Possum Protect VICMelbourne · Removal · RepairsPossum thumping across the ceiling tonight? Tell us where and we will call you back.
Possum Catcher Melbourne | Lawful, Humane Trapping
Possum catcher Melbourne homes can trust: species checked, door first, cage only where lawful, release on your block after dark. Call 0478 661 110.
How our possum catchers get it out, on camera
A one way door is our first choice because nobody handles the possum. Watch our technician fit one, then see the doors and flaps from other jobs.
Doors, flaps and mesh from our recent jobs
The door, ready to fit 
Fitted at the roof line 
One way door on a tiled roof 
Exit flap over the entry hole
Filmed and photographed by our own team on real jobs. Tap a clip to play it.
Possum catcher Melbourne prices
Door or cage, the price is set in writing after the inspection. These are the published starting points for Melbourne homes.
Inspection and plan
Free$0, no obligation
- Species identified
- Entry and nest located
- Door or cage decision explained
- No cost and no obligation
Possum removal
from$270
- One way door on the entry
- Or a cage where a door cannot work
- Return visit included
- Entry sealed afterwards
Removal plus roof repairs
from$429
- Possum out lawfully
- Tiles and capping fixed
- Chewed timber replaced
- Steel mesh on the entry
- Two year written guarantee
Whole roof repair and proofing
from$595
- The full roofline closed
- Every vent and eave checked
- Photo record of each point
- Two year written guarantee
Also priced
- Nest clean out and sanitising from $220
- Dead possum removal from $275, odour treatment included
- Building faults found during the job quoted separately in writing, never started without approval
Prices include GST. Two storey, steel deck, slate and weatherboard roofs are priced in writing before booking.
What does a possum catcher actually do?
Reviewed by the Possum Protect VIC team, updated September 2026
A good catcher spends less time catching than you might think. In most Melbourne roofs the better tool is a one way door: the possum leaves to feed after dark and cannot get back in, and nobody has to handle it.
A cage is used when a door cannot be fitted, for example where the possum is using several openings along a terrace parapet, or is living in a wall cavity with no single exit. The cage is set in the evening, checked no later than two hours after sunrise, and the brushtail is released on the same property, within 50 metres of where it was caught, after sunset that day.
Either way the job is not finished until the opening is repaired. Catching a possum and leaving the hole simply makes room for the next one.
Trapping and release rules: Wildlife Act 1975 and the Victorian Government brushtail possum management guidance.
| Inspection and plan | Free, $0 |
|---|---|
| Removal, door or cage | From $270 |
| Removal plus repairs | From $429 |
| First choice | One way door |
| Cage checked | By two hours after sunrise |
| Release | Same property, within 50 m |
| Release time | After sunset, day of capture |
| Ringtails | Not trapped without DEECA authority |
Possum trapping laws Victoria homeowners should know
Both common possums are protected wildlife under the Wildlife Act 1975. A brushtail living in a building may be caught in a cage trap, under conditions that apply to anyone who sets one, homeowner or professional.
Relocation is not permitted. Taking a possum to a park or a friend with acreage breaks the rules, and a brushtail released in unfamiliar territory often struggles against the resident possums already there.
- Brushtails only; ringtails cannot be trapped without authority from DEECA
- Check the cage no later than two hours after sunrise
- Release on the same property, within 50 metres of capture
- Release after sunset on the day it was caught
- If release is not reasonably possible, take it to a registered vet
Source: Wildlife Act 1975 (Vic) and the state guidance on managing brushtail possums in buildings.
Brushtail possum or ringtail possum: which can a catcher take?
The law draws a hard line between the two, so a catcher who does not ask which one you have is starting in the wrong place.
Common brushtail possum
Trichosurus vulpecula- Size and look
- Cat sized, grey, big pointed ears, bushy black tail.
- Typical sounds
- Heavy footsteps, thuds and a harsh coughing call after dark.
- Catcher options
- One way door first; cage where a door will not work, with release on your property.
Common ringtail possum
Pseudocheirus peregrinus- Size and look
- Half the size, rounded ears, rusty sides, white tipped curling tail.
- Typical home
- A drey of twigs and leaves in a shrub or tree; it rarely enters roofs.
- Catcher options
- No trapping without authority; we close any gap and advise on the garden.
Possum catcher near me or possum man near me?
Whether you typed possum catchers near me, possum trapper near me or possum trappers near me, these are the four things to ask before you book anyone.
- 1Will you tell me the species before you set anything?
- 2Will you try a one way door before a cage?
- 3Where and when will the possum be released, and will it be on my property after sunset?
- 4Will you repair the entry, and is that written into the quote?
Possum trapping Melbourne: one night, step by step
This is how a cage job runs at a Melbourne house, from setting the trap to closing the roof.
Afternoon
Cage set in the roof space or at the entry, covered and baited with fruit, other openings already closed.
Overnight
The brushtail enters the cage on its way out or back. Nothing is disturbed after dark.
Morning
Cage checked no later than two hours after sunrise and the possum kept quiet and covered in shade.
After sunset
Released on your property, within 50 metres of capture, usually with a nest box nearby.
Repair
The opening it used is closed with steel mesh or a roof repair, so the roof stays shut.
The possum catcher who fixes the roof as well
Because a released brushtail stays close by, the repair matters more than the catch. That is why our catchers are also roof tradespeople.
The entry fixed on the day
The tile, capping, eave or fascia it used is repaired while we are already on the roof.
Weak spots nearby closed
A released possum will test the roofline that night. We close the gaps it is likely to try next.
Structural work by the same crew
Ridge capping, barge boards, timber and steel mesh are all within our trade, so there is no second contractor to book.
A written record
Photos of each repaired point with a two year written guarantee.
Possum man Melbourne: things a good catcher will not do
Take it for a drive
Relocation is not permitted, however kind it sounds.
Trap a ringtail
Not without authority from DEECA. Ringtail problems are solved with proofing and garden changes.
Leave the cage unchecked
A trapped possum cannot wait until lunchtime. The rule is no later than two hours after sunrise.
Walk away from the hole
A catch without a repair is a vacancy for the next possum.
Possum catcher near me across Melbourne
Our catchers work right across metropolitan Melbourne. Councils give possum advice but do not remove possums from private roofs, and some, such as Knox and Glen Eira, do not lend traps either.
- Box Hill
- Blackburn South
- Vermont
- Forest Hill
- Ferntree Gully
- Knoxfield
- Scoresby
- Bentleigh
- Caulfield South
- Glen Huntly
- Hughesdale
- Camberwell
- Balwyn
- Deepdene
- Hawthorn
- Kew East
- Ivanhoe East
- Eaglemont
- Rosanna
- Montmorency
- Eltham
- Research
- Templestowe
- Heathmont
- Croydon
- Mooroolbark
- Brunswick West
- Coburg North
- Reservoir
- Bundoora
- Mill Park
- Keilor
- Niddrie
- Maribyrnong
- Hoppers Crossing
- Dandenong North
Suburb not shown? Send your postcode with the quote form and we will confirm.
Whitehorse and Knox. Box Hill, Vermont, Ferntree Gully and Scoresby, garden suburbs with mature canopy over the roofline.
Glen Eira. Bentleigh, Caulfield South and Glen Huntly, where the council does not lend traps and calls come to private catchers.
Boroondara. Camberwell, Balwyn, Hawthorn and Kew East, with period tile roofs and big old trees.
Nillumbik and Banyule edge. Eltham, Montmorency and Research, bushy blocks where a door plus proofing suits most houses.
Possum catcher Melbourne questions
Describe the noise and where it is. Most of the time we can tell you on the phone whether it sounds like a brushtail, a ringtail or rats.
Call 0478 661 110Can a possum man Melbourne households call take the possum away?
No. Victorian rules say a trapped brushtail is released on the same property, within 50 metres, after sunset on the day of capture. Relocation is not permitted.
Is there a possum catcher near me for this week?
Usually yes. Send your suburb through the form or ring and we will offer the soonest inspection we have, in daylight hours seven days a week.
How is a possum trapper near me different from a pest spray?
Possums are protected wildlife, so there is no spray. A trapper works with a door or a cage under the Wildlife Act 1975, then the roof is closed.
Do you use a cage every time?
No. A one way door is our first choice because nobody handles the animal. A cage is used where a door cannot work.
Can I set a possum trap myself in Melbourne?
The rules for brushtails in buildings apply to anyone who sets a cage, including the release, timing and checking conditions. Some councils, such as Knox and Glen Eira, do not lend traps, and a released possum will return unless the roof is repaired.
Does my council lend possum traps?
Some do not. Knox and Glen Eira, for example, do not lend traps, and councils do not remove possums from private roofs.
What happens if the possum is injured or sick?
If release is not reasonably possible, the possum goes to a registered vet rather than back outside.
Can you catch the ringtail in my garden?
Ringtails cannot be trapped without authority from DEECA. We can close any roof gaps and suggest garden changes instead.
Why release the possum on my property if it just comes back?
That is the law, and it is why the repair matters. With the roof closed, a released brushtail moves on to a tree hollow or a nest box.
What time of year are possums hardest to remove?
Brushtail young are born in autumn or spring and ride in the pouch for about six months, then on the back. We check for young before any door or cage goes on.
Do you offer 24 hour possum catching?
No. We book daylight hours seven days a week, because trapping rules and roof work both need daylight.
How much does a possum catcher cost in Melbourne?
Possum removal by door or cage starts from $270, and removal with roof repairs from $429. The inspection is free, $0.
Do possum catchers near me also fix the roof?
Ours do. The same crew repairs tiles, capping, fascia, barge boards and timber and fits steel mesh.
Book a possum catcher Melbourne wide
Species checked, a door before a cage, lawful release on your property and the roof repaired by the same crew. Free inspection, published prices from $270 inc GST.
