Bloody possum!!!

[Beano]

Going to be a bloody possum when I'm don't with it. It didn't eat much except my recovering citrus - all the leaves, then it managed to snap the thread graft at the trunk. >:(

It also ate a branch of new leaves of my white pink bougy, despite a hedge of 3 large bougies a mere 5meters away that it wouldn't have had to climb on my balcony for.

Time to get some poss off. Not sure what the cat could do through the screen door but clearly it didn't help.


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[Handy Mick]

Get a possum trap or cat trap, put in some pair and honey camouflage with eucalyptus branches and camelia branch with buds and take it a very long way away like +15-20 km

[Beano]

Bloody possum was back last night. The cat did decide to kick and scratch my door at 4am but when I came out to investigate there was nothing on the balcony.

I had sprayed scat on Tuesday, but today, another branch snapped off my bougainvillea, my new shoot on my last chance to live crabapple eaten. They seem to only like baby leaves. It walked across the balcony to get to the crabapple.

I can't see a possum trap here without huge dramas, so do you think it would help if I just put a plate out for it? Would that fill it up and it won't go for my trees? Other option is chop back Lilly pilly screen that it climbs up to get to my balcony but that isn't mine (body corporate) and I may fall off trying.

[DustyRusty]

Beano. Sorry to hear this.

My previous place had bad bad possums. Ate everything in sight. they ran out of food so they stripped the bark of my lemon tree.

Unfortunately for me Poss-Off and Scat didn't work. Chilli spray didn't either (not surprising considering the possums also ate my chilli plants). Trapping them might, but legally you have to release them in the same area which is completely pointless.

One thing I have found that works is to move your trees to ground level. Possums generally speaking like to feed up high. And only brushtails feed from the ground at all. Not only move them to ground level but if possible move them to the other side of the garden, or house, or somewhere a good distance away. Possums are very terratorial and will have marked that spot as a food spot. Putting your trees on the ground in a different spot for say 3 months may send your possums elsewhere.

All the best, hope your trees survive.

[Beano]

I only have balcony to put them on dusty . Today, I have a big fake owl with a head that jiggles in the wind and solar eyes that light up in the dark. Owly is my new mascot and I will have fun rearranging it around my balcony with the plants. If nothing else it might frighten off the stupid mynas when they come to torment my kitty


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[DustyRusty]

Yeah. It was when I lived in a unit and my trees were on a balcony that was easily accessible to possums that I had all the problems.

I hope the owl works, but I doubt it.

The other option that worked while i was there was covering the trees. You could build a chicken wire cage over them and that would do it. Real annoying though and really ugly.

Besides that, my Dad had some very effective solutions to control possums eating his trees but they were illegal so I don't want to get banned from the forum by suggesting them.

[Jason]

Hey Beano,

Just did a little looking, and found that these spikes can work quite well. I know you're in a difficult spot to do much, so you might find these will work in your situation.

Basically just spikes that you can wrap around tree's, or in your case the balcony railing

http://www.easypestsupplies.com.au/pest ... pikes.html

Even helps with the myna birds

You can also use netting to cover your important tree's at night, which might work for you.

Or use put a motion detecting spotlight out on your balcony, as they are nocturnal, they tend to not like bright lights. But then.... you might not like a bright light popping on every few minutes either

And finally a homemade remedy (although might leave a mess on your balcony):

Step 1| Mix equal quantities of Vaseline and Vicks VapoRub on a plastic container lid.

Step 2| Use a knife or a spoon to spread the mixture along known possum highways around your garden.

[Beano]

The owl didn't work. Off to get spikes

[Bougy Fan]

You can get the spikes from the big green shed. And you can attach them to the handrail with zip ties if you rent or silicone if it is permanent.

[DustyRusty]

The owl didn't work. Off to get spikes

The spikes do seem like a good idea....

The only problem is possums can scale vertically too. So every point of entry would need spikes, i.e. your whole balcony rail would need them.

All the best!

[deejay335]

The owl might keep unwanted human's away - that thing is creepy looking!!

[Jason]

The owl didn't work. Off to get spikes

The spikes do seem like a good idea....

The only problem is possums can scale vertically too. So every point of entry would need spikes, i.e. your whole balcony rail would need them.

All the best!

Yeah, I'm thinking some form of Alcatraz set up

Good luck Beano, hopefully something works for you

[Jan]

Yeah, I'm thinking some form of Alcatraz set up

Jason could be right!

I'd suggest "fencing in" the balcony using flyscreening stretched over a frame - fly screen framing (the type used to make the ones on windows), timber (only needs to be light), small box section metal or rigid plastic tubes (tube and joiners available from hardware stores) - whatever your DIY expertise suits. If it is made to be freestanding (maybe braced to the balcony railing with zip ties to secure it against wind) it should be fine even if you're renting. Could be a cheaper option in the long run. If you explain to the body corp. what damage is being done they may be on your side if you offer a solution that doesn't harm the possums, and if the body corp. wants a particular colour so that it blends in with the building then use shadecloth instead of flyscreen - shadecloth comes in a range of colours and weights (usually 50% up to 90%) so you should be able to find something that will work for everyone.

It doesn't have to look like a prison, just a tidy screened area and could have the added benefit of being a safe outdoor area for your cat and a bug/mozzie free area for you and your trees.

If you need something less intrusive/smaller you could always just box/screen in the area with your trees in it just make sure that any latches on the opening for you to access your trees is possum proof; they can be nimble little rogues.

Best of luck with the possum problem,

Jan

[Beano]

Lol! I have bamboo fence screen thing up at the bbq end to stop the cat getting on the neighbours awning. If it's the same possum it used to sleep in an upturned old metal watering can on my balcony during the day. I got rid of the can when the cat got fleas, and it hasn't shown any interest in my balcony since, until now.

I want the Lilly pilly trimmed back, mainly because it obscures my view of the northern suburbs, but also because of the possum highway. Excuse me now while I go and smear Vicks vapour rub everywhere...

If I had a tap out there, I would so get one of those motion activated water jets...

[Beano]

Day 3 of no possum visit. Cut back Lilly pilly yesterday, rearranged entire balcony and put some spikes up. I now have large branch Lilly pilly cuttings. Hope they take because that was a lot of effort!