Possums are the small-sized animals who look like a cat. They are not aggressive pests but they can infest and create a nuisance to your property. Possums are harmless creatures but if they get diseases, they become more dangerous. Possums carry numerous diseases with them like leptospirosis, trichomoniasis,  tularemia, Chagas, toxoplasmosis, and coccidiosis. There are various ways through which you can get rid of possums at your premises. If possums are present in your garden or backyard, they can eat the insects there and maintain the cleanliness of your garden but this is true that they do carry various harmful diseases that they can transmit to your property. So this is necessary that you look for a possum control team in Australia to keep your property possum-free and possum-prevented.

Types of Possum

➤ The common Brushtail Possum

This kind of possum belongs to the Phalangeridae family. These possums have furry tails and are considered to be the second-largest possum found in Australia. They are adjustable to any kind of habitat and thus are found in deep tropical rainforest, the eucalyptus trees of North Australia. Some of its main features are that they have a long black tail, pink nose on their pointed face, and long oval ears. 

➤ The common Ringtail Possum

These kinds of Possums do live in different habitats so that they can feed on diverse vegetables including fruits and flowers. Their favorite habitat is trees so that’s why they are rarely found on the ground. The ringtail possums love to be in the family. They are really attractive possums, especially the mother possum who has a pouch on their belly in which they carry their young ones. They are usually of grey or dark grey color who has white color at the end of their tail. 

➤ Honey Possum

Don’t get them wrong with their name. They don’t feed on honey. Instead, they feed themselves on the pollen and nectar. These possums are found in the South-west direction of Western Australia. Honey possums do not have claws that why they climb trees without the use of claws. They are also sociable pests due to which they are mostly found in the group. 

➤ Pygmy Possum

These kinds of possums are further classified into various categories like Mountain pygmy possum, Eastern Pygmy Possum, Western Pygmy Possum, Long Tailed Pygmy Possum, and The little Pygmy Possum. Each kind of possums has different specialties and features.

➤ The Mountain Brushtail Possum

These kinds of possums are also referred as short-eared possum due to their short ears. They have grey fur on their top par and white fur at the down. Usually, these possums are found in open and in rainforests. Like common brushtail possum, they have a long black tail which they used to climb up the trees in search of food.

➤ The Green-Tail Possum

These kinds of possums have thick greenish colored fur. This greenish color has come to them through the combination of black, gray, yellow, and white colors. They have white patches below the eyes and ears. Possums can grow up to 36 cm in length and so their tail. Green-tail possums usually feed on leaves and figs. 

➤ The Herbert River Ringtail Possum

These kinds of possums are usually black and have pale brown dark stripes on their body. It has a hairless pointed face with bright eyes and short ears on its head. Herbert River Ringtail possum has bright or white thick fur. They live on the trees and navigate from one tree branch to another but they are shy too so that why they are rarely found in groups. These possums eat leaves, flowers, and fruit of rainforest trees.

Lifecycle of Possum

Possums, like kangaroos, carry their young ones in the pouches. A possum goes through the gestation period for the 17 days after which they produce an offspring. Generally, possums do reproduce between May and June.

When a new possum is born, it weighs 2 grams and 1.5 cm but still, a baby possum can climb into their mother pouch without any aid. Once a newborn baby gets into the mother pouch, it attaches to their teat and begins feeding. 

After new possum feed in the mother’s pouch for 5 months, the most mature possum shifts itself to the mother’s back where they remain for 2 months. There is no role of the male possum in the rearing of the offspring. After the dependency of a possum on mother for 7 months, the young possum can live independently. By 10 months, a possum gets fully matured.

5 Signs of Possum infestation

If you are in doubt that whether you have a possum infestation problem at your home or not and want to make it clear? Here are 5 Signs of a possum infestation problem at your house which will help you to check out the possum problem at your premises and take the necessary possum control remedies.

» Damage to Your property

Usually, possums enter your property by climbing the roof, which means you will first see the exterior damage of the house. Possums damage the shingles and soffit of your rooftop. You will also have an impact on your siding, eaves, or gutter system, if there is a possum infestation problem.

» Pet Food Disappearance

Possums get more attractive to cat food. So, if you find the disappearance of cat food more frequently, it is the indication that you have possum infestation at your house. Presence of possum will not protect the pet food. Remember one thing, if you have a possum problem, protect your cat especially, as possum can harm them.

» Frequent Animal Sound

Possums are capable of making different kinds of animal sounds like hissing and shrieking. Mother possums also make the sound of clicking or lip-smacking to call their babies. If you find this type of sound inside the house, you have chances that you are suffering from a possum infestation problem.

» Loud Scratching Sound

You will find a lot of ripping, scuttling, or scratching noise at your premises, like a rat or mice sound. But this noise can be louder than them as this is produced by larger animals i.e. Possums. Also, you will find some scratching at your location like at the edges of wide space.

» Unpleasant Smell

One of the major signs of possum infestation is their smell. Possum discharge feces from its body more frequently than any other animal. Their wet dropping can soak into insulation or building material which further produces an unpleasant smell. If your house is carrying dead possum, then you can feel the smell of decay.

Are Possums Harmful?

This is the basic answer one should know- Are possums harmful? Yes, they do! Want to know how? 

1. They can Bite You

Possums never attack on their own. They only stare at you or other pets to protect their territory from any harm. Whenever possums feel that they are in danger and they will be trapped, they bite you. If they get into a fight with your dogs or cat, possums will surely be a winner as they have extremely sharp claws which can destroy the soft skin.

2. They Spread Diseases

Possums do carry some diseases which they can transfer to your body through their skin-to-fur contact or contact with their feces. They carry mites, ticks, fleas, or other parasites on their body that carry various harmful bacterial infections. So, if you find possum feces at your property or their contact to any part of your house, clean it immediately as it can carry various harmful diseases.  

3. Destruction to your Property

Possums have the habit of eating anything that comes in their way and making their living anywhere they feel safe and warm. So, if you find your home’s roof causing nice cozy dwelling, it is an indication that they are present there. Once the possum gets enter into your house, they can tear the insulation there and make their nest at ductwork. They will also cause rubbish to dustbins at night and will produce unbearable odors and stains. 

So, protect your home, health, and life from possum attack and infestation by calling a professional possum control team. 

Common Location for Possum Presence

Possums do not have any specific place to infest your house. They can be present anywhere at your house, inside or outside both. Here are a few locations, where possums are commonly present. 

In the House

Possums are the curious pest who can enter your house through anywhere. So, if possums find the doors or windows of your house open, they will enter your house without any invitation. They can get entry to your place through pet doors too, especially doggie doors.

In Attic

Attics are the warm and dry place for the possums to refuge. Many families who live near the wooden areas, will find the possum there. So, you need to check the entry points of the possums to your house and make sure that once the possums are removed, don’t come back. Possums at the attic can be dangerous, so you should hire professional possum controllers to remove them.

Possum in Garage

When we go inside or outside the garage, the open garage door can be an invitation to the possum. They can find several dark places to hide there, added to food and water. This is normal to find a possum to your attached or unattached garage. But here the most important thing to keep in mind, call the professional controllers to eliminate the possum from your garage.

Under Deck

The easiest and simple way for the possum to get enter is under the deck. There is a large gap in the deck from where they can enter and it provides them shelter too from the elements. To remove the possums from the deck, you need to hire the professional pest controllers only as some possums are angry who can bite you.

On the Roof

Possums are good climbers. So if the branch of the tree touches the roof of your house, they will most probably come up on the roof. If you find a sound or heavy footstep noise on your roof, it is the indication that you have possums at the top. 

Best 7 Tips On How To Get Rid Of Possums

The best way to get rid of possum is by hiring a professional pest controller team as possums are angry and to protect them, they can harm you and cause you injury. Hiring professionals is a great option, but still, if you wish to try to get rid of them, you can use this effective possum control remedies.

✓ Possum Repellents

Some chemicals can use to prevent possums from your Place. There are various Possum repellent brands like Critter-Repellent Shake, Liquid Predator Urine Repellent, Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler, PestZilla, 1 Powerful Solar Ultrasound with Flashing, LED Lights Outdoor.

✓ Trapping

Trapping is the most reliable and most chosen technique for catching possum because trapping doesn’t kill them. You set the trap on the pathway where they passed.

✓ Use Moth Balls

Mothballs are unbearable to possums as it produces a bad smell that annoys them. Making use of mothballs to eliminate the possums costs you very less. These are kept in the clothes to keep the possums away from the fabrics. It can also help you to keep them away from the furniture.

✓ Make Use of Ammonia as detergent

Ammonia is the most effective way of removing the possums from your house and gardens as it smells horrible and they will not be able to bear such a strong smell. Possums are more active at night as they do not like the light so you should keep the ammonia in such a way they run out of your place. 

✓ Use some Chilly Powder

You can make use of one more home remedy, i.e. spread some chilly powder around the house as they cannot resist its smell. Or instead of powder, you can use the chilly paste to spread around the house. Also, you can make a spray to get rid of them. Get Quassia chips from the nurseries and add it into 2 liters of water and 1 tablespoon of detergent. Heat if for an hour and then spray it at the areas where you find the possum frequently.

✓ Use Cat or Dog Hair

One of the most used and effective methods to get rid of possum is keeping the hair of the cat or dog near the infested area. Collect the hair of the cat or dog while combing them and keep them in the bag. Put the bad at the suspected areas. Possums will surely move away from your place, as this will fool them that there is some killer animal in the house that can harm them.

✓ Spread Garlic Around the House

Possums are allergic to the strong smell, especially the smell of garlic. So, if you spread the garlic chives, garlic spray, or crushed garlic cloves around the house, it will help you to remove them out of the house. This is the most natural and cruelty-free way to get rid of possums.

Follow The Given Below Methods To Remove Possums From Your Yard;

Here are some tips to understand How to Get Rid Of possums with step by step:

Set Up A Motion Alarm

❄ Possums are a shy creature so you can put up a motion alarm to scare them.
❄ Install a water sprinkler motion alarm and by showering water on them they’ll easily get off from your property.

Set Up A Box Trap

❄ A cage trap would be an effective way to deal with possums.
❄ Choose a big enough box trap and put some food bait inside it.
❄ Leave it all night and in the morning you’ll see the results on your own.

No Entry

❄Always keep in mind to close your trash bin tightly closed.
❄Don’t forget to feed your pet inside your home and after that clean the premises properly.
❄ Don’t forget to clean the fallen fruits from the tree because these fruits feed the possum and they can easily make their home inside your yard,

Possum Preventive Tips

You have read about the home remedies you can use to get rid of possums and make them run out of your place. But here are some points, you can use to prevent the possums from coming to your place.

✧ Fence Your House

Possums are fast and agile creatures who can climb up to 1m high anywhere at your house. This means if you fence your house up to 1.5 min or slightly more, that would be of great help. Just block the way of possums to coming to your house, and you will be able to get rid of Possums. If you have lower than 1.5 m fence, you can use fence spikes on the top of the fence to stop possums entering your place. 

✧ Cleaning the Location

Cleaning the location also helps to get rid of possums. Cleaning means removing the garbage, litter, and unnecessary items from the house. You should put all the unnecessary items like plants, dead leaves, or trees in the bin and keep your house clean to prevent them.

✧ Removing the Food Sources

Lawns and gardens attract possums very promptly. They usually get attracted to homes by the presence of food. So, remove all sources of food from your yard and Don’t feed possums. Make sure you fix your garbage bin and trash cans with a sidearm to stop them from grazing on trash.

✧ Trim Branches

Sadly, branches can also help possums to hide to your home. Trim the branches to a maximum of 10ft and keep grass and plants small & neat. Possums are known as excellent climbers and can get to any extent in no time. They may not hurt somebody, but they can create a mess in the home.

✧ Set Up Motion Activated Light

Possums are afraid of light so keeping the motion-active light or sprinklers around the perimeter of the house or at the roof, will keep the possums away from the house. This will fool them with the presence of the human around and they will not enter your property.

Take Help from Specialist Possum Pest Control Companies

At Fast pest control services, we deal with all kinds of pests. As our professional pest controller has proper knowledge and tools for possum control. Give us a chance to serve you with the top best quality of services and make sure that your garden stays possum free. Our highly qualified professionals will give you a 100% guaranteed pest control service done at an affordable price and good deal. We never say no, we always believe in yes so feel free to call us today and for more information on our special services book your booking today.

Final Thought

If you are finding a possum problem at your house and want to get rid of them, the best advice is that you should hire professional pest controllers only. There are various issues you can face when possums enter to your house. To prevent them, you should try out the safety majors to avoid the disastrous situation. After trying various home remedies, still, you face a possum problem, do not hesitate to contact the professional. Get Free Quote from us today and make your place possum-free.