It's no secret...I hate possums. I'm sorry...but those creepy little critters freak me out. They just look like God didn't finish baking them before he pulled them out of the oven and forced them on us.

It all started the night I was walking my girlfriend home back in 1986. It was dark. Like can't see 5 feet in front of you dark...and we were walking by a graveyard. Suddenly, a street light buzzed to life, and we spotted a possum less than 10 yards away. We obviously frightened him as much as he did us.  We screamed...ok, I screamed. He hissed like a demon possessed...I screamed again, and we took off running. The possum did what possums do when scared...fell over and pretended to be dead. Well from that exact moment, the possum and I have been mortal enemies.

However, here's the thing...I may be willing to call a truce with the freaky little marsupials this summer. I don't know if you know this or not...but New Hampshire is under siege by ticks. The CDC says the entire nation is under attack and we're ill prepared to handle the situation. Well possums LOVE to eat ticks like I love to eat cake from Harvey's Bakery.

Wide Open Spaces, and lots of other experts, say a possum can eat virtually every tick in your yard!

I'm not going to lie to you...the possum still scares the $%#@ outta me. Why do they have to hiss at me? Have you seen those razor sharp teeth? I guess they're all the better to eat those blood-sucking ticks with...but still!

In reality you can't adopt a possum. It's illegal to keep them without a wildlife rehabilitation permit. They're wild animals, and they don't do well in captivity. But if you see one in your backyard don't run it off...5,000 ticks a summer is a lot.  Just don't invite me over to your house to see him.

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