In addition to ammonia and mothballs, possums will also steer clear of odors of vinegar, garlic, onion, peppermint, and camphor. These strong scents are often used as natural repellents to keep opossums away from gardens, trash cans, and other areas where they may be unwanted.
Possums are repelled by the stench of garlic, ammonia and mothballs. So go ahead and scatter those around where you think possums might hang out.
Possums like to sleep in the dark, so placing a light in the roof cavity and keeping it switched on for several days and nights may stop them from returning. There are also motion activated ultrasonic devices available that are triggered once a possum crosses the sensor, which may frighten possums away.
Possums are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975. Possums must not be harmed in any way or kept without approval from DELWP. It is illegal to harass or interfere with possums. However, common brushtail possums living within buildings, municipal parks and municipal gardens may be controlled.
There are protective sprays that can help deter possums from browsing on your plants. Yates Possum Repellent Spray is a patented formulation and contains ingredients that repel possums and help reduce feeding damage. You can use it on both edible and ornamental plants.
A nocturnal animal, it spends the day in a den in a hollow branch, tree-trunk, fallen log, rock cavity or even a hollow termite mound. Brushtail Possums prefer to live by themselves, not with other possums. The Brushtail Possum moves rapidly among trees and will leap from one branch to another.
Possums can squeeze through a nine-centimetre gap! Make the necessary temporary repairs (prepare something during the day) to prevent re-entry after the possum has gone out to feed at night (they usually leave their shelter about an hour after sunset).
What smell does a possum hate? Possums dislike the smell of pepper, ammonia, garlic and naphthalene.
Installing motion-activated sprinklers or lights can get expensive. However, it can be effective if you can't seem to keep them away. The sudden light or water will scare the opossums away and deter them from coming back. Predator Guard's Solar LED Deterrent Lights work well for nocturnal predators and pest animals.
Produce loud noises
Possums are shy animals, and they will usually avoid areas with a lot of noise. You can make noise by playing music, banging on pots and pans, or using a loud air horn.
Do not feed possums almonds, cheese, onions, dairy products, green potatoes or junk food. Put food in containers in high, sheltered areas. Spread the food throughout the enclosure to promote natural foraging. Possums need fresh water daily.
The outcome. Yates Possum Repellent Spray deters possums from eating plants. The spray can last for up to seven days. Based on natural substances, it can be used on both ornamental and edible plants with only a one-day withholding period.
DO NOT TRAP. Opossums are transient animals, staying only 2-3 days in an area before moving on.
Although they aren't particularly finicky eaters, the best possum bait is fish or apples. Baiting opossum traps with canned pet food also works well. While there are differences of opinion as to the best bait for opossums, all professional trappers agree, the smellier the better.
Possums can't protect themselves adequately against predators, so these marsupials don't stay in a particular place for very long. The only possum that remains in a specific nest for very long is a female possum with babies. Other possums move their nests frequently to prevent predators from locating them.
Possum Deterrence Using Strong Odours
Possums appear to have delicate tastes when it comes to strong odours. Menthol rubs, perfumed detergents, and even mothballs can deter them when spread around their regular haunts.
We have found the best bait to lure possums inside the trap is an apple cut in half.
Tried putting a plastic owl statue in the garden to scare the possums away, but that didn't work either.
Rat baits are unfortunately highly attractive to possums. If you put rat baits in your roof to kill rats and you also have possums living in your roof, then you are sentencing the possums to die a slow and extremely agonising death.
Possums are nocturnal and mainly feed between dusk and dawn. Brushtail Possums are generally lone creatures, choosing a company when they want to breed.
Opossum are not aggressive: their open-mouth, defensive hissing is merely a bluff to look vicious. And if that doesn't work they play dead when really scared! If there is an opossum in the backyard, don't worry. They aren't a threat, and more than likely they will be moving on in a short while.