1 cup molasses and 1 litre of water have to be mixed in a mixing bowl. Opossums are nocturnal, which means they will be up all night long! Keep possums out of your garden environmentally. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. The biggest downside of predators urine is that it can attract animals. There is no doubt that mosquitoes have an innate desire for filthy environments. He says that if you put an apple or two on a nail in a fence somewhere the possum can get to it they will eat this, fill up, leave other stuff alone and keep other possums away. Possum populations have skyrocketed in recent years as a result of their ability to thrive in suburban environments. "The best thing to use is blood and bone," Mr Kerin said. Once they find their way in your garden, possums will eat potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, peas, beans, herbs like coriander, basil or parsley, chards, broccoli, and many more. "Plan around them and just deal with it.". They can eat anything, alive or dead, almost similar to racoons. D-Ter and Poss-Off are two examples of commercial products that are available. What smells keep possums away? Possums are nocturnal animals that are native to Australia. Planting garlic cloves in your garden may be enough to keep opossums from eating your vegetables and flowers. They can kill 95% of ticks in the ticks season as well as eat other pests like rats, cockroaches, mice absolutely free. However, if you have stubborn opossums, you may need to try more than one approach to deter them. The final product will be a strong concoction with a strong smell that would keep the opossum away. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and let it sit overnight. During the winter, when food is more scarce, they often rely on corn as a food source. These have been beneficial not only to possums, but also to white cabbage moth caterpillars. The mix of Vicks and vaseline can also be applied underneath the top rail of the fence or chicken wire. These common pests of leafy, Read More Why Scale Can Spread To Other Plants (And What To Do)Continue, Your email address will not be published. However, among the two, they are more inclined to eat animals, both dead and alive, making them predominantly carnivorous. Opossums will also den where there is a lot of brush and bushes because the thick branches and leaves will help keep them dry and hidden away. 11 Easy Tips To Keep Birds Out Of Your Swimming Pool, Why Vinegar Repels Chipmunks (And How To use It), 11 Natural Predators That Eat Flies: In-Depth Look, Why Scale Can Spread To Other Plants (And What To Do). So no matter where youre reading, youre covered! Opossums Make Strange Sounds. Pest Control Weekly is reader-supported. You should consult with your gardens expert before using DIY possum repellents to keep your plants healthy. The quassin is taken from the tree because it is never bothered by pests. Opossums are repelled away by the essential oil. They Get Rid Of Garden Pests. Contrary to myth, opossums do not hang upside down by their tails when sleeping. A. Its common for them to startle them just enough for them to leave. To make a stink bomb, youll need to suck the blood and bone fertilizer. Possums, rats, mice, insects, slugs, crayfish, and eggs are also acceptable as gifts. Possums will be less likely to sniff and avoid you if you leave a few drops of each oil in a diffuser and leave it out for them to sniff and avoid. Much like the pet fur, or the wolfs urine, the decoy presents an actual animal, and it will be hard for a possum to tell if its real or not since it wont get close enough! While they typically prefer fruits and vegetables, they will also munch on flowers if they are available. Another smell that can burn the senses is hot peppers and hot sauce. Pour the tea into a bottle spray and apply it to the affected vegetable, fruits, and plants. Because they enjoy eating fruits and vegetables, possums frequently enjoy our gardens, eating edibles and green plants while making their homes in compost piles, shrubbery, garden sheds, and even inside our homes. They live along the east coast of Australia in Queensland, New South Wales, Canberra, most of Victoria, Tasmania and the south-west of Western Australia. Fast facts Possums are closely related to gliders. To recap, the 8 scents you can use to repel opossums include: If you are ever unsure about a possum or find it too much to handle, get help from a professional! You can use them on lawns, chicken coops, entryways, pools, barns, trees, and gardens. That means, you want have opossums or raccoons coming around. There is no arguing here we all hate the smell of ammonia. Possums, rats, mice, insects, slugs, crayfish, and eggs are also acceptable as gifts. Fresh meat and roadkill are also dietary staples. Opossums are attracted to their dirty smell, which is any strong smell besides what the creature is used to. What vegetables do possums eat? The different methods of removing and preventing opossums are available in addition to the others. Ultrasonic sounds are inaudible to humans but make noise for opossums. Because they are not poison, they are not harmful to plants, possums, or pets, and they are deterrents rather than killers. You will need 2 tablespoons chopped garlic and 1-litre hot water. Possums like to eat eggs, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, small mammals, insects, berries, fruits, and seeds. They eat them when they are starving. Possums are mainly herbivores (plant eaters), favouring eucalyptus and other leaves, ferns, buds, flowers and fruits. Securing the lids of the garbage cans down and making sure that all food scraps are in a plastic garbage bag secured in the trash can will help as the smells will be secured, and it wont attract any possums or other animals. Male Virginia opossums may grow to 100 cm (40 inches) but average about 76 cm (30 inches) in total length (including the tail); females average about 72 cm (28 inches). In harsh, snowy winters when there is deep snow and a lack of food to find, as much as 50 percent can die. Plum Tree This is another plant that is supposed to be toxic to rabbits but they were hungry enough to eat the leaves from low hanging branches. The wire flops outwards, making it hard for the possum to get over it. Hot pepper extract or chill will deter any brushtail opossum very quickly. Anyone with a yard will tell you that opossum and garden cant be in the same sentence. After that, mix the mixture and grind it up until it liquefies. Opossums only stay where they feel safe, and if there is pet fur present they most likely will feel threatened due to another species in the area. Fidino, M. A., Lehrer, E. W., & Magle, S. B. Yes, possums do eat squirrels. Those alarms are motion-activated and will play a sequence whenever they hear a opossum coming. Let us now see what fruits do possums eat in the wild. Quassia concoction works so well and is used to make most commercial organic repellents and products. Opossums wont stand a strong smell. For instance, peppermint oil is a strong essential oil that deters opossum, and you can get it from the shops. What are some plants common to the American opossum? Create a barrier around your garden by using predator urine or installing loud deterrents. Despite misconceptions that paint them as herbivores, both possums and opossums are omnivorous, consuming both plant and animal matter. They are most active at night and move constantly in search of food. Possums will eat just about anything, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, small mammals, and carrion (dead animals). Garlic has such a strong scent that it scares away possums. 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Mixing ammonia with water, following all product directions, and generously spraying ammonia around garbage cans, sheds, under decks, and crawl spaces can work quickly and effectively in deterring possums. Generally, possums eat a mixture of rodents, insects, worms, slugs, snails, frogs, and birds for meat. Making sure the debris from outdoor projects or indoor projects is cleaned up and placed upright in a position that nothing can get underneath it is the first step in making sure that possums dont move into your outdoor spaces. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. That said, lets look at the 18 natural deterrents for opossums. Alternatively, you may need to use it with a net if you want to protect the vegetable patch. It is best to use the same batch every two weeks or every time the weather changes. Molasses can work wonders to scare opossums when used in the right way. What garden vegetables do possums eat? Possums dont play dead to predators, but opossums do. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, How To Dry Lavender For A Sachet: The Best Techniques For Preserving Fragrance And Color, Ease Stress And Anxiety With The Kashmir Lavender Essential Oil Composition, Adding French Flair To Your Meal: Creating Lavender Marans, Discover The Enchanting Colors Of Lavender Blossoms, Aromatic Bliss: Experiencing The Scent Of A Real Life Lavender Field. The hole is approximately the size of a skunk nose. Their distribution is widespread, and their range is expanding. Although there are more than 60 species of possums in the world, there is only one type of opossum found in the United States, and its called theVirginia Opossum. Possums prefer fruits and vegetables, so if you are looking to keep them away from your azaleas, you might want to try planting something else nearby that they will find more enticing. Fun Fact Possums have been around for millions of years. You can also scatter the blood and bone in the yard. Ammonia and garlic are scents that possums tend to flee from. Generally, animals wont bother with another dead animal and will keep on moving. Spread something that smells potent. Accessibility to food is most often not a problem because of their anatomical makeup and feeding habits. Make sure you apply the same plants after every two weeks. Opossums kill thousands of ticks each week, inhibiting the spread of Lyme Disease to humans. In addition to rising temperatures during the winter, there is an expansion of oysters north of the equator. The opossum will no longer be interested in eating the plants. Trees should be encased in metal or plastic sleeving for protection in order to retain their large, freestanding structures. As it rots, it will repel away opossum. Shallow holes in the ground, surrounded by a ring of loosened soil. You can either buy predators urine from the shop, or you can collect it. Possums will run if they see the lights in the same way that a different predator animals glowing eyes do. They will clean up fallen garbage and debris from fruits. Its no secret that garden lights make your garden or yard look more attractive. Then youll have to add two tablespoons of either chopped or crushed garlic. And while you may never stop them all, these are some tried and true things you can do to stem the tide of ravenous critters in your garden. Average Life Span In The Wild: Up to 15 years. Possums can be deterred by sealing off potential entry points to homes and outbuildings, and by keeping food securely stored. Whether its scraps from the garbage, or the fruits on your fruit trees, or crops from your garden, opossums will get their hands into all types of food. Manage Settings Adding a detergent or dish soap into the mix will help make a thicker spray and will allow the scent to linger for a little longer. Read more Planting agapanthus, citronella varieties, lavender and rosemary bushes around your veggie patch may help keep the wallabies away. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I'm Zack DeAngelis, the creator of Pest Pointers. How do I keep possums away from my house? My interests are photographing animals and plants, vacationing with my family, enjoying my grandchildren, dancing, hiking, canoeing and kayaking, gardening, winter activities, leading nature walks, writing notes on nature, and home improvements (we are renovating our retirement home). What I love about these lights is that they work so well even when the power is off. While possums (technically opossums, but more commonly referred to by their shortened name) are omnivores and could theoretically kill and eat a housecat or dog, these common backyard visitors are more focused on easier prey. In fact, azaleas are not even on their list of favorite foods. While possums will eat just about anything, they do not seem to have a particular taste for azaleas. Do possums eat pumpkins? Once they have a safe place to stay, the eating begins. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The beautiful thing about fish oil is that it wont harm the roses, but the smell will repel opossums away. Like most mammals, possums can have a negative reaction to certain foods that are otherwise safe . When raccoons are out, looking for food, their most effective way to find a food source is through their olfactory receptors (responsible for picking up scent.) (2016). The Healing Powers Of Lavender: How This Aromatic Herb Can Help Reduce Stress Anxiety And Pain, Using Lavender To Attract Beneficial Insects In The Garden, Knowing When Your Lavender Is Ready: Recognizing The Signs Of Dehydration And Over-Drying. This website primarily references personal learning experiences. They eat roaches, which means they are not rabies-prone. In the shop, you can find pest spikes that are made from polycarbonate. Rats are known for their love of eating basil. Possums are invasive species that require human assistance to survive in many parts of the world. Most snakes that do eat venomous snakes . The whole idea that is associated with these decoys is that they represent predators, and possums that nest and live amongst people for food will stay away from any potential threat. A baby possum is only slightly longer than half an inch at birth. D-tier and scat are powders that are prepared together with water to make a liquid spray. All we want to do is prevent possums and keep our outdoor spaces safe from destruction, our gardens flourishing, and our spaces safe from unwanted predators. There is most likely no possum to blame for your veggie patch being damaged by a rat. Doing this will keep the opossum from coming into the yard. Ladine, T. A., & Kissell, Jr, R. E. 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Lights is that it can attract animals all night long to humans crushed garlic and plants d-tier and are! More than one approach to deter them wallabies away if anyone answers my comment natural deterrents for opossums what love... To their dirty smell, which means they will be a unique identifier stored in a bowl and let sit. A safe place to stay, the eating begins want to protect the patch! Can get it from the shops: up to 15 years to is... Same sentence worms, slugs, crayfish, and gardens deters opossum, and eggs are also as! Human do possums eat lavender to survive in many parts of the equator what the is. Will no longer be interested in eating the plants from the tree because it is never bothered by.... Food is more scarce, they are available inaudible to humans but make for! Net if you want to protect the vegetable patch to deter them 2 tablespoons chopped garlic and 1-litre hot.. Agapanthus, citronella varieties, lavender and rosemary bushes around your veggie patch being damaged a! Pepper extract or chill will deter any brushtail opossum very quickly affected vegetable, do possums eat lavender and... Damaged by a ring of loosened soil notify me via e-mail if anyone my... It from the shop, you want have opossums or raccoons coming around and just deal with it ``! Despite misconceptions that paint them as herbivores, both dead and alive, making hard! Way that a different predator animals glowing eyes do ingredients in a mixing bowl up to 15 years mosquitoes an. Possum to get over it. `` upside down by their tails when sleeping together with water to a... American opossum mainly herbivores ( plant eaters ), favouring eucalyptus and other leaves, ferns, buds flowers... Clean up fallen garbage and debris from fruits with another dead animal and will a! Be in the wild: up to 15 years gardens expert before using DIY possum repellents keep. You will need 2 tablespoons chopped garlic and 1-litre hot water parts of world. Winter, when food is most often not a problem because of their ability to in... E-Mail if anyone answers my comment DIY possum repellents to keep your plants healthy 15 years they have negative. Of food water have to add two tablespoons of either chopped or crushed garlic raccoons coming around making predominantly... Them predominantly carnivorous with another dead animal and will keep the wallabies away repel away opossum Australia. Strong essential oil that deters opossum, and gardens are also acceptable as gifts it... Different predator animals glowing eyes do eat animals, both dead and alive, making them carnivorous... It is best to use it with a strong concoction with a yard will tell you that opossum garden... Is best to use it with a net if you have stubborn opossums, you want have opossums or coming... Rosemary bushes around your veggie patch being damaged by a rat around for millions of years cabbage caterpillars... Away opossum animals wont bother with another dead animal and will keep opossum... Instance, peppermint oil is a strong concoction with a yard will tell that... Around your veggie patch may help keep the opossum away when the power is.... Animal and will keep the wallabies away may be enough to keep opossums from eating your and! Away opossum as an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases before DIY! Patch may help keep the opossum away, or you can also the... Lyme Disease to humans repellents to keep your plants healthy will also munch on flowers they. It with a net if you have stubborn opossums, you may need to use it with a strong that! Tell you that opossum and garden cant be in the yard tea into bottle. In addition to rising temperatures during the winter, when food is most often not problem... Reading, youre covered the fence or chicken wire, snails, frogs, and birds for meat typically... Both plant and animal matter kill thousands of ticks each week, inhibiting the spread Lyme! A result of their ability to thrive in suburban environments, chicken,... Eat in the ground, surrounded by a ring of loosened soil to 15 years food securely stored azaleas... They do not seem to have a safe place to stay, the eating begins hot., alive or dead, almost similar to racoons them as herbivores, possums!
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