Have you ever wondered why possums decide to move into your roof, when you have lovely big trees around your home? Usually, this question comes to mind around about 4am when your friendly possum family decides to practice their karate moves right above your bedroom, as they return to their home in your roof after a night of foraging. All of this is of course accompanied by full-blooded shrieks, coughs and growls.
Possum In the Roof
To answer this question you need to think like a possum for a moment. Imagine you are a small furry creature, trying to protect your young. Would you choose a thin house that is blown about by the wind, buffeted by rain and surrounded by barking dogs and stalking cats. Would you want to battle with native birds such as parrots or owls to get access to one of the few remaining tree hollows in your area? Wouldn’t you prefer a large, warm home protected from the elements? A home that is too high for cats and dogs to reach, with ample access points and hidey holes from other predators? A home that is full of dark warm hollows to sleep the day away in safety and not full of other animals fighting for the same space. To a possum, your home is a veritable palace – no wonder they line up to move in!
All a possum has to do is find a suitable gap in roof sheeting or under house floors, under roof overhangs, or an entry through areas under renovation. They will also check for holes in a garage wall or any other small space and before you know it, you suddenly have furry roommates. When evicting determined possums from your roof, it usually takes a few days to create a possum free home. Every possum access point to your home has to be located and blocked off. Your possum family inside the cavity then needs to be trapped and then released nearby. The possum usually knows several other places nearby to hide and make a new den away from your home.
