Possums are not pets, no matter how adorable they are. You can find two types of possums in Australia, commonly seen outside and sometimes inside your home. These possums can cause property damage when left on their own. So even though possums are not generally aggressive or dangerous, they can disrupt your sleep at night due to their behaviour. They can also cause damage to your building’s structural integrity if they nest inside the wall and roof cavities. 

Sometimes, your roof is as much a home to the possums as it is to you. Very few things may deter them if they have settled in already. The best idea is to prevent them from moving in from the beginning rather than going in for possum removals. Scroll down to review the best methods for possum removal Melbourne can have. 

Easy Methods of Getting Rid of Possums

Find our expert tips on keeping possums away from your home and what you can do if they are already there. 

Cover Openings to Your Home

A possum cannot stay in your home if they can’t get in. So, block all openings to any part of your home to prevent their access. Check for possible entry points such as cat flaps, attic vents, and open chimneys. Footprints and droppings are indicators that possums are in your house. So you can further trim any tree branches, fix, cover, or block them that can let the possums get close to your house.

Remove Nearby Sources of Food

Possums will set up camp if there is easily accessible food nearby. Make your house less appealing to them by containing your rubbish, feeding your pets inside and ensuring that you remove all food from your garden after outdoor meals and BBQs. Pick out any ripe fruit from trees near your home before possums put their claws on them and linger around you. Cover the allotment areas or compost with heavy bricks or chicken wire so that the possums do not knock off the lid. 

Use Repellent Scents

Possums dislike some smells and will stay away if you make your repellent spray for your garden and house. A concoction including garlic, mothballs, onion, vinegar, ammonia, peppermint, and red peppers will do the trick. But you can also buy chemical sprays in hardware stores or call a professional possum removalist to do the job for you. 

Fill the Wall and Roof Cavities

Ensure that possums cannot get into your home after you have blocked all their entry points. But possums can also claw their way in through weak materials and get back into their nests. So, use a heavy-duty substance such as metal sheeting instead of light wood or plaster.

Use Motion Activated Possum Sensors or Spotlights

Possums are nocturnal creatures, so they don’t like the bright lights of any sport. If you see them hanging on specific trees near your home, you can set light fixtures to shine on them. You can try keeping basement, garage and garden lights on during nighttime when they are most likely to come out from their nests. You can also put motion-activated sensors that trigger sounds, sprinklers, or lights that startle the possum. You can also call up the possum catchers and find a permanent solution. 

Try a Nesting Box

Provide your residential possum family with another home to not worry about any damages or eerie sounds and still be able to see them during the nighttime. Keep a nesting box a few metres above the ground, such as in a tree away from direct sunlight. This way, they leave your house without losing a home for themselves. 

Set Up an Ethical Trap

It is illegal to kill or hurt possums, so you must be careful in picking a trap that won’t cause harm or injury, especially when it tries to escape. It is better to prevent possums from getting into your home, to begin with, but if you cannot, then you can go with a humane trap, such as small wire mesh boxes that will not cause the possums any harm. You can use pet food or red apples as bait to lure them in and cover the trap to prevent possums from biting or scratching you. Release them within 24 hours away from your home. 

Call in the Experts

It is best to seek professional pest control services for the removal of possums without causing them any harm. The experts will help you in every way if you have been cohabiting with a family of possums for a long time and have limited success after following the above points. So, the first thing that the possum removalists Melbourne will do is inspect your property for the little furry creatures and see where they are hiding. Then, they will use the right methods for trapping the possum from your property based on the infestation level. The possum catchers also seal off the entry points that may help possums enter your office or home.

Some experts will also install a one-way temporary possum door around the main entry point that will help the creatures exit the roof space without re-entering through them. The possum removal professionals will revisit your property to ensure the entry points are closed securely and suggest possum-proofing techniques to eliminate the creatures permanently. 

Conclusion

Possums can become a nuisance with time, but that doesn’t mean you must be harsh with them. You can protect your home through safe measures. You can even call the possum removalist experts to handle the job. Professionals from Recon Pest Control have experience removing possums from commercial and domestic buildings, shopping centers, and warehouses. They will also give expert advice on minimising or preventing the possum infestation after the treatments. Also, professionals do not use any methods that will harm the possums. So they safely relocate them from your office or home in the best way for you and the furry ones.