How Do You Remove a Possum Legally From Your Roof?

We are leafy Lane Cove and with lots of trees to climb, we also have numerous possums in our neighbourhood. Possums are adorable marsupials to some, and to others, their nocturnal wanderings on or inside your roof are not welcome.

We often see people ask on Lane Cove Chat by ITC, how do I get rid of a pesky possum?

The first thing to remember is possums are protected fauna in NSW. This means catching one yourself without a license is illegal.

Licences to trap possums on your property are issued free of charge from your local National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) office. Traps may be available for hire from some licensed wildlife rehabilitation groups or pest control companies or you can engage a licenced possum catcher to trap and relocate the possum.   Wildlife rescuers have told ITC that it is not an easy job to trap a possum and highly recommend you engage a professional.  Before you think about hiring a trap, you may like to email Sydney Wildlife for more information.  Sydney Willife has a list of trusted licensed possum catcher (be careful as there are some “licensed possum catchers” who may overcharge.

Relocating the Possum

Just because you have trapped the possum does not mean it is bye-bye and they are off on an adventure to some bushlands.  The law states a possum must be released at dusk no more than 150 metres away from the point of capture and near something it can immediately climb, such as a tree or tall fence, otherwise it will not survive.   After releasing the possum make sure you immediately fix up where they have been entering your roof otherwise they will be back in the next night.

Prevention is Better than Trapping

Here are some tips to stop the possums from getting into your roof or your house.

Check Your Roof

Seal any potential entry points in your roof to prevent possums from entering in the first place.

Possum Boxes

Provide a possum box in your yard as an attractive alternative to your roof cavity. The Lane Cove Council and Men’s Shed occasionally run sessions where a possum expert talks to you about possums, and the Men’s Shed provides a free possum box. Make sure you book as soon as you see the session advertised in our newsletter, as the sessions book out quickly.

If you can locate the possum’s nest in your roof and move it to your possum box.  Entice the possum with some fresh fruit in or near the nesting box.  The possum box must be in a suitable tree and at least 4 metres up.

As an added incentive for the possum to relocate, place a torch in the roof cavity and keep it switched on for a few days.  Possums only like to sleep in the dark.

Learn More About the Brush Tail Possums

The NSW Department of Heritage and Environment is a good resource – click here for more details.

The Local and Independent News Association (LINA) recognises that local news publishers like In the Cove need assistance and has launched the National Collective Fundraising Week for newsrooms. It is a national movement of newsrooms calling on their local communities for support.

All Australian media companies need two sources of revenue to survive: advertising and subscriptions. In the Cove will never have a paywall, and that is why we need your help. If you can support us by making a monetary contribution (no matter how small or big!!), you will help us pay our staff and hopefully employ more locals in the future. Check out our team below

We need you to help us continue to be in the Know. Now is the best time to support us, as the Local and Independent News Association will match your financial support dollar-for-dollar during their campaign period from June 3rd to 7th. This means you can turn $20 into $40. The link to support us is here.

Thank you the ITC team.