If there's a possum in the roof
Work out what you've got
Brushtails move into roofs; ringtails build a round nest called a drey, usually in trees. Deep coughs and sharp hisses are typical brushtail calls, and you may see it leave the roof at dusk.
Fix the way in
Boroondara suggests fixing loose tiles and pruning branches that overhang the roof.
Give it somewhere else to go
A nesting box in the garden encourages it to move. Don't feed it: the council says that brings more possums, fighting and property damage.
Block gaps only after it's gone
Council says to block gaps after the possums are no longer in your roof. If you're unsure, leave that to a pest business, because a shut in possum is a far worse problem.
What's different in Balwyn
Council's position
The City of Boroondara offers no service for possums on your property, and doesn't recommend trapping them. Trapped possums can only go back within 50 metres of where they were caught.
Flying foxes at the fruit trees
Grey headed flying foxes sometimes visit local properties at night for fruit or blossoms. They're protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. Council suggests netting that's safe for wildlife over small trees, or brown paper bags over individual branches.
Checking termite status
Anyone can apply to Boroondara for Regulation 51 property information, which covers whether a property is in an area prone to termites. It's a building record, not an inspection, so it tells you about the rule and nothing about the timber.
Koonung Creek
Koonung Creek Reserve is in Balwyn North, and North East Link's draft design included planting to rebuild the creek's wildlife corridor. If you back onto it, look for possums in the trees closest to your roof.
Wasps and bees in Boroondara
Council says you're responsible for beehives or wasp nests on your property, and clause 50 of its Amenity Local Law says an owner or occupier must immediately take steps to have a wasp nest removed by a qualified contractor. Its description of a European wasp nest is a good one: grey cardboard, about the size of a football, with several thousand wasps inside, underground, in trees or in house walls. Keep clear of it and call a pest business.
Bees are different. They often stay only 1 or 2 days, and a settled swarm can be collected by an apiarist, so call one before it finds a wall cavity. Nests on parks, gardens, sportsgrounds and nature strips can be reported to council.
If it were our roof in Balwyn
We'd trim the branches and fix the tiles first, then get a pest business to proof the entry once the possum's gone out for the night. Tap what you've heard and your postcode.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
