Both Brushtail and Ringtail possums are opportunistic home owners. They look for cosy, safe and warm places to live and raise their young.
Poss nest on balcony
This is great if their choice is a tree, but not so great if the place they choose is your balcony. So what can you do if a pesky possum has decided your balcony is its new home?
First put yourself in the mind of a possum. Try and work out what it is about your balcony that makes it attractive. Do you have furniture or pots that create a safe nesting environment? Is there access to food that it likes?
Try rearranging the furniture, removing the plants that they like to eat, removing any pet food or bird feeding trays that they visit, adding moth balls to the area they are sleeping in (they don’t like the smell) or simply closing off the spot.
You should also trim back any trees that are providing access to the balcony.
Possum sleeping on deck
And as possums are nocturnal, installing a sensor light can help keep them at bay (there are solar sensor lights available that don’t require electrical wiring).
On no account should you attempt to relocate and get rid of possums. All possums are protected species and trapping possums is illegal without a permit. Possums are territorial, and relocating them outside their territory will usually cause them to die.
