24/04/2026
Possums in Your Roof? Here’s How to Evict Your Furry, Noisy, Uninvited Tenants (Politely.)
So, you’ve heard thumping, scratching, or what sounds suspiciously like a possum hosting a midnight Zumba class above your ceiling. Congratulations, you may be the proud landlord of a brushtail possum who is not paying rent, contributing to utilities, or respecting quiet hours.
Here’s how to handle the situation without losing your sanity (or your roof insulation):
1. Confirm the Culprit
If the noise is:
• Heavy footsteps → possum
• Light scurrying → rat
• Demonic screeching → probably still a possum, they’re dramatic like that
• Dragging sound → king skink
2. Block Off the Snack Bar
Possums love easy access. Trim branches, secure bins, and remove the “all-you-can-eat” buffet that is your fruit tree.
If you have a mulberry tree… well… good luck.
3. Find the Entry Point
Look for gaps, holes, or suspicious possum‑sized doorways.
If you find a possum‑shaped hole, congratulations, you’ve found the possum’s Airbnb.
4. Encourage Them to Leave (Humanely!)
Possums are protected native wildlife, which means in Australia it’s very much illegal to harm, harass, or relocate them without the proper approvals. Penalties apply, and honestly, no one wants to explain to a magistrate why they attempted a DIY possum eviction, so no traps, poison, or medieval siege tactics.
Instead, try:
• A one-way door (the possum leaves, can’t get back in, like a nightclub with strict bouncers)
• Bright lights
• Loud radio (Possums hate talkback radio. Honestly, same.)
5. Seal the Entry Point
Once you have found the entry point, wait till the possum has left for the night and then you can block it with wire mesh or a wooden panel, but only once you’re sure the possum is out.
Otherwise, you’ll have:
• A trapped possum
• A very angry possum
• A very expensive ceiling repair
• A story you’ll be telling for years
6. Provide an Alternative Home
Install a possum box in a nearby tree, ideally a few meters from the ground.
It’s like saying: “Hey buddy, you can’t live in my house, but you can live near my house. Boundaries.”
Darling Range Wildlife Shelter can provide possum boxes, see our website for more information.
7. Call a Wildlife Shelter for more advice
If the possum refuses to leave, is injured, or is giving you the “make me” face, call your local wildlife rescue legends. They deal with this daily and have the patience of saints.
So, Why all the rules? Because possums rely on tree hollows, and those hollows take over a century to form. One hundred years! That’s longer than most of us commit to a gym membership. As bushland has been cleared for houses, sheds, and the occasional unnecessarily large driveway, natural hollows have become rare. So your roof? To a possum, it’s basically a luxury penthouse with excellent insulation and zero rent.
They’re not invading, they’re adapting to the housing crisis we created!
That’s why the goal isn’t to boot them off your property entirely, but to coexist and gently encourage them to move somewhere more appropriate (preferably somewhere that doesn’t involve them doing laps above your bedroom at 3am).
And here’s the kicker: common brushtail possums are extremely territorial. They have set home ranges and defend their den sites like tiny, furry security guards. In places like the Perth Hills, where natural hollows are scarce, every decent possum hideout is already taken. So, if you remove one possum, another will simply move in, like a never‑ending game of possum musical chairs.
https://www.darlingrangewildlife.com.au
