How to Get Rid of Possums

Possums can cause significant damage to your home, and keep you awake at night. Therefore, you will likely want to keep possums out of your home. Though despite your best efforts, it can be hard to keep possums out of your home. If this is the case, then you need to learn how to best remove possums from roof spaces and other locations.

The Law

It is important to understand that possums are protected in Australia. Therefore, you’re not allowed to hurt the animal or force them to move from your home. Therefore, it can be complicated depending on what you do. However, there are some options.

The key aspect is that you have to make your home much less inviting to the species. There are several options here.

Cover Openings

One of the first steps that you need to do is to ensure that the possum cannot get into your home in the first place. A possum in the home can damage certain areas and spread diseases. Possums enter the home when there are holes in the building. Finding and covering these is the best option to keep the possums out of the building.

Of course, it isn’t just holes that give them access. Sometimes pet doors can also provide an access point for possums. Therefore, you should try to switch these to locked ones. Some can be added to the collar of your pet so that only they can gain access through the door.

Ultrasonic Devices

One key way to keep possums out of your home is to make it unbearable for them to live in it. Possums have sensitive hearing, especially to sounds that are outside of the hearing range of humans. Envirobug has devices that allow for ultrasound waves to be sent out that possums do not like.

Ultrasonic devices are really easy to install and provide round-the-clock protection for your home. At the same time, they are friendly to others living in your home.

Motion Activated Devices

Envirobug Garden Sentinel Motion-activated animal sprinkler uses an infrared sensor to detect the body heat of animals and birds. Once triggered, it deploys a startling burst of water combined with unexpected noise and motion creating a safe, highly effective deterrent against all kinds of pests.

Reducing Smells and Food

Possums are a type of rodent and therefore have a very sensitive smell. They don’t like smells like ammonia, mothballs, and garlic. You can apply a chemical repellent in your home (which we do not stock) or you can make your own homemade repellent to keep possums from accessing your home.

There are also plants that you can add to your garden, to keep possums from making a home near your house, which would also encourage them to access your home in the search for food. There are many foods that possums like, so many smells will attract them.

You might also want to consider getting some fragrances that mimic the natural predators of possums. Spraying this around your garden can sometimes get the possum to seek a new territory as it will be scared of the predator.

Remove Food Sources

At the same time, you should also restrict their access to food. This can be done in several different ways. This might include ensuring all bins are secure. Or don’t feed the local wildlife like birds. Food is one of the big things that attract possums to properties. So be sure that you are taking this one seriously.

One common problem is that people don’t secure bin lids and this is how the possum can gain access. However, there are other problems, such as not keeping BBQ areas clean after use. While some people think that possums would not be interested in greasy traps, this can be a mistake as they will take the opportunity to feed off these.

Fruit trees can also attract possums. This can be a challenge, as people often don’t want to lose their fruit trees, but they don’t want the possums either.

Reduce Hiding Cover

One of the big problems for possums is providing areas where the possum can hide or take refuge. Large trees and lots of piles of wood will attract a possum to hide in the area. Therefore, it is important to keep garden areas clean and clear.

If in doubt, you can always speak to a gardener, who will know what might be attracting the possum. However, you might want to try to use a possum house, to remove a possum from your own home, as this could encourage them to move, giving you time to secure the house.

Pest Control

If you are struggling to get rid of a possum from your home, the best option is to call out an expert who will be able to identify how and where the possum is gaining access from your home, remove problems that might be attracting the possum and get rid of the possum.

However, the pest control service will be expensive. And if you don’t follow the advice and make changes to the home or the behaviours of your family, there is a chance that the possum will return or that you will have a new possum family enter your home.

Therefore, it is always best to try to naturally move the possum along using the options that are mentioned above this.

Final Word: Ways to Get Rid of Possums

If you want to keep possums from getting in the attic or other locations in your home, then you have to be prepared for making some changes. You not only need to get them to relocate, but you also need to find ways to make your home and garden an undesirable location for the possums.

According to law, you are not allowed to just remove the possums from your home. And doing so can be fatal to the possum. Therefore, you have to get rid of possums by getting them to decide for themselves. The main aspects of this are to add in noise that they won’t like, use smells that will deter them, and not provide them with what they need to survive.

By doing this, and ensuring that your home has no access points, you will get rid of the possums in your home for good.