perverse possum

19 years ago

I never thought I'd be saying this but I'm being driven nuts by a marauding possum.

It seems to like the taste of anything sprayed with Deter on my balcony and lately it's taken to breaking into my flat and eating flowers out of the vase.

I won't have it removed as survival rates of possums transferred anywhere at all are woeful, but I'm at my wits' end about how to deal with this animal fairly.

I'm starting to think it must be related to that diabolical green phenomenon in Ghostbusters - the one pigging all the food in that fancy hotel.

There seems to be an abundance of stuff it should like - plumbago and lillypilly - growing around here, but it doesn't eat that. Any advice?

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Comments (6)

moreton
19 years ago
HiRRoss,
Q1, If your possum is not relocated (moved in at your place)where did he come from ?
Him moving in at your place is possibly as a result of oversupply of good food since the recent good rains in some areas. Some one trapped him and dropped him off at your place. Overcrowding in your local area. The oversupply of possums in your area is happening all over Australia. If you feed them they will breed up in to even more numbers.( Prepare for more new arrivals)
Had an elderly lady friend she started feeding possums and ended up with 45 in her house,roof and ceiling, when she moved out it took 2 years to relocate the tribe.The locals called her the Possum Lady, I wish you luck. Peter r
rross
Original Author
19 years ago
I think we've got a definition prob with the word relocate. The possum is probably nesting in a tree near my flat, and happily goes home every morning after feasting on my balcony plants and those I've planted on the common roof garden - all this action is happening at 3rd floor level. I'd be happy with its housing arrangements if it didn't have gourmet tastes. I'm starting to wonder if it was hand-reared by some misguided/criminal soul at the David Jones food hall and then released directly on my balcony. I must have financed the Deter manufacturer's villa in the south of France by now.
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Hi If that were only true lol My entire grow area is only 25x75 feet. Contains 4 water gardens the lagest 5x10 an 8x14 aviary and a 12x25 shadehouse.Add to that I'm a hopeless "collector". So what I have are a series of interconected specialized grow areas. The total effect looks much like a yardsale lol Patches of lush jungle with lots of weeds and pots all over the place. Though I have tried over the years a "lanscape" plan has only evolved from "No more room" lol NOT very photogenic ,you need 6 paragraphs of caption to explain what the heck it's a pic of lol. There are dozens of fantastic gardens in florida . Check out the Florida forum. BEAUTIFUL!! I suspect they are cheating though as I see clipped hedges, edged beds,manicured lawns!! Even more perverse they have pathways , even areas where you don;t have to turn sideways or climb over something to get through.lol They may even be using a "landscape " plan ??!! Oh well I love my garden .okay jumble lol gary
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moreton
19 years ago
Hi RRoss,
High rise possums, well it had to come I suppose,we could do a reality segment or show on this subject. Dame Edna was right all along, we could call it" Hello Possums" coming to your neighbourhood soon. Our local group travel on our overhead Cable TV lines (Some make the mistake and go to High Tension Powerlines on top of the pole. R.I.P.) and travel to each others homes and wake you at 3.30 a.m. fighting each other for space/ territory, I can watch them out our window going up and down the street some nights,( sorry but not much on the box at present)David Attenbourough's got a lot to answer for. Sounds like a caged in 3rd floor balcony Garden. Good luck, Peter r.
User
19 years ago
Hi rross,
Some possums (not all) really dislike Quassia. Quassia amara is a South American shrub containing a very bitter substance. You can buy quassia chips at a lot of nurseries and garden suppliers, also at some chemists.
Put 25g per litre of water, boil for 30mins, cool, dilute 1 part of this mix to 3 parts water, put in spray bottle and spray your plants. A plus to this, it also kills aphids. If you spray on fruit or vegies don't spray them for a week before harvest and wash them well. Good luck, Dee.
danielkemp
19 years ago
Thanks Dee. I am now on the lookout for quassia chips.
moreton
19 years ago
Hi All,
was working at the Pet & Animal Expo last weekend and found these guys with a harmless automatic motion detector spraycan that lets of a spray of harmless gas and scares the intruders off, cats, dogs, possums, etc. may be worth a look. Its called the "Garden Ghost" may be a new product and help save your plants and save cleaning up the messs caused by visitors. Another option possibly, Peter r

Here is a link that might be useful: Animal Behavior Systems

perverse possum

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perverse possum

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