When the owners of this townhouse in Mount Eliza first contacted Pest Police, they believed they had a rodent problem. For several weeks they had been hearing scratching and movement coming from the roof at night, but investigating further, the reason for this noise remained a mystery.
The home presented a unique challenge. As an adjoining townhouse, there were multiple small gaps around the roofline, yet there was no roof cavity access, making it difficult to inspect every part of the roof space. There were no nearby overhanging trees that would normally provide an obvious pathway for a possum to access the roof.
This pest problem wasn’t going to be solved with guesswork.
Our investigation
Our inspector went to the scene, and after a thorough assessment, he discovered a large gap in the roof flashing that could potentially provide access into the roof space. The opening wasn’t immediately obvious, but it was large enough for a possum to squeeze through. They can squeeze through openings as small as nine centimetres! The photos below show the small gap these pesty possums used to get into the roof.
But, rather than simply sealing the gap and hoping for the best, we wanted to confirm exactly what was living inside the roof. At this point, we still didn’t know for certain.
We installed a motion-activated camera inside the roof cavity and fitted one of our custom-made one-way possum doors over the entry point. The specially designed door allowed the animal to leave the roof space naturally while preventing it from getting back inside.
The solution worked immediately.
On the very first night, the motion camera captured footage of a large possum roaming through the roof space before exiting via the one-way door. Once outside, it could no longer re-enter the property which meant we were able to continue to proceed with our plan to block this access point.
With the possum safely removed, the temporary one-way door was taken down and the damaged flashing was permanently repaired, eliminating the entry point and protecting the home from future possum (and rodent) intrusions. The final images show the repaired flashing after the opening had been securely patched.
Not every scratching noise in the roof is caused by rodents. Possums are common throughout leafy suburbs such as Mount Eliza and can enter homes through very small openings. Successfully solving these problems requires more than simply trapping an animal. It requires careful investigation, the right equipment, safely removing the possum, and a long-term solution that addresses the point of entry.
At Pest Police, we combine experience, technology and practical problem-solving to identify the cause of pest issues. By confirming exactly what was happening before we carried out any repair work, we were able to provide this homeowner with a permanent solution which restored peace and quiet after weeks of strange scratching sounds and concerns about rats nesting in their roof.
If you can hear scratching sound that can’t be explained, please give us a call. We’ll find the course of the pesty problem, eliminate the pests, and give you advice on how to prevent it from happening again.
You can phone us on 1800 737 876 or email us at info@pestpolice.com.au and we’ll be in touch to discuss your concerns noisy roof spaces. Our technicians are properly qualified and accredited, so we’ll do the job right, the first time.
