Possums can squeeze through a nine-centimetre gap! Make the necessary temporary repairs (prepare something during the day) to prevent re-entry after the possum has gone out to feed at night (they usually leave their shelter about an hour after sunset).
Possums can gain entry through loose roof tiles and holes the size of a tennis ball in timber or bricks.
Ringtail Possums will use nest boxes wint entrance diameters up to about 90mm. However they are safer sleeping in nest boxes with smaller entrances – that Brushtail Possums (a competitor and predator species) can't enter.
After you are certain the possum has moved into its new home, block its access into the roof by installing a one-way door or filling the hole with chicken wire or wood and trimming any overhanging branches. Night time is the best time to block off the access points as the possum will have left to forage for food.
Possums are climbers. As a result, fences and screens are of little use. They will chew through plastic garden netting. Consequently, the methods of controlling raccoons are limited.
Possums are repelled by the stench of garlic, ammonia and mothballs. So go ahead and scatter those around where you think possums might hang out.
Possums may also try to chew through your walls, creating infrastructural problems like torn air ducts and compromised insulation.
Place camphor blocks OR mothballs in the roof space, particularly around the area where the nest site was. DON”T place both! Possums really dislike these smells, and will be reluctant to return.
In addition to ammonia and mothballs, possums will also steer clear of odors of vinegar, garlic, onion, peppermint, and camphor. These strong scents are often used as natural repellents to keep opossums away from gardens, trash cans, and other areas where they may be unwanted.
Possums can't protect themselves adequately against predators, so these marsupials don't stay in a particular place for very long. The only possum that remains in a specific nest for very long is a female possum with babies. Other possums move their nests frequently to prevent predators from locating them.
Possums are nocturnal and mainly feed between dusk and dawn. Brushtail Possums are generally lone creatures, choosing a company when they want to breed.
DO NOT TRAP. Opossums are transient animals, staying only 2-3 days in an area before moving on.
A nocturnal animal, it spends the day in a den in a hollow branch, tree-trunk, fallen log, rock cavity or even a hollow termite mound. Brushtail Possums prefer to live by themselves, not with other possums. The Brushtail Possum moves rapidly among trees and will leap from one branch to another.
If you have released a possum elsewhere in the past, it may look like it has returned. This is highly unlikely. The possum you relocated will have died under very stressful circumstances. Possums are part of the natural and urban environment and are territorial.
We have found the best bait to lure possums inside the trap is an apple cut in half.
Once trapped, proceed with caution. You can drape a towel or sheet around the trap to calm the animal down, and release them a couple of miles from your house. As with most wild animal releases, you don't want to relocate the opossum too far from your home. You should take them no more than five miles away.
Carbon dioxide gas is the most appropriate technique to euthanize opossums. Opossums also can be humanely killed with a gunshot to the head, if legal and safe in your area.
Once you've made sure that you are dealing with an opossum, there are several ways to coax it out, including using a trap or hiring a pest management professional. Removing an opossum can be challenging, and the best way to control this population is through preventive measures.
Motion sensor lights on your roof are a great way to keep possums away from your home. These bright lights scare off the nocturnal possum, preventing it from checking out your roof as its next home.
Main predators include dogs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, large hawks, and great horned owls. The chance of rabies in opossums is extremely rare. When frightened, opossums bare their 50 sharp teeth and hiss or growl. However, they would rather avoid confrontation and be left alone.
Vicks can be used for a home-made remedy. Mix equal quantities of Vaseline and Vicks VapoRub on a plastic container. Use a knife to spread the mixture along any known possum routes eg along fences. Spotlights trained onto trees can often be effective in reducing possum attacks.
Look for holes under eaves; loose tiles or roofing iron; or access from underneath a house up through wall cavities to the roof. Possums can squeeze through a nine-centimetre gap!
Opossums can squeeze through even the seemingly smallest of holes by actively working to make the hole bigger.
Opossums occasionally enter homes through open doors and pet doors. If this occurs, close off access to all other rooms in the house and open doors to the outside. You might assist the opossum in finding the open door by setting up barriers or “guiding” it using a broom.