Raine & Horne is advising home owners to protect their homes from uninvited critters this spring.
You're not the only one happy it's spring.
"As the weather warms up feral animals such as foxes, rabbits, mice and bush rats, along with brush turkeys and possums are out in increasing force," says Josh Kersten, Business Support and Development, Raine & Horne. "The upshot is that feral and native fauna can cause costly property and environmental harm, as well as social irritations. More significantly, many home insurance policies won’t cover owners for damage caused by rodents, insects and the like."
Possums have been a major issue for householders on Sydney's Upper North Shore for generations.
"Possums are nocturnal animals, so they only tend to be active at night, although this can be an issue for owners and tenants with young babies who are hard to settle," said Chris Hopkins, Director, Raine & Horne Hornsby. Hopkins said some home owners are not permitted to move possums without a licence.
Possums are highly territorial creatures, according to the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, and if a possum is caught and released into a new area, it is likely other possums will already be living there, and will injure or kill the intruder. This is why it is illegal to catch and release possums more than 50 metres away from where they were caught in NSW.
"If a possum is caught in your roof, the typical practice is to release it on your property at dusk with the help of an expert such as a wildlife carer or licensed possum catcher," said Hopkins. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service or your local council can offer assistance with coaxing a possum from your roof.
Matt Anstee, Principal of Raine & Horne Southern Highlands, said bush rats, foxes, rabbits and even wombats can be an unnecessary complication for home owners in southern NSW. When his office lists a property, they advise owners not to leave dog food around, have some natural baiting done and keep the grass short.
Wombats burrowing under homes are another challenge for property owners. "The trapping and relocation of wombats is not permitted in NSW and you’d be best serve seeking the advice your local national parks office about the best ways to move them on," said Anstee. "We talk to our owners about setting up consistent maintenance programs, whether it means contracting gardeners or lawn-mowing specialists on a regular basis."
On the Central Coast of NSW, mounting populations of native wildlife such as brush turkey and possums can be a concern.
"Possums and other native fauna may not cause too many structural issues to a property, but they could create valid hygiene issues, especially for owners and tenants with young families," said Brett Hunter, General Manager, Raine & Horne Terrigal/Avoca Beach.
Growing populations of parrots such as lorikeets and cockatoos can be boisterous visitors. "We had to deal with some very noisy visitors who set up home in a nook and cranny of a property in Avoca," said Hunter. "We removed the parrot nest and filled the gap with steel wool to ensure the birds set up a home somewhere else."
Hunter said it's also important to ensure a property is well maintained so that more dangerous animals like snakes, funnel-webs and redbacks don’t start to take over. He recommends an annual pest inspection from a qualified inspector.
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