POSSUM PROBLEMS

With the trend to plant more natives in our gardens and with the clearing of much of the previous bushland in most areas, more and more possums are moving to the suburbs. Possums are well suited to living in an around our homes and yards, and most people find that they can enjoy and appreciate sharing their lives with these animals and take great pleasure in watching them from afar.

However possums, usually Brushtail possums, can cause problems for homes and homeowners. Whilst possums would prefer to live in a natural environment, they are opportunist and a ceiling space or shed makes just as nice a home too. Possums usually gain access to a roof space or ceiling via loose roofing tiles or roofing iron, broken fascia board or eaves, loose guttering or roof capping and holes in the brickwork or timber. Possums can usually be heard running with heavy thumping footsteps around in the ceiling early evening or morning when they are going out or returning from eating. They may also be heard to make guttural growling and hissing. Another and more obvious sign is a urine stain on the ceiling.

If you believe you have possums in the ceiling it will be necessary for you to find out how they are accessing your ceiling and try to exclude them. The best way to do this is watch for them emerging after dark and block off their entry point. If they are using trees to gain access to the roof, trim trees back or make an exclusion collar around the trunk of the tree about 60 cms above the ground of a 60 cm wide strip of metal or Perspex. This will allow them to climb down the tree to exit, but not allow them to return. The only way to stop the possum re entering you roof space is to ensure that they do not have access to it.

HUMANE POSSUM TRAPPING

Sometimes it may prove more efficient to humanly trap a possum in the roof space to ensure their safe removal. Wildlife Answers does hold the necessary permit and skills to trap and release possums from a dwelling and we can undertake a site inspection to ascertain if a trapping program is a suitable course of action. If required. Wildlife Answers will conduct a safe-capture program to remove a possum from a ceiling or residence, however the cost and responsibility for any roof repairs to prevent the return of the possum is separate to this program and at the expense of the homeowner.

Our Possum trapping program is based on years of experience dealing with possums and is a safe and effective way to capture possums in order for them to be relocated outside of your premises. It operates in line with the EPA/DERM regulations which require possums are relocated no more than 25 meters away from point of capture, but allows home owners the opportunity to have the possums removed from their dwelling.

WHAT DO WE DO?

WILDLIFE ANSWERS will conduct a brief site assessment to ascertain possible entry points. This is dependent on roof/ceiling entry and roof height and may not involve heights of over single storey.

WILDLIFE ANSWERS will present the home owners with advice and recommendations for excluding possums from the dwelling. NOTE: - WILDLIFE ANSWERS are not licensed roof repairers.

WILDLIFE ANSWERS will conduct a 4 day trapping program which includes the luring, setting  and checking of humane capture traps on a daily basis  (unless otherwise arranged)

WILDLIFE ANSWERS will remove a possum from a trap and hold until nightfall, before releasing back to the property. (No possum will be left in a trap more than over night)

NOTE this program can only be effective if ALL access points are cut off for the possum. WILDLIFE ANSWERS does not guarantee capture of the possum /or exclusion of the possum. But we will work with you to achieve the best possible outcome for all.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO? 

YOU will need to deal with or arrange a professional to deal with any roof repairs, and access points either prior to or during the possum trapping program.

YOU will need to trim or collar any trees which may be allowing possum’s access to the building.

YOU will need to allow access to our staff to check traps daily. This will be arranged around you, but is necessary for the animals well being.

YOU will need to phone WILDLIFE ANSWERS at anytime if you believe there is a problem with the traps, possum or excluding the animals to arrange for rectification of the problem

YOU may need to have a suitable container (washing basket), heavy blanket, weighted object (brick or paver) for the possum to be briefly contained in at your property immediately prior to release.



Removal of the possum from your dwelling does not constitute removal from your property. On the contrary, under the guidelines of this permit the animal can only be held until the next nightfall and can only be released within 25 metres of the trapped area.