How to get partying posums out of my roof?

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Sep 1, 2015
Messages
4,228
Reaction score
9,641
Can i hire traps from somewhere? Buy traps? Or blow holes through my house with my shotgun?
 
Dave, I've heard of people putting the ratter type dogs up through the peep hole into the roof.
Or you can watch to see how they come and go ,... once you know where the entranceway is you can block it off once they've all gone out shopping for the night ,.... they come back and be all like WTF ! :eek:
:Y: :p :Y:
 
Know one bloke in the Adelaide hills with same problem a couple of years back , he put in 4 big flood lights in his roof and left them on 24/7 for a few days and possums moved on . If that fails refer post above ( carefully ) ;)

Edit : thinking back now maybe there was another reason for lights in the roof and that was a cover story ;) :8
 
In NSW it's a bureaucratic nightmare!

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/questions/possum-removal-roof

"Possums are protected in NSW and catching possums without a licence is illegal in NSW. Licences to trap possums on your property are issued free of charge from your local NPWS office. Traps are available for hire from some wildlife rescue services or pest control companies.

Remember to block off the access points into your roof and to provide a possum house if you intend to try trapping."
 
From above post link ! Environment NSW

Use these instructions for removing the possum yourself.

First, make sure it is a possum and not a rat or mouse - sprinkling flour near the manhole and checking the footprints will determine this - possums are the size of a cat.
Next, set up an alternative home for the possum. You will need a nesting box - buy one from wildlife rescuers or build your own.
Where possible, get inside your roof and locate the possum's nest. The nest, which has the scent of the possum, should be placed in the new possum house to encourage the possum to its new home.
Encourage the possum to investigate his new home by putting pieces of fresh fruit in or near the nesting box.
Locate a suitable tree in your garden to site the box, securing it at least 4 m up.

Absolutely laughable :lol: what next ? You have to set up a half way house for possums in your roof and provide welfare and alternate housing ( sounds familiar ) .

I reckon it may be handled a little differently in the NT !
 
Bacchus said:
Know one bloke in the Adelaide hills with same problem a couple of years back , he put in 4 big flood lights in his roof and left them on 24/7 for a few days and possums moved on . If that fails refer post above ( carefully ) ;)

Edit : thinking back now maybe there was another reason for lights in the roof and that was a cover story ;) :8

Maybe the 'another reason' was what attracted the possums? :rolleyes: )
 
Bacchus said:
From above post link ! Environment NSW

Use these instructions for removing the possum yourself.

First, make sure it is a possum and not a rat or mouse - sprinkling flour near the manhole and checking the footprints will determine this - possums are the size of a cat.
Next, set up an alternative home for the possum. You will need a nesting box - buy one from wildlife rescuers or build your own.
Where possible, get inside your roof and locate the possum's nest. The nest, which has the scent of the possum, should be placed in the new possum house to encourage the possum to its new home.
Encourage the possum to investigate his new home by putting pieces of fresh fruit in or near the nesting box.
Locate a suitable tree in your garden to site the box, securing it at least 4 m up.

Absolutely laughable :lol: what next ? You have to set up a half way house for possums in your roof and provide welfare and alternate housing ( sounds familiar ) .

I reckon it may be handled a little differently in the NT !

Good eating :Y: Lol.

John.
 
possums are nocturnal, they will leave the building shortly after sunset. listen very carefully and you will get a good idea where they get out from. it is usually at the bottom of a gable or some kind of join of a wall/roof. Block it off after they have left with metal preferably as they will chew most materials. you can also mount a cat door to the area and set it to go one way only.
 
silver said:
Dave, I've heard of people putting the ratter type dogs up through the peep hole into the roof.
Or you can watch to see how they come and go ,... once you know where the entranceway is you can block it off once they've all gone out shopping for the night ,.... they come back and be all like WTF ! :eek:
:Y: :p :Y:
I have an american staffy!
 
here we have a local wild life guy that has traps he hire out for a few $$$$ worth it in the end
but block the holes up during the day so they cant get out and then put fruit in the trap works every time
when you relocate them make it many many Ks away or they will be back the next night :mad: :mad: :mad:
Check with your local RSPCA or what ever its called there they will point you in the right direction
 
davent said:
silver said:
Dave, I've heard of people putting the ratter type dogs up through the peep hole into the roof.
Or you can watch to see how they come and go ,... once you know where the entranceway is you can block it off once they've all gone out shopping for the night ,.... they come back and be all like WTF ! :eek:
:Y: :p :Y:
I have an american staffy!
Maybe a little to big for the job.
You may have a dog come through the ceiling.
Tho to watch may be funny, the vet bill may not.

Holes can be fixed. ]:D
 
What type of roof is it Dave?
If you trap and relocate them they will come back, the only way to fix it is find the hole and fix it properly.
If you can't locate the hole, trap the possum first, then let him go in daylight preferably on the roof, he'll want to go back somewhere dark and will go straight back to the roof into the hole he normally uses. Once you have identified the entry point the rest is simple.

The other thing about just killing or relocating them is that they have left a strong scent trail behind, so another possum in the area knows that is a good habitat and another local one will take up residence.

You have to find and fix the hole. Post or pm some pics of your house, I'll tell you the likely entry points.
 
Better to lure it out then block the hole than try and remove it by force. Banana is a good lure, the browner the better.

Possums will fight over and steal nests when territory overlaps so itd be a good idea to evict it from your roof sooner than later before it gets too settled.

Also a good idea to trim back any branches that over hang the roof or even come close, so no more of them come and dance about on the corrugated iron trying to get in.

If it was me id find the entrance and block it while its out hunting, then clear out the mess its probably made of the insulation batts :rolleyes:
 
No trees close to trim, its worse than that, my outdoor area roof is in easy reach of my fence, fence is high, to keep other "pests" out.
Rspca has no traps, will contact the council tomorrow.
 
Top