A possum may look like a cute and cuddly creature. However, in reality, it can wreak havoc on your home. Unfortunately for property owners, possums are plentiful in and around the Melbourne area, making it necessary for people to possum-proof their buildings to keep out these nocturnal creatures.
Even if possums pose no real physical danger to you or your family, they can tear up your residence and office and cause an overall nuisance that could disturb the quality of your life. These possum removal tips can help you keep possums off your property and away from your garden and trees in your yards.
But first, here is an important piece of information you should consider. As native animals, Australian law protects possums. So no matter how much of a nuisance they are to you, there is a very detailed and thorough way of ridding your property of them that only the professionals would know.
Things You Need to Know for Possum Removal:
First things first, they can only be trapped by the manager of the building, pest control professional, you, a member of your family, or someone from maintenance.
- The cage needs to be one that will trap them without causing injury.
- Once trapped they need to be kept safe in a place away from direct sunlight, wind, rain, domestic pets or any other dangers.
- The captured animal needs to be released after sunset on the same day it is caught and within 50 meters of your property.
We strongly urge you to have possum control done at the hands of a professional to avoid any legal issues or getting clamped down with a fine of $5000.
Having said that, let's clear the air around a common confusion that most homeowners have. Not all noises in the roof indicate a possum invasion. Often it may just be a rodent or wildcat situation. The key to discerning whether you have a possum problem at hand is realizing the exact time of the noise. Being nocturnal, they're generally quiet while heading out.
It's when they are returning during the early hours of the morning after a tiring hunt for food that they tend to be reckless and make a noise. Studying their droppings can also help you tell which animal is being a nuisance. Possum faeces are usually cylindrical, and the colour varies based on their diet.
Possum in the Rafter's Situation?
It is important to note that any good pest control in your home should involve blocking off the access points that allow these creatures entry into your property.
Possums prefer to live in places like the wall cavities in your roof void and have been found to leave under your house. You should look there first when you are serious about getting rid of possums permanently.
Solving the problem begins with identifying the point of entry. Here are some tips to do so:
- It's difficult, but you need to attempt spotting the creature headed in or out before it becomes dark.
- Follow the droppings, and they could lead you to the nest itself.
- Eaves tend to be a commonly used entry-point, check if that's the case with your home too.
- Check for tree branches that are looming over your roof or home's structure.
- Inspect your surroundings for overturned garbage bin or a litter of food waste in your backyard or front lawn.
Ways to Get Them to Leave Your Property
- Start with blocking the entry point with hard substances, which these pests cannot simply rip off with their claws.
- Set up motion-activated sprinklers or lights. These tend to startle them just enough so they want to leave the said area.
- You could also leave some cat/dog hair to cover the area with a predator scent that will let the scavenging pest know they might be threatened.
- Did you know possums hate the smell of garlic? That's right! So, you could consider crushing garlic pods and spreading them around the area. They even hate mothballs and can't stand the smell or sight of them. Although they hate the smell of ammonia too, we advise you to stay away from it to avoid any health hazards caused due to exposure.
- Possum repellents can be an effective solution. However, you'll want to make sure it is authentic and does not contain elements that are hazardous to your health.
- Avoid stacking bins outside, trim tall grass and other greenery so your property seems more unsuitable for them to live on.
- Leave a bright light on in the roof or basement or wherever you suspect them to be lurking.
- If you're considering relocating a trapped possum, it needs to be done at the hands of a licensed professional and not more than 50 ms from the captured area.
- You should also use chicken wire to cover up the fruits and vegetable plants in your garden. When you block off the source of their food in your yard, you let the possums know that they are not welcome there.
- If you want, you could provide an alternate place for them to live by setting up a nesting area in a tree or elsewhere on your property. You can build this by using a box made from weatherproof material. Add some fruits, maybe an old nest, and a few other attractive things, and that's all it takes.
- You should also eliminate any water or food sources by securely covering your garbage bins or storing them a bit further away from your home and by getting rid of standing water lying around in your backyard.
- You can even deter them from munching on your vegetables and plants by growing plants like chrysanthemums, mint, and geraniums as they do not like these plants.
If you're buying a trap, do check that the wire is not such that can harm them. When trapped, these creatures hurl themselves as a means to get free. But in doing so, they can get majorly injured.
To avoid this situation, it is best you select the right trap and relocate them as soon as possible. However, a good removal approach to possum control should involve sealing off the points of entry that they use to get into the attics or under the floorboards in the first place.
If you need guidance to make your residence and office free from insect and possum invaders, you can always rely on a commercial possum pest control service. A commercial service that specialises in insect control also can help with possum removal.
This service will have the resources to identify where the pest is coming into the property and seal off those entry points. The technicians that work for the possum pest control service also will be able to assist you in making your yard as uninviting as possible to possums and other common pests that occur naturally in the Melbourne area.
Possums can wreak havoc on your residence and life. Even if they are no threat to your safety or that of your family, they still should not be allowed inside your structure. They chew through wiring and leave behind urine and faeces that put your health at risk. These control tips and relying on a commercial removal service like Protech Pest Control will help with getting rid of possums that are waiting to come into your house, your yard, or your business.