In Australia, there are many types of wildlife and most of the animals found in our country do not cause any problems or interfere with our lives. Occasionally we have possum “visitors” that are neither wanted nor welcome, however, possums are a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1975. It is illegal to harm, harass or interfere with possums, but possums that are in buildings, local parks and gardens can be controlled. Since possums are a protected species, are there any humane remedies for dealing with them?

Possums can be trapped to be released on the same property or, if they are injured, may be taken to a registered vet to be euthanized. Ringtail possums are not found in buildings and do not cause damage to municipal parks. They cannot be legally trapped without a permit.

There are two main types of possum in Australia:

• The Brushtail Possum is around the same size as a domestic shorthaired cat and can grow to a size of around 5kg in weight. Their fur is grey, and they have large, pointed ears and a brushy tail with a white tip. Brushtail possums like to live in roof attics, garden sheds and chimneys.

• The Ringtail Possum is much smaller than the Brushtail Possum, reaching a maximum weight of only 1 kg. Its fur is dark brown on the back with a grey underside and white patches located behind the eyes and ears. The ears are short and rounded. The Ringtail Possum has a long-tapered tail which has a distinctive white tip and likes to nest in thick brush just a few meters above ground.

What is the Problem with Possums?

There are a few issues presented by possums for homeowners. Notably, these creatures can cause a great deal of damage to residential homes and to gardens. If they create a nest in a roof area, they tend to leave a lot of urine and excrement around the site, and this can lead to a nasty smell in the home. The urine can run through the void into the ceiling of the home and cause stains in the plaster. Possums gnaw on electrical wiring which can lead to house fires.

Possums feed on foliage and enjoy eating flowers and fruit. Many homeowners experience damage to their garden caused by possums. Another major issue with possums is noise. These nocturnal creatures make the most noise when humans are trying to sleep.

How Can Possums be Controlled?

Possums cannot be exterminated because they are protected. One method of dealing with them is the catch and release method. There are many humane traps available that can be set up in the area where possums are frequenting and then released in another area.

Possums can only be trapped by homeowners, building managers (or their staff) or licensed wildlife control officers.

Image from Pestrol Possum Traps

Are There Requirements for Possum Traps?

If you want to trap a possum, the cage trap must be designed in such a way that the possum will not be injured. Ideally, the trap is a wire mesh box and has small enough mesh squares that the possum cannot injure itself in the mesh. The trap needs to be set up in an area that allows for safety and protection away from the weather and household pets. You can obtain a safe and humane trap from a reliable pest control supplier such as Pestrol.

How Do You Trap Possums?

The possum trap needs to be set up and then checked within two hours after sunrise. If the trap contains a possum, it must remain inside of the trap in a quiet area and the trap needs to be covered up with a piece of cloth or a bag.

What to do With Your Trapped Possum

If you trap a possum, you must release it on the same property where it was captured and no more than 50 meters away from the area where it was trapped. The possum should be released after sunset on the same day it was captured. It is not legal to relocate brushtail possums. If you cannot release the possum on your property, it must be destroyed by a local veterinarian within 24 hours after it has been captured. If a possum is released during daylight hours, it can cause a lot of stress to the possum and put it at risk of being attacked and injured.

Relocated possums that are relocated have been proven to die in stressful circumstances after they have been released. Much of the time, possums that are released into areas that they are not familiar with, they are killed by foxes. Some possums will die from stress while others may be hit by cars.

When you trap possums on your property, you can prevent them from re-entering your home by blocking off their access points. Trap them and release them outside of your home after sunset. The possums, once discovering that they cannot regain entry into your home, will move on to another location.

Prune all the branches that provide access to your home, particularly high areas of your roof and attic. Add a floppy fence on top of an existing fence to prevent possums from climbing on the top of your fence and add a collar around the base of every tree so that they cannot be used to access your roof.

It is extremely important to keep a close watch on your traps and release any possums that you trap in a timely way. If possums stay in traps too long, they can become stressed out and die. It is completely possible to deal with your possum problem in a humane way, but you need to use live traps and ensure that the possum is not stressed out to the point where it will die.

Many homeowners have had great success with live traps and capturing possums. Once you have the possum in your life trap, work quickly to deal with the entry points in your home so that the possum will not regain entry to your roof or attic.