Protect Your Horses from Opossum Threats: Trapping to Prevent EPM and More
Horse owners know that keeping their animals safe involves more than just good training and nutrition – it also means protecting them from hidden environmental dangers. One such danger comes from opossums, an innocuous-looking wild animal that can pose a serious health risk to horses. Chief among these risks is a neurological disease called Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), which opossums help spread. This article explains why trapping opossums is so important for horse farms, including the science behind EPM, other risks opossums bring, and how proactive smart trapping (like with OcuTrap) can safeguard your horses.
Opossums and EPM: A Hidden Danger to Horses
EPM is one of the most prevalent neurological diseases in American horses. It’s caused by Sarcocystis neurona, a parasite that attacks a horse’s central nervous system. Infected horses may suffer from muscle atrophy, incoordination, weakness, and even paralysis. Treatment is often prolonged and expensive, costing over $1,000/month in some cases.
Opossums are the definitive host of this parasite. They shed infectious sporocysts in their feces, which can contaminate hay, feed, or water. If a horse consumes any of it, they can become infected. Studies estimate that 50–90% of horses in opossum-populated areas show exposure to the parasite, although only a small percentage develop clinical symptoms.
Additional Risks Opossums Pose to Horse Facilities
- Feed Contamination: Opossum droppings and urine can contaminate hay and grain, leading to waste and illness. Always discard contaminated feed.
- Disease Spread: Opossums may carry leptospirosis, salmonella, and other zoonotic diseases that can affect horses and people.
- Spooking Horses: A sudden encounter with a nocturnal opossum could spook a horse, leading to injury or panic in stalls or paddocks.
- General Nuisance: They may raid feed rooms or chew through materials in search of food and shelter, causing property damage.
Trapping as a Preventative Measure
Controlling opossum populations around barns is a highly recommended step for reducing EPM risk. Experts agree that excluding wildlife from hay, feed, and water sources is essential. Humane live trapping, followed by relocation (if legal in your area), can prevent opossum-related contamination before it starts.
However, standard cage traps come with their own hassles: they need daily checks and risk catching non-target species like cats or raccoons. That’s where modern smart traps offer a superior solution.
Smart Traps Like OcuTrap: Efficient, Humane, and Remote
- Remote Monitoring: Receive instant alerts and camera images when a trap is triggered—no more daily manual checks.
- Species Identification: Built-in cameras let you verify the captured animal remotely. You can safely release non-target animals.
- Remote Control: Open or close the trap from your smartphone. Useful for managing traps across large properties.
- More Humane: Trapped animals spend less time confined because you’re notified immediately.
- More Efficient: Save time, fuel, and labor while keeping your horses protected 24/7.
OcuTrap combines smart sensors, cellular alerts, and humane capture into one powerful tool. Whether you’re managing a barn, pasture, or equine facility, smart trapping gives you peace of mind and better protection against wildlife-borne threats.
Take Action to Protect Your Horses
Trapping opossums is a critical, science-backed way to prevent EPM and keep your horses healthy. OcuTrap’s smart traps help you do it faster, safer, and more efficiently than traditional methods.
Visit OcuTrap.com to get started with the latest in wildlife control tech. Protect your horses, your feed, and your farm with OcuTrap – the smarter way to trap.