Backyard Buddies

A lack of old trees with hollows is driving possums into local rooves. Possum sightings are set to escalate over the next month as Ringtail Possums breed and give birth to young. Backyard Buddies wants to let you know that there's a lot to love about the 'possum magic' going on at your place right now.

Backyard Buddies is a free program run by Australia's Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. Each month, you get a Backyard Buddies email (B-mail) with tips to make your backyard inviting and safe for native animals. Possums featured in July B-mail. Sign up for B-mail and download a free possum factsheet at www.backyardbuddies.net.au.

"Many possums are hollow-dependent which means they spend the daylight hours inside the hollows of old trees," said Ms Leonie Gale, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife.

"Competition from other possums, birds and bats, along with the clearing of many local big trees, means that possums may find the roof of your home the perfect nesting place. Possums can squeeze in through a hole the size of a tennis ball."

"If a possum has taken up residence in your roof, there are some simple things you can do to encourage them to live outdoors instead, where you can better enjoy their antics,"  said Ms Gale.

Tips for encouraging possums out the roof:

• Buy or build a nest box and put it at least 4 m up a big tree to provide an alternative nest site
• Discourage possums from running over your roof at night by trimming back overhanging branches so they don't come within 1.5 metres of the gutter
• Find out where possums are entering your roof by plugging up any holes with crumpled newspaper at night when possums are outside feeding. Check the next day to see which holes have been forced open. The next night when you are sure all possums are out of the roof, seal up entry points with timber.
• Have a one way door installed over a hole in your roof so possums can get out but can't get back in again
• Avoid removing old trees, as hollows they provide can take from 70 to 100 years to develop. The fewer big trees there are around, the more likely possums are to live in ceilings
• Spread mothballs in your roof as possums really dislike the smell

"Relocating possums is a poor solution as most don't survive. This is because possums are a highly territorial species. When introduced to a new area, your possum is likely to be attacked by resident possums defending their own territory, or by cats or foxes as it is scampering around on the ground trying to find a new nest site."

"A new possum will usually move into the territory vacated by any possum relocated anyway, so relocation is not a good option if you have a possum sharing your roof," said Ms Gale. "The best thing you can do is encourage them outdoors by providing a nest box, and blocking up entry points to your roof while there are no animals inside of it, such as at night time when the possum goes out to feed." "Birds, microbats and other species can also live in rooves, so be certain nothing is inside before you seal it up."

"Count yourself lucky if you see possums around your place, as they are fascinating to watch," Ms Gale said. "Ringtail Possums are amazing acrobats that use their tails like an extra hand to grip onto tree branches and even carry sticks. In southern Australia Ringtail Possums usually don't sleep in hollows but instead build large nests, called dreys, out of sticks up to 4 metres high in a tree. In the north though, Ringtails don't bother to build nests and instead sleep in hollows."

"You can tell a Ringtail Possum by its thin, tapering tail, the last third of which is white. In contrast, a Brushtail Possum has a large, bushy dark tail which is the same colour over the entire length."

"Brushtail Possums don't build nests. They need tree hollows or nest boxes to sleep in during the day. By providing a nest box, you'll be able to enjoy seeing your possum forage for food outdoors at dusk without worrying about what's going in your roof cavity."

"Having a possum in your backyard means you may even spot one of the cutest sights imaginable-a baby possum riding around on mum's back as she nimbly climbs fences and tree branches."

Tips to look after local possums:

• Keep cats inside, especially at night when possums are active and looking for food
• Put a heavy rock or brick on top of your compost bin so possums don't investigate
• Avoiding feeding possums regularly as they can become dependent upon humans. Feeding Brushtail Possums bread can give them a condition called 'Lumpy Jaw', which can be fatal
• Take any pet food indoors at night so possums don't eat it
• Plant some native trees that you are happy for possums to snack on such as Heath Banksias and Silky Tea-Trees
• Watch out for native animals on the road when driving, particularly at night
• If you have room, plant some eucalypts so that future possums have somewhere to live