way exit only if an animal is inside, then seal the opening after it is out.

Under decks, install a barrier that reaches the soil and is buried at least 6 inches. For crawl spaces, close vent and access openings with rigid material, then reinforce edges so the animal cannot widen them.

What Not to Do

Do not trap an opossum in a den and seal it in. If young are present, you can create a dead animal problem inside the structure. Do not use repellents as the main fix, because smell-based products do not stop an animal that still has food and shelter. Do not leave open gaps under a deck and expect the animal to move on.

If the opossum is injured, trapped in a wall, or returning after you block one opening, the den setup is more complicated than a simple yard visitor. At that point, the goal is to identify every access route and clear the attraction that keeps bringing it back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do opossums sleep at night?

They do not sleep at night, they are active at night and forage for food after dark. They sleep during the day in covered dens such as brush piles, hollow logs, crawl spaces, sheds, and under decks.

Where do opossums live during the day?

They live in quiet shelter that offers cover and safety, including hollow trees, abandoned burrows, thick vegetation, and spaces under structures. If your yard has easy food and hiding spots, an opossum can settle close to the house.

Why is an opossum under my deck every day?

Your deck is giving it a dry, protected den with easy access to food nearby. The fix is to remove attractants and close the opening with durable hardware cloth or solid skirting that extends to the ground and is secured tightly.

Can I just wait for it to leave?

If the area stays attractive, it will return. Waiting does not solve access under a deck, in a crawl space, or inside a shed. Exclusion and cleanup are what remove the reason for it to stay.