152 Elizabeth St, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Apex Pest Control provides licensed, humane possum removal across Melbourne, with same-day service available for homes and businesses. Because possums are protected wildlife in Victoria, getting rid of them isn’t as simple as setting a trap -removal must be carried out lawfully, and the entry points sealed so a new possum doesn’t move straight back in.
The common brushtail is the one in your roof. Cat-sized, with a bushy black tail and large pointed ears, brushtails have adapted so well to suburban Melbourne that a warm, dry roof void is now prime real estate -it mimics the tree hollows they'd use in the bush, which are increasingly scarce in built-up areas. Brushtails are territorial, noisy, and strong: they can lift loose roof tiles, squeeze through gaps as small as 9 cm, and will defend a roof void they've claimed.
Smaller and quieter, the ringtail has a thin, white-tipped tail it uses like a fifth limb. Ringtails prefer to build spherical nests (dreys) in dense shrubs and hedges rather than move into roofs, so they're more often a garden presence than a ceiling problem -though they'll happily browse rose bushes, veggie patches, and fruit trees. Because ringtails can't legally be trapped in Victoria, managing them is entirely about exclusion and habitat adjustment. Our technicians handle as part of the proofing service.
The sugar glider is Melbourne's smallest and most secretive possum palm-sized, grey with a bold black stripe running from nose to tail, and equipped with a gliding membrane that lets it sail between trees. what they notice instead is a soft scuffling or a distinctive yapping call from a wall cavity or roof void at night, much lighter than a brushtail's heavy footsteps. Sugar gliders occasionally move into narrow wall gaps and eave spaces when tree hollows are scarce, particularly in leafy suburbs .
A possum in your roof can damage wiring, contaminate insulation and disrupt your sleep with persistent scratching noises. Professional pest control in Melbourne helps remove possums safely, identify entry points and protect your home from future intrusions.
Possums chew and dislodge electrical wiring as they move through the roof void, and their nesting material sits against it. Damaged wiring in an unseen roof space is a genuine fire hazard.
Resident possum urinates in the same area nightly. Over weeks, that saturates insulation, stains ceilings, and produces a smell that penetrates living areas.
Removing possums eliminates scratching and loud nighttime noises. Professional pest removal and installing deterrents ensure lasting peace in your home.
A brushtail possum weighs as much as a small cat, and it sounds like it. What you'll hear is distinct, weighty footsteps - often described by our customers as "someone walking around up there" - along with occasional heavy thuds as the possum drops from a roof beam or lands after climbing in. This is the clearest single difference from rats and mice, which produce light, rapid scratching and gnawing.
Brushtails are among Australia's most vocal mammals. A deep, rattling growl or a sharp hissing exchange from the roof void usually means two possums disputing the territory - common in the autumn breeding season, when males compete for den sites. Some homeowners describe the call as a cross between a chainsaw starting and a heavy smoker's cough. Rats make no comparable sound, so vocalisation alone is near-certain confirmation
A resident possum urinates in the same corner of the roof void every night. Within a few weeks, that urine saturates the insulation and soaks into plasterboard and timber, producing a sharp, musky smell that gradually seeps into the rooms below. If a musty odour is strongest in one room and worsens on warm days - when the heat of the roof cavity intensifies it - a possum's toilet corner is usually directly above.
Possums keep strict hours. They exit the roof shortly after dusk to feed, and return between roughly 4 and 6 am - so the pattern is noise at sunset, silence through the evening, then noise again before dawn. Rats, by contrast, are active on and off all night and often during the day. Keep a rough log for two nights; if the sound bookends the night rather than running through it, you have a possum.
Possum droppings are dark brown to black, oval, and around 15 mm long - noticeably larger than rat droppings and more uniform in shape. You'll find them concentrated in the roof void near the den, but also scattered along the possum's nightly commute: pergola tops, fence rails, deck edges, and below the branches it uses to reach your roof. A trail of droppings outside often maps the exact route to the entry point.
With over 10 years of experience, Apex Pest Control provides same-day possum removal and possum control in Sydney and Melbourne. Our licensed technicians locate and remove unwanted pests quickly, helping keep your home or business safe, clean and protected.
Our technician inspects the roof void, roofline, eaves, vents, and surrounding trees to confirm possum activity, identify the species, locate nesting areas, and -most importantly -map every entry point the possum is using. You'll get clear findings and an upfront quote covering both removal and proofing before any work begins.
Depending on the species and the situation, we use approved cage trapping (with compliant same-property release at dusk) or one-way exit doors fitted to the possum's entry point -letting it leave for its nightly feed but not return. Every method we use is humane and fully compliant with Victorian wildlife requirements. No poisons, no harm, ever.
This is what makes the result permanent. Once we've confirmed the roof is empty, we seal every identified entry point with durable, animal-proof materials -securing lifted tiles, meshing vents and gaps, closing eave openings, and where needed, recommending the trimming of branch access to the roofline. Done properly, proofing is what separates a lasting fix from a fortnightly repeat visit.
We confirm the roof has stayed quiet, address any new activity, and stand behind the proofing work with our service warranty. If a possum gets back in through a sealed point during the warranty period, we return and fix it.
Possum removal in Victoria is regulated at every step the trap types that can be used, how often they must be checked, and exactly where and when a possum can be released. Our technicians work strictly within the Wildlife Act, which protects you as much as the possum: unlawful removal on your property can expose the property owner to penalties, even when a contractor did the work.
Plenty of operators will take a possum out of your roof. Far fewer will get on the roof afterwards and close every gap it was using which is the only part of the job that actually ends the problem. Because a removed possum's scent marking actively attracts the next one, removal without proofing is a subscription, not a solution.
Our confidence in the sealing work is simple to state: if a possum gets back in through an entry point we sealed during the warranty period, we return and fix it at no charge. The warranty covers workmanship and materials on every sealed point, and the terms are put in writing before the job starts not explained after something goes wrong.
Possum problems tend to reach breaking point at 3 am, and we've structured our scheduling around that reality. Call in the morning and in most cases a technician can inspect the same day, anywhere across metropolitan Melbourne with the removal process often starting that evening, timed to the possum's natural dusk exit.
Rarely. A roof void offers everything a possum wants -warmth, shelter, and safety from predators -and tree hollows are scarce in suburban Melbourne. Once a possum has claimed your roof and scent-marked it, it will return nightly until it's removed and the entry points are sealed.
Cost depends on the size of the job: the number of entry points to seal, roof access, and whether trapping or one-way doors are the right method for your situation. We provide a fixed, upfront quote after inspection covering both removal and proofing, so there are no surprises partway through.
Victorian law allows property owners to trap brushtail possums under strict conditions -but the possum must be released on your own property, within 50 metres, on the evening of capture. Relocating it elsewhere is illegal, ringtails can't be trapped at all, and without proof, the possum simply walks back in. In practice, DIY trapping moves the problem by about one night.
No -Melbourne councils don't provide possum removal services. Some direct residents to trap-hire schemes, but the legal release requirements still apply, and the entry points remain open. A licensed removal and proofing service is the route that actually resolves the problem.
Timing and weight. Possums sound heavy -distinct thumps and footsteps -and are active in bursts, leaving around dusk and returning before dawn. Rats produce lighter, continuous scratching and gnawing at any hour. Our inspection confirms which animal you're dealing with before any treatment is quoted.
Exactly what Victorian law requires: it stays in its home territory. Trapped brushtails are released on your property at dusk, and one-way doors simply let the possum exit without re-entry. With its access sealed, the possum returns to natural shelter nearby -installing a nesting box in a backyard tree gives it a ready alternative.
Our technician locates the animal -by odour concentration and inspection of the void or cavity -removes it, and sanitises and deodorises the affected area. Where a wall cavity is involved, we access it as non-invasively as possible. It's an unpleasant job to attempt yourself, and one we handle regularly.
