What to do if there is a possum in your roof 🐾

When natural habitat is lost or territories become over crowded, possums look for shelter in the nearest, safest, available space. And if you have possum-sized access points in your roof or outbuildings, chances are they'll make themselves a dry, safe nest in your roof space.

If you've ever had a possum living under your roof, you'll know they're nocturnal, and love to do zoomies on your roof late at night, eat your roses, invade your deck looking for abandoned treats, poop everywhere (especially fun if you have dogs that think it's a delicacy), grumble, chirrup, scream, stomp their way around your ceiling, and generally life their best possum life, at the cost of your precious sleep.

The most common species are the Common Brushtail (large, cat-sized, silver-grey to black with a bushy tail) and Common Ringtail (smaller, with a white-tipped, curled tail). The critically endangered Leadbeater’s Possum is also protected under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Possums are protected and cannot be caught or relocated without a wildlife licence, so don't try to deal with the problem yourself. All native possum species in Victoria are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975, making it illegal to harm, harass, or destroy them without authorisation.

The kindest long-term solution to your possum squatter is to block any roof access points after dark when the possum ventures out to forage, and provide a safe alternative home, such as a possum box installed 3m+ high in a sizable nearby tree. This gives possums a safe place to go, while helping to keep your roof and sleep possum-free. Added bonus - possums are highly territorial, so if you have a possum living in your garden, you won't have any others move nearby!

Contact a licensed professional who knows how to manage the situation safely and humanely if you find you can't deal with your possum squatters yourself.

Did you know? If a possum is trapped in a house, it can generally only be released on the same property, or not more than 50m away from it's capture site - by law!

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