Scratching in the walls/ceilings

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1145#Comment_1145

Sounds more like possums to me and they probably won't eat rat bait!

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/62823#Comment_62823

Do possums tend to get into walls and ceilings? I know they're often dancing on the roof at night but do they tend to seek shelter inside?

RickyH

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93888#Comment_93888

I agree with Kermit. Possums sound really loud. I have occasionally seen some living in a roof spaces here in Sydney, both residential and commercial. If this is going on, they will probably leave very smelly urine & large stains showing through to the ceiling of your room/s. This is both ugly and stinky.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113246#Comment_113246

If you're unfortunate to have some sort of access into your roof space, then possums will undoubtedly get in through a broken eave lining for example but you must get professionals immediately to get them out and a carpenter or DIY the access point because as RickyH suggests, the possums will reak havock in your roof!!
If on the other hand, you find you have rats and it's easy to find out which rodent you do have by the size of the droppings, again there will be access points that need to be sealed up.
With rats obviously, the holes will be smaller and they will eat bait but they will probably die in your roofspace and also make a serious smelly mess of your roof insulation.
Access into your roof might be as easy as the rodents climbing up a tree but they can only get in if there is an opening unsealed in some way during construction or after a reno. Rats often get in through an underhouse manhole as once in there, they can scurry up into the walls and into the roof, so sealing off the manhole completely can be a huge benefit.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/124186#Comment_124186

I'm sure you'll have the critters spellbound if you were to wear fishnet stockings, & say Gooday, while wearing Dame Edna glasses. : P

dob80z

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93880#Comment_93880

Don Burke (remember him ?) reckons the little lollies you find in male urinal troughs are quite good at repelling possums - apparently they don't like the smell.

he recommended throwing a few up in the roof space

Jason

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113251#Comment_113251

Thanks for joining in the discussion @dob80z and a very warm welcome to Workshop. It's great to have you join the community. I hope you find plenty of great tips, advice and information here. It looks like you also have some great knowledge you can share. I'm looking forward to reading about your projects and plans.

Do you know where people might be able to buy those "little lollies"? I certainly wouldn't recommend procuring used ones!

Jason

darylhewston

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/113246#Comment_113246

Mum had this problem in Upper Ferny Grove. We found that the possums had gotten down the cavity walls of her brick-veneer home and had literally scratched through the gyp-rock wall. We sprayed the ceiling space with eucalyptus oil and water (can't remember the ratio) over a few days. I believe this did the trick however I am told they have returned, so re-applying the eucalyptus mix is a must. It is important that all entry points are blocked off as well.

JP_Finlay

My parents had possums in their roof and it took Dad and I over 6 months to get rid of them and it was one hell of a battle.

Being nocturnal they are dormant during the day and awake at night to go out and feed and what ever else they they feel like doing I guess. They would make quite a racket when they woke and left the house and it was waking Dad up every night. I think due to lack of sleep and delirium he declared war on the Possums.

He first tried all the anti possum sprays known to man including some random wood chips purchased off the internet that you soaked in a bucket and used the water to spray as a deterrent. They all smelt pretty bad but none had any effect on the possums as he had pumped gallons of these liquids into to the roof with a weed sprayer and they still remained. He even directly sprayed some Poss-Off on one that was perched on a down pipe and it did not even bat an eyelid.

Next he tried light. After reading about their nocturnal habits it was suggested that flooding the roof with light would drive them out so he set up numerous spot lights in and on the roof. Again the Possums were not deterred at all and Dad nearly burnt the house down because on of the halogen flood lights had a melt down and did not trip the circuit breakers.

After the failure of driving them out he decided to try and keep them out and enlisted my help in trying to seal up the house. After doing a little Internet research we discovered that they marked their main entrance with urine when coming and going so we were able to locate it so that we could try and lock them out. After watching one scale a brick wall and disappear through a very small gap between the bricks and eave lining we knew we had a huge task ahead.

We spent weeks sealing up every possible place that they could get into the roof through the eaves. Where we could we used timber but the best thing we found was chicken wire as you could crunch it to any shape to suit the need. We also used solid wire mesh sheets to seal some areas as it could be screwed into position. We sealed up everything bar their entrance where we made a simple gate which Dad closed after they departed in the night.

Again we failed as they were still in the roof the next night. But how? It took a few weeks to work it out but one night when Mum was awoken by noises on the roof she went out on the balcony and watched a possum disappear down the ventilation pipe for the kitchen exhaust fan.

So we sealed the all the exhaust pipes and the chimneys and again left the main entrance as the only way out and Dad stayed up to see them off. Out they went and he sealed the gate and this time success. We had sealed them out and they could not get back in. This did not stop them from coming back though and I believe they kept trying to get back in for quite some time but eventually they move on.

VICTORY!

I have been told that you can get traps from local councils or hire people that trap them for you but once released they will find their way back to their nest eventually.

From our epic saga (sorry for the length but that was the short version) I learnt a few things. These were WA possums but I would assume that this should apply to any suburban possum.

1) light, sprays and sound (I forgot to mention Dad did try an ultrasonic doodad) do not bother them

2) They can fit through holes the size of tennis balls so block everything.

3) Find the main entrance (should be marked with urine and smell bad)

4) Stay up late and watch said entrance until you see them depart and block it.

5) Job done

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1192#Comment_1192

JP_Finlay, your post is the epitome of learning through observation & persistence.
You walked me through the adventure in an entertaining manner, so a huge thumbs up from me.
The fact that we have never had possums here, is of little consequence, I'm sure that many Workshoppers will gain from your experience.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/1192#Comment_1192

@JP_Finlay

Absolutely agree this is a great read and better still success!!!

We live in the country but we have never had possums on our property. I don't exactly know why, glad of course but all our neighbours talk of them. It's a mystery. Perhaps our dogs deter them!!

I remember those ultrasonic thingies, we tried them in our hay shed for mice, biggest joke ever, cats were far more effective ha-ha

JP_Finlay

@Andy_Mann @Baretta11 I am glad you both enjoyed the tale of the two possums! We certainly learnt a lot along the way.

Ozmango

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/93888#Comment_93888

I had a very persistent possum who kept removing a particular roof tile to come live in my ceiling space.

Said possum was caught and removed elsewhere and the roof tile was properly fixed down to discourage further squatting.

So, yes - they DO come indoors if they can.

dob80z

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/124188#Comment_124188

Hi Jason,

Sorry for the delay in replying.

I sort of acquire them from cleaners trolleys (!?!?!) - but Officeworks sells them as well Urinal Deodorant Blocks. Unfortunately only in 4kg buckets for around $55 - so hardly useful unless you live in a possum forest...

Maybe you have a packaging place and/or hospitality shop nearby - they should be able to help you find some.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/131501#Comment_131501

@dob80z @Jason

I did a search & came across this precautionary document:

http://www.cleaningshop.com.au/contents/en-us/fresha-toilets-blocks-msds.pdf

It might be an idea to avoid them altogether, or put them in a well secured, wide container with ventilation holes, so that pets or kids can't get to them, or tip it over.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/135950#Comment_135950

I've heard the dreaded scratching in an internal wall a few times over the past week. The wall ajoins an external wall and has an air conditioning unit on it so I suspect that's how the dirty rat has got in. The room has a flat roof though so I have no access to the wall cavity. I might just have to try putting bait nearby.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139027#Comment_139027

@Kermit,

There would need to be a fairly good sized entry hole for the rat to have got into your walls via the AC.

If the AC is a recent fitout and you are positive about the entry point, you may be able to make the AC fitter address the hole/s that may have been left and unsealed during instalation.

If it's not a new AC, you may need to have someone help with removing it without having to let the gas out if possible and see if you can find the entry point if you suspect that's where it is and steel wool is a great deterent shoved in the hole as rats and mice can't chew through it.

Never underestimate how small a hole needs to be for mouse entry either, less than 1cm will do!!

However, unfortunately, there are so many places that rats or mice can enter, as I found out with my mother's home last year. Trees right bedide the home allow perfect access from the branches to the eaves or roof with my mothers home being inundated by rats for precisely this reason. Also an unsealed manhole under the house/veranda was another access point for my mother's home.

We had to remove and replace a 1/3 of the insulation from urine stains in the roof, as well as vacc the entire ceiling area from droppings and took out countless dead rats after baiting AND we spent an obscene amount of time finding and covering entry spots to avoid a repeat!!

Baiting as you suggested, is an excellent way of keeping the numbers down and you can get the bait blocks that can be nailed up away from pets and the rats can't resist them. If you find them missing completely, like we did initially, then you know you have plenty of rats. Eventually, you end up finding the baits are still there, meaning you have arrested the problem and killed every rat. If you see small chew marks or rounded edges on the baits, that's mice.

All I can suggest from my experience, is never stop baiting in garden sheds, open carports etc...in the roof where there is access and you will never again have a problem.

People think that once they see a dead rat, that's it, jobs done but there is the next generation coming along and you have to be prepared.

Goiod luck.

Cheers,

Barbara

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141077#Comment_141077

I had the pleasure of doing a country trip at a place that was amidst a mouse plague. The manger of our accomodation stay, chose baiting to get around the problem, but the living mice were still a problem, & to make it worse, the decomposing ones were a more obnoxious presence. I kid you not, I put after shave on my arms & the pillowcase, yet the stench was overwhelming, that even I struggled to sleep.

Henno

Topcat, possums are masters of stealth and are capable of flattening themselves out in order to fit into a gap under a tile on your roof or a cavity in your wall. Do not underestimate these animals.

First port of call is to check you roof for loose tiles (if you have a tiled roof) and overhanging trees in close proximity.

Another thing you should check is if one of your neighbours is feeding them. Worst case scenario ever! They go there to feed and your place to bed down...

The way we fixed the problem was by firstly chopping down the overhanging tree and then sorting out the neighbour who was feeding them (in a nice manner mind you). Trapping and relocating possums is just making it somebody else's problem.

I won't tell you what our third fix for the problem was, but you can import a trap from NZ which deals with the problem in a permanent manner.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/139027#Comment_139027

Heard more of the dreaded scratching in the ceiling the last couple of nights. Are our fanged and furry friends more active at this time of year? At least it was in a section of the ceiling that I can access. Looks like I need to get up there and put some bait down. I also spied some telltale rat droppings on the top rail of our side fence. Must be their highway....

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/141145#Comment_141145

@Kermit,

Oh goodness, the next generation heh??

It can be so soul destroying getting up in the ceiling and finding this invasion has comenced yet again but my previous suggestion is to never stop baiting!!

Do you remember I mentioned the rat blocks with holes in the centre that allow you to pop them on a nail up high away from domestic pets, they're the best. Buy a bucket from a local animal feed type store, don't think you can get a bucket at the local supermarket.

A store like Landmark, Williams and Jackson, possibly Petstock etc...a place that has rural supplies is the best bet or just look on line.

So far in the new home due to using rodent mesh around the entire perimeter of the bottom plate of the frame, we have no rodents of any description in the roof space, I check it regularly.

My sparkie set up fluro's in my ceiling, three in all and he said you only need to have to access your roof space just once in the pitch black to appreciate lighting and I have to agree it's the best thing ever, was so easy to put the insulation in and do other electrical work during the construction. I also have an attick ladder fitted into the laundry ceiling so access is so, so easy and the light switch is at the top of the ladder, so lucky I have this actually!!

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/142669#Comment_142669

One of the best thing we did in our first home - a really small Victorian cottage - was to install a roof space ladder in the hallway so we could use the attic as storage. Adding lights as well was a really smart idea @Baretta11.

Looks like Bunnings has 1kg buckets of bait blocks which is more than what I need (I hope!!!) - https://www.bunnings.com.au/search/products?q=block%20bait Will have to get some on the weekend.

https://www.workshop.bunnings.com.au/discussion/comment/143742#Comment_143742

@Kermit,

How silly of me not to realize Bunning's would have it but how simple too ha-ha

As for the lights in the roof, not my idea, it was the sparkies signature trademark he called it.

I simply came home to him swinging from truss to truss like a monkey installing these fluro's but so glad he did it!!

Good luck with your baits.

Cheers,

Barbara