Has A Possum Taken Up Residence In Your Home?
When a possum moves into a residential property, they typically set up house in the roof space. This means you'll know they're there sooner rather than later, as they can be quite noisy. You may be kept awake at night by their scratching and scuttling around, and you may also hear them hissing from time to time. They'll also be urinating in your roof space, so it's common to see staining on the ceiling and to notice a strong ammonia smell. If you decide to investigate for yourself, you can identify that it's a possum you're dealing with by looking at their droppings. They tend to be a couple of centimetres long, cylindrical and light brown in colour. In addition to causing damage to your roof, it's not good for you to be breathing in their urine, so if you suspect you have a possum in your roof, have it removed as quickly as possible.
Possum Removal
Possums are protected, and it's illegal to poison them. You're also not allowed to release them into the wild yourself, and they can fight back when they feel threatened, so it's best not to approach them. With all of that in mind, it's best to call in a pest control professional to remove a possum from your property. They will confirm it's a possum in your roof space and set a humane catch-and-release trap, as they will be licenced to release captured possums. It can take some time to trap a possum, so the trap will need to be checked daily to prevent the animal from suffering undue stress.
Deterring Possums
Once the possum has been removed from your property, the pest control company can recommend deterrents to prevent another unwanted visitor from taking up residence in your roof. They may recommend the use of spikes, natural deterrent sprays, water jets or an ultrasonic repeller. In some situations, they may also recommend you install a possum nesting box in a tree in your garden, but it should be located a good distance from your house. Providing a nesting box can give a possum somewhere safe and dry to nest and discourage interest in your home.
If you have a possum scratching around and building a nest in your roof, contact a local pest control company with experience in trapping and releasing possums. Ask to see their possum release licence and have them assess your home after the possum has been removed to ensure you know how best to deter them.
Reach out to a pest control company for more information.