Many people think that possums are quite advantageous animals to have in or around your property. It is because they eat pesky insects, clear away garbage, and are pretty cute. But everyone does not think the same for possums. There are many people who think that wild animals should stay away. For them, having a possum around their property is not a pleasant experience. So, let us find out how to get rid of possums.
Before you begin and try to remove or trap an irritating possum from your property, you need to do proper identification. Many times, people confuse gray possums with cats. So, you should know that most adult possums are around 24” to 40” long. They weigh around 4 to 12 pounds and have a 10-12” long tail. Possums can also be identified by their droppings. Their poop is around 1-2” in length, brown in color, smooth on sides, and covered in yellowish or white mold growth.
Once you ensure that you’re dealing with a possum, there are many methods to throw them out. Either you can use a trap or hire a pest control Melbourne company. Though it can be challenging to remove a possum, the best way is through taking preventive measures.
Tips to Get Rid of Possums
1.Remove All Possum Attractants
You can either seal or get rid of water sources, food materials, and prospective possum homes to effectively prevent them from sticking around. In case trash or pet food are kept outside overnight, you give an open invitation to the possum for a feast at your property. If you have fruit-bearing plants, ensure to never leave crops on the ground. Remove these items using sealable trash bags to keep possums from rooting via the trash cans.
2. Secure Outer Entry Points
Open holes can offer simple access. If a possum gets in your house, chicken coops, or barns, they can damage a lot. To limit their access, you should close entrances, fix foundation cracks or broken vents, and trim branches whenever needed. Possums can enter houses via pet doors. Hence, you should seal those doors as well. As possums are great climbers, they can climb a tree high and jump near a chimney. Trimming the branches of trees close to the chimney will make them more difficult for them to climb.
3. Electronic Repellents
There are many electronic repellents such as motion-activated sprinklers available in the market these days. Hey can startle and scare the possums. Such repellents are environment friendly and offer consistent results. You can use them on chicken coops, lawns, pools, barns, entryways, trees, compost bins, and other places around the yard. Wind chimes and lawn lights can also make your backyard less welcoming to the possums.
4. Chemical Repellents
Chemical repellents that are available at your local hardware or home improvement stores can also be applied to flower beds, structure bases, and gardens to keep possums away. While these repellents differ by type and brand, most of them are powdered and have predator urine. They are quite expensive to buy, but possess a powerful odor. These repellents provide little relief only unless you apply them in high concentration frequently. To get the best results, you should use chemical repellents in line with other possum control Melbourne methods.
5. Use a bait and cage
In case you spot a possum in your house, you can attract the critter using a live trap. It can be helpful to set a trap at night to bait them. Food products like overripe fruit, peanut butter, jam on bread, etc. can attract them. You should set up the trap along the common travel points in the home, so that the critter doesn’t misses the bait.
6. Install Fencing
Though possums are skilled at climbing, an electric or wire fence can help keep them far from the garden. To prevent them, fencing needs to be 4 feet high at least, with its top feel in outward direction to make an overhang. You may also add an electric fence at an outer angle, nearly 3-4” over the top. Other areas like stairways, crawl spaces, and underneath porches must be blocked. Cover such openings with sheet metal or steel wire mesh.
7. Install Nesting Boxes
While a backyard or your house is not a perfect home for possums, you may build or buy a nesting box for giving them their space if they continue coming around the yard. Possums like secure, tight spaces with small entrances to protect themselves from big predators. A nesting box can be a simple way to make an ideal space for possums in a yard and that won’t damage or disturb the home as well.
