#%$@ing Possums!

[Bush bunny]

I'd try the barking dog sensor. However, be warned - I had a toad sensor by the front door. We couldn't shut the bastard up.Your own dog might be blamed.LOL. We had a bit of trouble with mice and rats. And I swear either they or birds pinched the moss. So my son said, don't poison them, we'll trap them. He believed mice (and men lol) get the message if they see one of their own dead in the trap. It worked too, rather than poison.

[JaseH]

So far so good with the electric wire - no sign of possum activity around my trees for a couple of nights now.



The wire stapled to the top rail is earthed - the other wire is live.





The fence energiser is only switched on at night. There are 2 trees either side of my benches which I have wrapped a section of the trunks with clear polycarbonate so they cant descend the trees onto my benches. The only real way they can access the benches now is to travel across open ground which I'm hoping they wont do for fear of the dogs.

[Beano]

Now I'm in Adelaide I have possum again. I think it's just one, was only eating my crabapple blossums, nearly knocking one of my air layers from its pot. Last night it's eaten just about every tree with new foliage. I'm currently waiting for future husband to build my shelves to go on the slat wall. I want to think that'll help, but it puts them higher off the ground and on a fence they can scale instead. The cat has free access to outside but she did nothing, as usual!!

[Raging Bull]

Hope it works for you, Jase. I have one pesky possum that frequents my place at night, but so far has only dined out on my roses. I have two next to the bonsai bench, and every time they get fresh shoots the poossum dines out on them. I'm leaving the roses there as a sacrificial offering in the hope that will be enough to satisfy the poossum.

[Kelv]

Fairy lights programmed to have different lighting patterns/intervals. The possums figure it out if the same patterns go on.

Worked for about 20 years then they eventually figured it out.

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[Lane]

Several of my prize trees have copped a flogging this spring, all my Wisteria flower buds are gone, Black Pine needles and shoots, a nice Hinoki Cypress, i'm over it.

[Max]

would spraying your trees with a crushed chilli/garlic water mixture be a deterrent ?

[Beano]

No. None of it works. Bird spikes, Vicks vapour rub, chilli, water spray gun. They're crafty buggers. I might try the high frequency noise thing next, though I think the cat will not like it.

[Robsterios]

I'm keen to find out if these sensor'ed ultrasonic's actually work or not. They're not cheap but if they do the job. I was thinking about installing electric fencing called "Pinng String" by a company called Sureguard. It's purpose built for small animals - cats/possums. I'm not convinced though as they will just find another way around. I too am losing foliage, in particular, Maples but this year is the first the ringtails are venturing down to my benches.
If anyone has had luck with these Ultrasonic devices, please let us know....

[JaseH]

In my experience the only thing that works reliably is a physical barrier. These guys have adjusted to live in a heavily populated area, they are used to noise, lights, smells whatever we can do to annoy them, they will get accustomed to it pretty quickly and learn to ignore it.

The electric wire barrier works reasonably well but is not suited to all set-ups. I also have tree barriers to prevent them accessing the benches from the trees, and a couple of possum hating dogs that keep them off the ground.

[Beano]

I’ve made a habit of putting the vulnerable trees up closer to the house and leaving the patio lights on, but I can’t do this every night. So I got away with it for a few days but last night it came back again. Knocked over my crabapple layer again!!! The root ball better not be snapped!! Also my poor swampy has not one single branch now and the baby trident has copped a chewing as well.

[KIRKY]

Save your money the sensor'ed ultrasonic's actually don't work. I got two, both aimed at a Rose arbour in the back yard they can't get to it with out triggering it. Yet they strip this Arbour every few days as soon as it starts to shoot again they are back. The only thing we found that worked was Scat from the green shed hubby mixes it up and sprays all the over hanging trees and the Rose arbour it works for a couple of weeks or until it rains. Then you have to reapply. We have the little ring tails, not sure it it will work on the brush tail ones they are tough buggers.
Cheers
Kirky

[Beano]

I refuse to use Scat, I lost a few trees after putting ready to use spray on scat on them, the leaves got burned and a couple died right back. We’ve bought some pest netting as a temporary measure, to be put over the trees at night.


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[Beano]

This is my current tactic, it goes on at night and is taken off in the mornings. Eventually my slat wall will have shelves so I’ll have to rethink the netting, perhaps smaller individual nets?

My cat is able to get under a quilt cover that hangs freely so I’m assuming a possum will be able too get under a net the same way as well?

[Ryceman3]

Hi Beano,

Netting works and will keep your bonsai safe, but it does become pretty tedious covering/uncovering (as well as being kinda ugly). I have created a "bonsai bunker" where I keep my trees at night.

bonsai bunker.jpg

I have had this set up for about 18 months or more and only had one "break in" in that time (my fault), possums are opportunists and any weak spot will be exploited. If your cat can get in then as far as a possum is concerned - that's a front door with a welcome mat out the front.

I am currently in the process of 'upgrading' this net system with some black netting I found online (I think it might be slightly less ugly). This time I am going to use zips running down the side of the net to make entry/exit easier and make sure there no holes/entry points down the sides because any hole will be found eventually. Take that ringtail ...!

I have previously used SCAT and found it effective to a degree - I didn't spray my trees directly, but the pots and area immediately around them. However the reapplication due to rain/watering was just too annoying. Note that I have noticed that my ringtail possums are not interested in eating olive trees ... not sure if that is a general rule - but I have found I don't need to worry about them getting a midnight prune. Everything else seems to be on the menu though...

Shelves on your slat wall should look awesome - hopefully the possums can give you a break! Good luck.