Are possums a pest everywhere in Dunedin?

They're an introduced pest throughout New Zealand. Otago's regional plan declares them pests only in Dunedin's site-led areas, so the specific rules there don't apply city-wide.

Can a pest business deal with a possum in my roof?

Yes. Tell them about pets and children in the house so they can plan. We don't give trapping or baiting advice, so leave that part to the technician.

Pest control Dunedin: rats, borer and possum rules

What's different in Dunedin

Possum rules depend on where you live

Under Otago's Regional Pest Management Plan, possums are pests only in Dunedin's site-led areas: Otago Peninsula, West Harbour/Mt Cargill, Quarantine Island and Goat Island. In those areas, nobody may keep, hold, enclose or otherwise harbour them.

A peninsula with no possums

On 11 March 2026, Predator Free Dunedin and the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group announced the Otago Peninsula had been declared possum free.

A city-wide goal

Predator Free Dunedin aims to get rid of possums, rats and stoats from Dunedin's urban and rural landscapes by 2050.

Who to ask

Otago Regional Council takes enquiries weekdays from 8am to 5pm.

Less sunshine

NIWA says coastal Otago gets less sunshine on average than many other parts of the country. Shaded, damp timber is what borer favour.

Something in the roof at night

Thumping is more likely a possum. Scratching and gnawing is more likely a rat. DOC says adult possums are 65 to 95 cm long, so you'll usually hear the difference. Possums are an introduced pest everywhere in New Zealand, whatever the regional plan says about where they're declared.

If you're on the Peninsula, a possum is worth mentioning to Otago Regional Council as well as to the pest business. The area was only declared clear this year.

Rats and mice

DOC calls the ship rat the most common rat in New Zealand, and says Norway rats are more typically found around people in urban areas. The EPA lists droppings, teeth marks and scratching noises as the signs to check for.

Dunedin's hills, gardens and bush reserves give rats plenty of cover. Tenancy Services says winter is when they're more likely to come indoors, so autumn is a good time to check the gaps.

Borer in older Dunedin homes

Older timber houses are where borer usually turns up. Settled.govt.nz says larvae spend 2 to 4 years in soft timber such as floorboards, piles and weatherboards before they emerge. Consumer NZ said in 2015 that borer are often found on the south side of a building, and in floor timbers prone to damp.

If you're buying, ask that the building inspection includes borer. Some inspectors exclude it. There's more on borer treatment and what it involves.

What you can do

You can

Keep subfloor vents clear and the space aired.
Check the south wall and the floor near it for holes and dust.
Store food, including pet food, in sealed containers.
Trim branches back from the roof.

Leave to a pest business

Possums or rats inside the house.
Treating borer, and judging whether it's active.
Finding how pests are getting into the ceiling.

Our take on pests in Dunedin

We'd work out what's in the roof by the sound and the droppings, then tap it, and say if we were on the Peninsula or in West Harbour. For an older house, we'd get down under it with a torch at least once, because borer hides well.

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.

What have you seen?