What to do when you have a possum in your roof?

What to do when you have a possum in your roof!

The most common possum we have in Victoria is the Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus Vulpecula). It is about the size of a cat. It has large, pointed ears, grey fur and a bushy black tail. Brushtail possums have a single young born in autumn or spring. The baby spends around six months in the pouch, one to two months riding on its mother's back until it is weaned and leaves the maternal den at 7–16 months old.

If you find a Possum onsite, it is very important that you do not try to catch it or touch it. Possums can become very aggressive when they feel threatened, and they may bite or scratch you. They can also carry diseases, so it is better left to a trained professional. Don’t worry, Gippsland Pest Management can help you!

There are a couple of different things you can do to get a possum out of your roof. The first option would be to get one of our technicians to either install a one-way door or a possum cage in the roof. They will then put a camera in to monitor the activity 24/7 and once the possums have either left on their own accord or have been caught, the technician will attend the site to remove the door and relocate the possum. After this we will then proof the area that the possums are getting in through and the technician will then monitor this area for another few days afterwards as in some cases there are multiple possums living in the building.

The other option would be to purchase a possum box from our website. https://shop.gippspest.com.au/products/possum-nesting-box . This Possum Nesting Box is ideal if you have possums nesting in your roof void or in other locations around the property and you don’t want to remove them or want to try and save a bit of money by doing it yourself. This product would encourage possums to nest inside at a location of your choosing and give you piece of mind that they are not causing havoc in your roof.

A lot of people can get quite confused when they are hearing noises in their roof and typically think it’s a possum straight away. There are a few differences between the noises possums make compared to rodents.

Possum noises:
- The timing of the noises – Possums are nocturnal so they will be sleeping throughout the day and go out at night. They will usually leave the house around 9pm and will stay out until just before dawn
- Noises – Possums will make loud thumping noises as they are a lot bigger than rodents. - Instead of fast, running noises, there will be loud thumping noises in one area at a time. They can also make thumping noises when asleep, which is just them moving around trying to get comfortable. They also make snarling or hissing noises.
- Wall Cavities – Possums prefer to sleep in the wall cavities of your property as it is warmer and darker than the roof void. If you knock on the wall and hear a noise, it will be the possum waking up and moving to another spot that hasn’t been disturbed.

Rodents
- The timing of the noises – Rats are also nocturnal so you will mainly hear the noises at night. There is no set time that you may hear them, but they are most active at night.
- Noises – Rats are very active and will run around in your roof void, wall cavities and in your subfloor. You will hear running around and scratching as well as some thumping, as the rats may be playing or fighting with each other. Rats also will chew/gnaw on wood and pipes, which can cause damage or flooding in your building.

Location also matters. If you are located in a brand-new estate with not many trees around and no bush land around you, you’re probably experiencing rodents. If you live in an area with lots of trees and bush land you are probably experiencing possums.