Mixing either peppermint oil, ammonia, cayenne pepper, hot sauce or garlic with water in a spray bottle and misting it in possum-prone areas can be effective home remedies.
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. Garlic works best when it's crushed. If you decide to use ammonia, be careful!
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.
Vicks can be used for a home-made remedy. Mix equal quantities of Vaseline and Vicks VapoRub on a plastic container. Use a knife to spread the mixture along any known possum routes eg along fences. Spotlights trained onto trees can often be effective in reducing possum attacks.
Spicy Peppers – Like garlic, hot peppers produce a taste and scent opossums dislike. Mix one cup of water, a half cup of dish soap, and a half cup of hot sauce or crushed hot peppers together. Spray this mixture around your yard.
Block off the possum's access by pruning fruit tree branches that lead to your yard. Install collars around tree trunks using an iron sheet to prevent possums from climbing trees and reaching other areas of your garden.
Light. Possums like to operate under the cover of darkness, so anything that you can put in your garden that mimics the reflective eyes of a potential predator or lights up when they enter the garden should help scare them off.
Many people believe that moth balls will keep possums away, but this is not the case. Moth balls are actually poisonous to possums, and can kill them if they ingest them. If you're having problems with possums, the best thing to do is to contact a wildlife control specialist.
Main predators include dogs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, large hawks, and great horned owls. The chance of rabies in opossums is extremely rare. When frightened, opossums bare their 50 sharp teeth and hiss or growl. However, they would rather avoid confrontation and be left alone.
Possums are naturally skittish creatures who spend much of their time avoiding predators. Potential predators include domesticated dogs and cats. If you want to scare away a possum, you might want to try keeping a dog or cat around the house. The larger, the better!
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.
Mothballs and bleach effectively deter possums because of their unpleasant smells. Mothballs and bleach both effectively scare away possums. The reason these repellants work is simple: possums can't stand the smell. Their sense of smell is extremely keen, keener than any of their other senses.
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.
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.
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.
Opossums are awake and grooming between 6:00 PM and 8:00 AM, with most types of other activities occurring between 10:00 PM and 8:00 AM. The opossums spend the rest of the day, 8:00 AM through 6:00 PM, resting or sleeping. Psychon. Sei., 1969, Vol.
Aim to start a disturbance near where the opossum is to startle the opossum and make it want to leave. Making a loud noise or playing loud music usually is enough to get the animal to retreat off your property. If noise doesn't do the trick, you can try setting up balloons, pinwheels or oscillating fans in your yard.
Possums are nocturnal and mainly feed between dusk and dawn. Brushtail Possums are generally lone creatures, choosing a company when they want to breed.
In this situation, protective sprays can help. There are several commercial products available including D-Ter and Poss-Off, which are applied to growth (such as new shoots, buds, leaves). These are a deterrent and not a poison, so they are not harmful to the plants, the possums or pets.
Natural possum deterrents
Keep possums out of your garden environmentally. Planting agapanthus, citronella varieties, lavender and rosemary bushes around your veggie patch may help keep the wallabies away.
The Species Has Its Weaknesses
Dining on roadkill, one of its many food sources, shortens an opossum's lifespan considerably. So does the cold.