AusBonsai

Getting a bit fed up with possums at my place! Its been a very bad year for them, I have a large number that call my yard home for some reason, I've spotted at least 4 in the canopy of one tree in my yard on dusk. All the yard tree's which they appear to eat have been stripped bare this winter and they are even starting to eat the bark. I think the population is too large for the available food this year. They don't normally bother me but when they start making their way onto my bonsai benches and stripping the foliage, that's the last straw!

My trees on monkey poles and stands are fine but my benches are close enough to a fence that they can access them. Last night they even ate all the new growth off a pingii juniper which was only just recovering from the last time they did it!

I have a lot of young deciduous trees about to burst into new fresh growth so I'm planning on setting up an electric barrier fence to protect the benches. I have a 240v mains electric fence energiser which I'll put on a timer to only come on at night. The energiser is designed for larger livestock so I might put a resistor in line on the hot wire to knock the voltage back a little - I want to scare them off not stun them into falling off the fence! Unfortunately because the possums probably wont be grounded(walking along a wooden fence) I'll probably have to run at least 2 wires(live and earth) for it to be effective.

Has anyone else done this before? I'll post back with how it goes.

I understand your pain. I have one resident possum. As***le ate all the leaves of my eucalyptus about to be bonsai. Stripped it bare. Also broke the most important feature branch of my favourite bonsai. It's really bad. I am pissed.

I used a similar electric fence set up when possums started crossing open ground to access my benches. It stopped them over night. I used mine on full power winter mode and it did the job. As they were using the ground i didn't need an earth but on your fence it would be a good idea. You might be able to use a hot section of chicken wire to get a full coverage of the fence top with an earthed section on the fence top leading to it to ground them?

Jow wrote:You might be able to use a hot section of chicken wire to get a full coverage of the fence top with an earthed section on the fence top leading to it?

Thanks Jow, I like that idea, I hadn't thought of that!

I adopted a dog.

Bunnings sell 'spikes' that you can attach to the fence top, would these help or are the bast..ds too smart. I have a possum that walks along the fence but ignores my Bonsai while on its way to the Magnolia in the front yard, Magnolia buds are like hot nuts to possums!
Have you thought of old fashioned ' lead' poisoning , am I allowed to say that?

Sounds like you'll be watching your bonsai sprout their fresh growth, while dining on possum fillet.

Eusto wrote:I adopted a dog.

The dog works well - until he goes to bed, that's when the damage happens.

macca66 wrote:Bunnings sell 'spikes' that you can attach to the fence top, would these help or are the bast..ds too smart. I have a possum that walks along the fence but ignores my Bonsai while on its way to the Magnolia in the front yard, Magnolia buds are like hot nuts to possums!
Have you thought of old fashioned ' lead' poisoning , am I allowed to say that?

I don't mind them using the fence, just don't want them to get off it onto my benches! Most of the time they do ignore the benches - but occasionally they stop off for snack , especially now they have eaten all the foliage in the yard trees they usually feed from and are getting hungry. Lead poisoning crossed my mind this morning when I checked on the tree's

I ran one around my vege patch when we were dog sitting coz it liked digging.

Lead poisoning is all well and good out here in the sticks, but in towns the neighbour's don't really appreciate it...

We are in the northern suburbs of Sydney and only a few hundred metres from a national park. My possums have to compete with the bandicoots, rabbits and wallabies ! My three largest trees are fenced off with chicken wire to stop the 'hoodlums' of the air, white cockatoos chewing on them. aaaaah wildlife.....

I used to live in Woolooware, and I had two dogs, a GSD and Golden retriever. Unfortunately they cornered a possum, in classic attack mode, one in front the other at the back. I rescued it but it died. Would these pesky fauna get through a shade cloth. How about a large, I mean large cat. They are nocturnal. Solar lights? I do sympathize. However, they do have sharp claws, be careful of your dogs eyes. I know that Kurrawongs ate all my olives in one sitting? Not a bonsai though.

There is a movement sensor, that barks, or a security light that does the same thing. Not sure of your nearest neighbors though. But it might wake up your dog. LOL.

The spikes do nothing. Don't waste your money. I moved to cairns where there are no possums! The first night I moved my plants to my new place about 5 rhinoceros beetles swarmed my balcony. Escape one pest to find another!

As for cats, my cats presence did not deter the possums.

Fence is now electrified - didn't get around to reducing the voltage so poor buggers are gonna cop an 8000V whack the next time they try to come near the bonsai

JaseH wrote:Fence is now electrified - didn't get around to reducing the voltage so poor buggers are gonna cop an 8000V whack the next time they try to come near the bonsai

Little buggers should mind their own business