Possum Removal Perth

Humane possum trapping and removal 

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brushtail possum

“Pest Control Done Right”

Megatec Pest Services are fully licensed possum removal experts – we humanely trap and release possums and provide possum proofing services as required. 

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Fully accredited WA technicians.

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Family business servicing Perth northern suburbs.

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Treatments tailored to your needs.

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Possums are native animals and are therefore protected. You are not allowed to kill or even harm native animals – there are significant penalties in place. To trap and remove possums requires a license. Attempting to trap a possum yourself is illegal and subject to penalties.

A trap is set up in the roof void. The trap contains food to entice the possum to enter, and the trap door is triggered to close. The trap does not harm the possum. Normally the possum is trapped quite quickly. However, as we cannot hold a possum for more than 24 hours, we have to check the trap every 24 hours. Possums need to be released after dusk. However, before release, it is necessary to carry out possum proofing work to prevent the possum re-entering the roof after release.

By law, we need to release the possum on your property, as research shows possums release further afield are unlikely to survive. However, as possums can be very determined about re-entering a roof, it is important that suitable exclusion measures have been installed before the possum is released. Installing a possum box in a tree on your property can be a good option. We release the possum after dusk.

Megatec Pest Services can provide much of the basic possum proofing work that is required to exclude possums from the building. If structural work is required, we will recommend calling a builder and we recommend contacting roofing companies if gutter guard is required.

Quality possum proofing will also protect against unwanted rodent entry.

Possum proofing work to prevent access through eaves
Possum proofing work to prevent access to eaves
Possum proofing in sub-floor
Possum proofing in sub-floor

If the pests come back, so do we. Professional-grade results, guaranteed.

  • Local, family run business
  • Fully licensed and insured
  • Residential and Commercial Pest Control Services
  • Termite Specialists – Inspections and treatments
  • We take our time to get the job properly
  • For superior service and superior service, give us a call!
Jo Caestano from Megatec Pest Services with customer

How you get rid of possums depends on where they are causing the problem. If you want to get rid of possums from your roof, it is generally necessary to get a licensed professional to trap the possum and then carry out rodent proofing to exclude the possum from re-entering the roof cavity. If possums are causing a problem with your fruit and vegetables, a combination of repellents and exclusion techniques may be required (such as metal collars around the trunks of fruit trees).

Yes, possums are protected in Australia, as they are native animals. It is illegal to kill of even harm native animals. This is why possum trapping and removal in Perth (and WA) can only be carried out by licensed professionals. Licenses are obtained from the Nature Protection Branch of the Department of Environment and Conservation.

Possums can be deterred by various smell and taste repellents. Apart from a range of commercially available repellents, fish sauce, garlic spray, quassia (wood) chips and blood and bone fertilizer are often used as DIY possum repellents. However, none of these have been proven to be universally effective and any effect can only be maintained through regular application (as they are washed off with rain).

Most of these repellents are used to protect plants from being eaten. To deter possums from entering roof cavities, it is better to carry out possum proofing techniques (see below) rather than relying on repellents.

Possum droppings are dark and flecked in colour and an irregular round cylindrical shape. Brushtail possum droppings are 2-3 cm long, ringtail possum droppings are 1-2 cm long. They are significantly wider that roof rat droppings which are up to 1 cm long but only 3-4 mm wide.

Possum proofing actions to prevent possums from entering the roof fall into 2 main areas:

Prevent possums accessing the roof

Bear in mind that possums can jump around 1m vertically and up to 4m horizontally. Therefore, cutting back trees and overhanging branches is a key action. If fencing, posts or pergolas are being used to access the roof, the use of a sheet metal barriers or collars can be considered and must be placed at least 1 m above the ground. This same technique can be used to prevent possums climbing trees. However, aesthetically this isn’t a great look, so preventing possums entering the roof will be essential.

Tree overhanging roof
Possum inside roof

Prevent possums from entering the roof

Possums can squeeze through small holes – as small as 7-9 cm. If the hole isn’t quite big enough, they will often gnaw to make it bigger or even push up tiles. Therefore, to possum proof a roof, it is necessary to eliminate all such holes. They are very strong, so any repairs need to be very robust and fixed firmly in place. Typically, a combination of sheet metal, wood and think wire mesh (< 20 mm) is required.

  • Sounds – screeching and banging as they run around in and on the roof
  • Urine stains on ceiling – they regularly urinate in the same place in roof voids and eventually it will stain the ceiling
  • Droppings – droppings will be seen in the roof void and around the building
  • Gnaw marks – will be visible around potential entry points
  • Nesting material – nest material will be visible inside the roof void and possibly sticking out around the entry point.
Possum urine stain on ceiling
brushtail possum

The brushtail possum is a large grey possum with a white underneath and black bushy tail. It is up to 50cm long (excluding the tail) and up to 4.5kg in weight. It has large, pointy ears.

Western Ringtail Possum

The Western ringtail possum is a lot smaller than the brushtail possum, up to 40cm long and around 1 kg in weight. It is grey with a red/brown tinge to its sides and a white underneath. It has smaller rounder ears than the brushtail possum.

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