Another possum dilemma ......

[lurker172602]

We are currently having an extension done to our house which involves temporarily opening up the roof space. And of course THE POSSUMS have moved in!!!!! (I'm certain its possums because we see them about sometimes at night and occasionally hear them running across the roof, but now they are certainly in the roof in the evening and early morning)
Their entry point will, of course, eventually be closed off but I'm worried about what damage they may be causing now and of course ensuring they are all moved out before the roof is sealed up again.
I'll speak to the builder about it next week when he comes back, but any ideas about what we can do in the meantime?

[gleee58]

---

@ten*teeny*tiny*toes wrote:
Glee, I think blankets and clothing stored in naphthalene and camphor had the potential to be toxic to babies and children.

---

Well there you go.  It's not something I buy so I had not taken any notice of it's availability. 

It sounds like good reason to make change if it's toxic.

[imastawka]

---

@purple_haize wrote:

OH and me go by what our council says...........there are so many possums up here in the hills. The council lends out the cages the possums are re located, they are not hurt in any way, taking them to another part of the hills is not in any way hurting the possum.

As far as I am concerned, what the council says goes, I might add, that the Yarra Ranges Council covers alot if not most of the hills area, where the largest number of possums are..............

Things might be different down in the suburbs, I have no idea, I just know that the council lets people move the possums.........and they are in no way hurt and it is not cruel.

---

Purps, just to clarify - when the DEPI says it's inhumane, it's because possums are

territorial.   If you move them to another possum's territory,  then they are either

killed by the possums that live there or are frightened into submission and starve.

The DEPI says they must be released within 50 metres of where they were

caught so they stay in their own territory.

[lurker172602]

---

@janeababe wrote:

Get yourself a few packets of mothballs and throw them about in your roof cavity.

This was an old wives tale i stumbled upon about 12yrs ago, and have been doing it every year since then.  (onec a year top-up is all thats needed)
It will keep away ALL rodents. The first few days, you *might* be able to smell the moth balls slightly, but it goes away after a few days.

I havent had possums/rats/mice/birds inside my roof cavity since using this trick.

🙂

---

Thanks for that.  I'll give it a go.  I actually don't mind the smell of mothballs.  I'd rather they left my roof of their own accord, but don't mind them hanging around the neighbourhood.

[lurker172602]

---

@ten*teeny*tiny*toes wrote:
I mentioned moth balls before... But you can't get them these days.
Naphthalene flakes definitely banned.
Best I could do was the little hanging cage thingies

---

I got some of the caged mothballs in Woollies today.  I'll just cut the cages apart. There are 3 balls in each one, so 9 in the box and I got 2 boxes.