Possum habitat has been declining for decades because of farming-related deforestation and suburban development that is ongoing. Being an adaptive species, possums have learned to dwell in the cracks and rooftops that have taken the place of the trees that originally served as their habitats.
Possums are everywhere, including in the busiest cities in Australia. Ringtail or brushtail possums spend a significant amount of their life above ground, many of them in residential gardens. They are the most adaptive and versatile of all our marsupials. At night, they venture out in search of food, traversing treetops, rooftops, fences, and powerlines to avoid cars and evade potential dog attacks.
Possums generally stay away from us and don’t hurt us, but if they eat the fruit and flowers from our gardens or, in the case of the Brushtail Possum, climb into our homes’ attics, they can become a nuisance. If you suspect a possum may be living on your roof, try this method for getting it out.
Since possums are nocturnal animals, they become active when most people are trying to sleep, which worries many locals. Possums can be rather noisy, fighting, shrieking, and running along the roof, as anyone who has ever had one live above their ceiling can attest. In addition, they can leave behind brown stains from gland secretions and the repulsive smell of urine, which they use to mark their territory. The staff at Duravex Roofing Group can assist you with possum removal and relocation if you live in Sydney, the wider Sydney region, or regional parts of NSW. For those of you who live in other areas, however, here are some ideas to keep the troublesome critters at bay.
What steps can I take to get a possum off my roof?
Possums with brushtails prefer to reside in roof cavities. Since these possums are territorial, getting rid of one won’t make the problem go away because additional possums would quickly take over the vacant region. A possum that has been moved won’t make it in a new environment. As a result, you must relocate them close by and away from your roof, ideally in a tree in your garden. Possum relocation and possum homicide are prohibited.
DIY – Possum Removal Techniques :
Use these steps to get rid of the possum on your own.
- First, use flour to cover the manhole and check the footprints to be sure it’s a possum and not a rat or mouse. Possums are cat sized.
- After that, given the possum a new residence. You must make a nesting box, which you can do yourself or purchase in New South Wales’s retail stores.
- If at all feasible, locate the possum’s nest from within your roof. The nest, which emits possum scent, should be put in the new possum housing to lure the animal to its new residence.
- Place pieces of fresh fruit in or near the nesting box to tempt the possum to investigate their new residence.
- Locate a sturdy tree in your yard, tie the box there, and raise it at least 4 meters. You may watch the possum as it leaves at dusk to go scavenging and learn how it enters the roof space.
- Possums can be repelled by putting a light within the roof cavity and leaving it on for three days and nights, along with some quassia chips (available at hardware stores). The combination of the light and smell should drive the possum off your roof and hopefully into the possum housing you have given.
- Once you’re sure the possum has moved, make a one-way door, block the opening with chicken wire or wood, trim any sticking branches, and make sure it can’t get to the roof. Because the possum has gone outside to seek for food at night, that is the best time to block the entrances. If the possum returns, you’ll need to find another entrance.
How can I prevent possums from climbing my roof?
What can I do to get a possum off my roof?
Discover possum entry points to eliminate them from your ceiling. Seal cracks in tiles or under eaves, marked by brown stains. Either seal the hole or set a trap inside.Wait until after dark to patch the hole to avoid trapping possums inside. Alternatively, cover the hole during the day and set a trap with red apples as bait. Use sturdy materials to prevent possums from clawing their way back in. Watch the video to see their determination! Click here for trap hire in Greater Sydney.
Possums can be removed from a roof in several ways, but they all hinge on blocking their access to the area and identifying the entry and exit points. You can readily tell if a possum is exploiting an aperture in the roof cavity of your home by stuffing a few pieces of newspaper into any holes you locate. If a possum is utilizing them as an entryway when it emerges at dusk, it will push them aside. Possums may use many entry points; thus, the technique might need to be repeated even after a possum has been removed and an entrance sealed off.
Once you have located any access points, you must seal them to keep the possum from returning. You can use solid sheeting, wood, or strong mesh for this purpose. Using chicken wire isn’t advisable because possums can easily pull the wire off with their powerful claws if they’re determined to get back in.
To block access, fasten wire mesh on one side of openings with crumpled newspaper, allowing exit for possums. Seal the other side once they’re gone. Trim overhanging vegetation to prevent further entry.
What will happen if this doesn’t resolve the problem?
Only licensed commercial possum relocation companies are allowed to remove possums because they are a protected species of wildlife. Therefore, if the strategy hasn’t worked, you must seek professional aid. However, getting rid of possums is not always a “quick fix”. If the abandoned den location is not sufficiently sealed off, it will be quickly reoccupied.
Before catching the possum on the roof using a cage trap and releasing it outside, relocators normally seal off all exits. In New South Wales, when relocating possums, it’s necessary to release them within 150 meters of the capture point to prevent one possum from entering another possum’s home range. Releasing possums into unfamiliar territory without access to a den diminishes their chances of survival, as they must then compete with other possums for food and shelter. Additionally, they face increased risks of canine attacks in such areas.
Once you have engaged the possum relocator (more on that below), it is a good idea to ask them to create a nesting box, so the possum has a safe alternative shelter when it is released.
How can I prevent a possum from returning to my roof?
You can take further steps to stop possums from trying to go into your house permanently after the possum entrance point has been closed up.Taking away their food supply and making it more difficult for them to reach your rooftop are the simplest things to taek.
Cover trash and pet food, keep compost covered, and harvest fruit before possums can access them to prevent unwanted encounters.
Trim back any trees that are encroaching on your property to keep possums from having simple access to your roof. You may also add spikes to fences to stop animals from utilizing them as highways.
Electronic devices
Possums like the darkness to sleep in, so if you install a light in the roof cavity and leave it on for a few days and nights, it might keep them away. Motion-activated ultrasonic devices detect when a possum crosses their sensor, thus scaring away the possums. Some of these devices also emit high-pitched sounds that humans can hear but that possums find to be too loud.
Substances with a strong odour/Smell
Spraying disinfectant or quassia chip solution around the blocked entrance can cover up the smell of the possum and may discourage it from trying to re-enter. Possums often find the smells of ammonia, mothballs, and garlic to be disagreeable. Another DIY method is to soak an old stocking in liquid seaweed and place it in the yard, close to fruit trees, or close to your vegetable garden because possums hate the smell.
Supplies of food
Possums gravitate towards homes with easy access to food, so removing food sources can make your property less appealing to them. If at all feasible, feed your pets inside, and then clean up any leftover food or water. Make sure the garbage can lid are shut tightly.
If you have fruit trees, pick up any fallen fruit or try to prevent it from dropping by using netting. Avoid feeding local birds in the late afternoon if you like to do so. Use bird feeders and invite the birds inside at nightfall, in the evening, or in the middle of the day. Never put out food specifically for possums. Possums will ultimately forget their fear of humans and may even become aggressive if humans provide food for them.
Brushtail possums can only survive if they have a den. Exposed to a range of daylight threats, possums face potential attacks by crows and other birds, as well as the risk of conflict with other possums when they attempt to access den areas already occupied by their counterparts. You might provide possums with a different place to live by buying or building a possum box.
Hang the possum box securely from a tree at least four meters above the ground to keep pets away. Entice possums with fruit like pears, apples, or grapes.
Am I able to catch a possum by myself?
In New South Wales, where possums are protected, it is illegal to catch them without a permit. You can get a free permit from the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) office in your neighbourhood to hunt possums on your property.Licensed or pest control companies offer trap rental services.
If you decide to try trapping, don’t forget to provide possum shelter, and shut off the roof’s entrances.
If you have permission, you can rent wire-mesh possum traps from several councils. Install the trap near the possum’s point of entry into the roof cavity and check it each morning. In New South Wales, releasing possums outside of these limitations is forbidden. People must release them at night, within 24 hours after capturing them, and within 150 meters of the spot where they found them.
Trap requirements A cage trap needs to be constructed safely.
- The ideal design is a wire mesh box with mesh no larger than 19 mm square. Using a larger mesh in traps can lead possums to seriously hurt their noses by shoving them through the mesh.
- Position traps in a flat, stable area away from canines, felines, rain, wind, and the sun.
- Use the right bait, such as fruit, vegetables, or peanut butter, to lure the possum into the cage.
the trap’s conditions.
- Traps must not be checked until two hours after sunrise.
- If you capture a possum during the day, place it in a cool, dark area of your house and cover it with an old towel or blanket to keep the light out.
releasing possums that have been captured.
- If you’ve trapped possums, you must release them on the property where you caught them, no more than 150 meters from the site of capture, after nightfall on the day of capture. Possums released during the day are more agitated and vulnerable to aggression and harm.
- Use a long pole or thick gloves to protect yourself from scratches.
- Before releasing the possum from the cage, steer it in the desired direction.
It’s against the law to transport brushtail possums. If you can’t release the animal on your land, you must ensure a qualified veterinarian humanely puts it to death within 24 hours after capture, and you’re responsible for covering the expenses.
How can I tell if a possum is living on my roof?
When possums are falsely accused of stealing food or residing in your ceiling, rats are often the true offenders. So how can you tell if there are possums or rats on the roof?
Noises in your ceiling? It’s likely rats. Their scampering and gnawing sounds indicate their presence, especially in wall cavities.
Brushtail possums, which can weigh up to five kilograms, will thrash around on the roof even while traveling slowly. Due to their urine, there is a high chance that you will hear loud knocks on the roof or ceiling, hear coughing and hissing noises, see stains on your ceiling, or smell strong ammonia.
You likely have multiple animals fighting over territory or mating. You can determine the animal’s size by its noise. Rats and possums screech when fighting or mating, but a rat’s squeal is louder and higher pitched. A resident male Brushtail Possum has a booming, throaty call to warn other males entering his home zone.
Rat and possum droppings, typically black and pellet-shaped, often appear in various places. Rat droppings measure about seven millimeters, while brushtail possum droppings can exceed fifteen millimeters. Ringtail possum excrement is generally medium-sized. Corrugated steel and tiles are the strongest and longest-lasting roofing options.
When it comes to nests, brushtail possums could construct a leaf nest in your ceiling or settle on the insulation there. In protected places, rats often build tiny nests and line them with rags, shredded paper, or dry plant material.
How precisely can possums get onto my roof?
Possums usually enter an area under your roof’s eaves, sometimes next to a bush or tree that leans up against your house and acts as an entrance. In older homes, people often spot openings in the roof cavities that are large enough to allow possums inside. A brushtail possum can cram its entire body into the same space in which it can fit its head.
What damage are possums capable of?
Possums can cause significant damage to the wire, weatherboards, plasterboard, and even ceiling cavities if not controlled, in addition to generating a lot of noise. Additionally, they could leave scents and stains from their urine, and if they die, the smell of a dead possum on a roof would be noticeable.
Why do possums live in roof nooks and crannies?
Possums are critters that live in trees and are active at night. In tree hollows or, in the case of southern Australian ringtails, high up the tree, they doze off all day.
Eucalyptus trees, however, can take a hundred years or more to emerge from tree hollows. As land is removed for development, farming, and human habitation, the number of accessible hollows has drastically decreased. Once they’re gone, it’ll take time for possums to naturally return until new hollows form. Due to a shortage, they enter roofs through holes, seeking safe, dark homes.