Possums
Possums are tree-living marsupials that are found across Australia.
Possums as pests
Possums shelter in cavities during the day and feed and explore at night. They may enter roof voids through broken tiles, damaged eaves, and displaced ridge capping. When they gain access to a building they make noises at night, urinate and defecate which causes stains, odour and damage to structures.
Species
Common ringtail Possum
Common brushtail Possum
Possum Control
Possums are protected animals, therefore they should not be killed. They instead can be trapped and released in bushlands under various state permits and licenses. Cages are used to trap the possums but they need to be emptied as soon as possible, and if not then they must be provided with food and water.
Possums can be baited with their favourite foods such as apples, bananas, pears, bread and honey, cake, and honeycomb pieces (preferably with chocolate coating). If one bait fails, another should be tried. All phases of trapping should be done humanely. Once all possums inside a structure are removed, the entrance holes can be sealed.
Noises in roof voids should be investigated before assuming it is a possum since roof rats also make noises.
The presence of droppings is an indication that there are possums in the roof. Knowing the difference between possum droppings and rodent droppings is helpful in making the correct identification.
