In developed, urban areas of Adelaide, shelter and protection from trees can be scarce, and so possums tend to seek refuge in roof spaces instead. The most common species to do so is the Common Brushtail Possum, which is active at night and feeds on eucalyptus leaves, fruit, vegetables, and even food from your kitchen pantry.

Possums are messy, hungry and noisy at night when you’re trying to sleep. Sometimes, they may even fight with your pets, especially cats. They can make it into your roof quite easily, squeezing through openings the size of a tennis ball. Once they have made it their home they make a huge mess and cause a lot of damage – often chewing through insulation and electrical wiring, which leads to costly repairs and sometimes even fire or electric shock.

They’re not just a problem for homes – they are also a health and reputation risk in food businesses, distribution facilities and schools.

It only takes one possum to cause a lot of trouble, so it’s important to manage them quickly. You may also find that other pests, such as rodents, are using the same entry point to gain access to you roof, which makes it even more important to get on top of the problem early.

You can’t just trap or cull a possum – here’s why

In line with the National Parks and Wildlife Act possums are a protected animals in South Australia. This means that anyone who wants to trap and remove a possum needs a Permit to Trap and Release from the Department for Environment and Heritage.

Once captured, the possum must be released within 50 metres of where they were initially found. This is to prevent the risk of it being released in the territory of another possum, who could fight and kill the newly released one.

Our Allstate team all hold possum removal permits, so that you won’t need to worry about getting one yourself. We take them from your roof humanely, then put protection in place to stop them getting back in.

Speak to us today for effective and safe solutions for possum control in Adelaide – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are a range of animals which enjoy the comfort and shelter of roof spaces, and sometimes you may find a variety of them living together. If you hear sounds in the roof, it is often difficult to tell whether they are smaller sized possums or larger rodents. Here are some ways to figure it out:

Noises
Possums can weigh up to 5kg and tend to make heavier thumping sounds as they move, whereas rats weigh up to 400g and make lighter scurrying sounds. Quite often a possum can sound like an elephant in you roof!

Also consider that if the sounds are coming from the walls or you hear gnawing and scratching, it is more likely to be rats.

Sometimes, squealing noises can be heard from possums fighting or mating, whereas rat squeaks are higher in pitch. Male brushtail possums can also try to mark their territory and warn off other males by making loud throaty calls.

Nests
Rats tend to build elaborate nests made out of various materials. Brushtail possums may nest on bed down, insulation, leaves, or not require a nest at all.

Droppings
Are dark and cylindrical shaped for both rats and possums, with longer ones (greater than 15mm) from brushtail possums and smaller (7mm) ones from rats.

Even a small possum living in a large roof space of a commercial or public building can cause problems, particularly in schools and businesses. Besides damaging buildings, stock and supplies, a possum invasion can lead to poor hygiene – putting staff and customers at risk of falling sick – and a failure to meet regulatory standards. You could be at risk of hefty fines and you risk ruining your reputation.
Possums tend to find single- and double-storey buildings easier to access than taller ones, so they are most likely found in the following types of places:

Schools
Possums can be an unwanted distraction to students, teachers, and support staff. Their presence compromises the health and safety of the school if left unchecked.

When managing a possum situation in schools, you should consider the use of classrooms and space, local surrounding environment, layout and design of the school, location of food areas and previous pest reports.

Read more about possums in schools

Warehouses/ distribution facilities
A possum infestation can have devastating effects on the quality and quantity of your stock, the health and hygiene of the facility, as well as staff, customers and consumers. A failure to meet strictly audited industry health and safety regulation standards can lead to heavy fines.

Read more about possums in distribution facilities

Food, hospitality and catering businesses
Possums are huge trouble in food preparation facilities, damaging supplies and contaminating food and the food preparation environment. This can cause huge losses in stock, result in heavy fines for failing to meet food regulation and safety standards, and turn customers away.

Read more about possums in restaurants

Allstate Possum Control in Adelaide

Having noisy possums in the roof is disruptive and stressful enough, let alone taking the time to work out how to catch, remove and prevent them from returning. Luckily, our licensed, experienced possum removal professionals are trained and equipped to help you to manage these pests. We are happy to accommodate the needs of your family, business or school, whilst carrying out the process as safely and efficiently as possible.

We all use the following method for humane possum control in Adelaide:

Assessing for access points
Our technician will begin by thoroughly assessing your building for all possible entry points that possums may use to enter your roof, confirm that they are indeed the culprit, then propose the best course of action.

Proofing the entry points
We will then prevent possums from entering and leaving your roof by installing proofing materials over all entry points. Our technicians are fully equipped will all the required materials, so you won’t need to source them yourself.

Positioning a cage trap
To try and catch the possums, we will position a cage trap at the main entry point, and check it daily for you. Our approach focuses strongly on safety and care for the environment, so we take the utmost care not to harm or cause stress to the possum during this process, as per government regulations.

Preventing re-entry
After the possum has entered the cage, we ensure it is calm and comfortable, by keeping it in a quiet, dark area.

Then we move onto proofing the remainder of the roof. This will include spraying disinfectant chemicals or bleach over the entry points to remove markers of possum scent, and patching up the entry point to prevent re-entry.

Giving the possum a new home
Our technicians will locate a tree within 50 metres (as per government regulations) of the captured possum and install a new nesting box, then release the possum into it.

If there are several different animals co-existing in your roof, ask us about a customised pest management program. We ensure that all animals and pests are removed long-term, so you don’t have to worry about anything being left behind or returning.