Brushtail and ringtail possums are increasingly common sights across all of suburban Australia, especially as the hot summer months get closer. This nocturnal marsupial mates throughout the year, with mating furthest apart in the autumn and spring. As summer kicks up the heat, possum movement picks up too, leaving countless homeowners to navigate the ins-and-outs of sharing space with these furry roommates.
Mostly nocturnal, possums sleep all day and come out at dusk to search for food, investigate trees and rooftops, and roam the neighborhood. This behavior can put possums in conflict with homeowners, particularly when a possum enters an attic or under an eave to escape the cold. Urban opossum interactions are increasing. This increase frequently occurs due to a lack of awareness of their innate instincts, needs, and the legal protections afforded to them.
Many homeowners turn to “pest control” services when they experience possum incursions. Yet, many of these services are not permitted to care for native wildlife. Belinda Head is a possum team leader with WIRES. At her main base in Tennessee, she says it’s very important to know that there are legal ramifications to trapping possums.
“The first thing that [people] should be doing is actually asking, ‘Are you licensed to trap or relocate native animals?’” – Belinda Head
Sadly, unlicensed traps can result in tragic outcomes for the possums caught. WIRES often responds to calls about possums that have been trapped for several days before being released, and thus died due to their illegal trapping. Little Head’s advocacy is sharpened through her encounters with the people who think they’re being responsible by moving possums to bushland or parks.
Head admits that possums taken away from their territory can have a mortality rate of up to 90 percent within days. Either they drown under stress or die through incursion from other animals, which are defending equilibrium in their own territory.
Urban ecologist Kylie Soanes counters that despite all that habitat loss, possums have adapted wonderfully to urban life. Instead, they’ve adapted to live in adjacent regions where most of their previous habitat has been cut down.
“We’re lucky that they’ve done well in cities, but we also absolutely have to find ways to live alongside them without them damaging property, stealing your prized nectarines,” – Kylie Soanes
For a peaceful coexistence, wildlife specialists and veterinarians suggest the following steps to prevent unwanted possum meetings. Natural repellents such as Poss-Off can help keep possums away from undesired locations. In the meantime, physical barriers like fine wire mesh or fruit protection bags can be used to prevent them from gaining access at night. Secondly, it is important to make sure any mesh used is wildlife-friendly, with holes no bigger than 5mm to avoid animals becoming entangled.
If you need to evict possums from your home, first, wait until they leave the roof space at night. Once they’re out, immediately barricade the entrance to make it as difficult as possible for them to come back. This method greatly reduces stress for not only the homeowner, but the animal as well.
“If you do that over a few days or a week, just to get a sense of what the different entry points are, then you know how you can make your plan of defence,” – Kylie Soanes
In the past fiscal year, Wildlife Victoria logged more than 19,000 calls about brushtail and ringtail possums in need of aid. While the increase in reports is a good sign, it’s important to understand why there may be an uptick in these conflicts.
Encourages residents to think about how come these circumstances are increasing not decreasing.
Possums are just one example of how our communities can go beyond saving individual lives. By learning about their benefits to our urban ecosystems, this can help build a better understanding and relationship between people and wildlife.
“So we really need to stop and think about, why is this situation happening, and why is it increasing rather than decreasing?” – Belinda Head
Possums play significant ecological roles in their environments, such as dispersing seeds and controlling insect populations. Understanding their value in urban ecosystems can foster a more positive relationship between humans and wildlife.
