Possums, while seemingly cute and cuddly, can be a real nuisance for gardeners. They are notorious for their voracious appetites, capable of decimating your prized flowers, vegetable patches, and even fruit trees overnight. If you’re tired of sharing your harvest with these nocturnal visitors and wondering how to get rid of possums effectively, you’ve likely explored various possum deterrent methods. While traps and physical barriers can be effective, natural repellents, particularly those based on scent, can offer a more humane and less intrusive solution. Let’s explore four powerful smells that possums hate, offering a natural approach to possum control Mill Park.
Understanding Possum Behaviour: Why Scent Matters
Possums have a highly developed sense of smell, which they use to navigate, find food, and detect potential dangers. This keen sense of smell also makes them particularly sensitive to certain odours. By strategically using scents that possums find repulsive, you can effectively deter them from your property without resorting to harmful chemicals or inhumane traps.
The Four Scents Possums Can’t Stand:
Garlic: Garlic isn’t just a culinary staple; it’s also a potent possum repellent. The strong, pungent aroma of garlic is incredibly offensive to possums, deterring them from entering areas where it’s present. This is because garlic contains allicin, a compound that, when crushed or chopped, releases a powerful, sulfurous scent that possums dislike.
How to Use Garlic as a Possum Deterrent?
- Garlic Spray: Mix crushed garlic cloves with water and let it steep for a few days. Strain the mixture and use it as a spray around your garden, focusing on areas where you’ve seen possum activity. Reapply the spray after rain or every few days for best results.
- Garlic Cloves: Scatter unpeeled garlic cloves around your garden beds or hang them in mesh bags near plants that possums frequent. The scent will gradually permeate the area, creating an unpleasant environment for possums.
- Garlic Powder: Sprinkle garlic powder around the base of plants or mix it into the soil. This can provide a longer-lasting deterrent, as the scent will be released gradually over time.
Chili Peppers: The fiery heat of chili peppers is not just unpleasant for humans; it’s also a powerful possum deterrent. The capsaicin in chili peppers, which gives them their spicy kick, irritates possums’ sensitive noses and mouths, making them avoid areas where it’s present.
How to Use Chili Peppers as a Possum Deterrent?
- Chili Flake Spray: Mix chili flakes or cayenne pepper with water and a few drops of dish soap. Use this as a spray around your garden, focusing on areas where possums are active. The dish soap helps the spray adhere to plants and surfaces. Reapply after rain or every few days.
- Chili Powder: Sprinkle chili powder or cayenne pepper around your garden beds, especially near plants that possums like to eat. Be careful not to get the powder directly on the plants, as it can burn them.
- Chili Pepper Plants: Plant chili pepper plants strategically around your garden. Not only will they add a touch of spice to your cooking, but they’ll also act as a natural deterrent for possums.
Naphthalene (Mothballs): Mothballs, which contain naphthalene, have a strong, pungent odour that possums find repulsive. While effective, it is important to use mothballs cautiously, as they can be harmful to pets and children if ingested. It is best to avoid direct contact with the mothballs and use them sparingly.
How to Use Naphthalene as a Possum Deterrent?
- Placement: Place mothballs in small containers with holes or wrap them in cheesecloth and hang them in areas frequented by possums. Keep them out of reach of children and pets.
- Caution: Use mothballs sparingly and only as a last resort. Be aware of the potential risks to the environment and other animals. Consider safer alternatives whenever possible.
Ammonia: Ammonia has a strong, pungent smell that possums find distasteful. It mimics the scent of urine from predators, signaling danger and deterring them from the area. However, like naphthalene, ammonia should be used with caution, as it can be harmful if inhaled in large quantities.
How to Use Ammonia as a Possum Deterrent?
- Ammonia-Soaked Rags: Soak rags in a diluted ammonia solution (mix ammonia with water). Place these rags around your garden, focusing on areas where you’ve seen possum activity. Replace the rags regularly as the scent fades.
- Caution: Use ammonia cautiously and avoid direct contact with your skin or eyes. Ensure adequate ventilation when using ammonia and keep it away from children and pets. Do not spray ammonia directly on plants.
Combining Methods for Maximum Effectiveness
The best approach to deterring possums is often to combine several methods. For example, you could use garlic spray around your garden, sprinkle chili powder near your plants, and place ammonia-soaked rags (used cautiously) in strategic locations. This multi-pronged approach creates a sensory overload for possums, making your garden a less desirable place to visit.
Other Important Tips for Possum Deterrence
- Remove Food Sources: Possums are attracted to food, so it’s essential to remove any potential food sources from your garden. This includes fallen fruit, pet food and open garbage cans.
- Secure Garbage Cans: Use secure garbage cans with lids that possums cannot easily open.
- Trim Overhanging Branches: Trim any overhanging branches that possums could use to access your roof or garden.
- Provide Shelter Elsewhere: Consider providing alternative shelter for possums away from your garden. This could be a possum box or a pile of brush in a less sensitive area of your property.
Tired of possums raiding your garden? Don’t let these pesky critters ruin your hard work! Contact the experts at M&R Termite Solutions for effective and humane possum control solutions. Call us today at 0413716233 for a consultation and reclaim your garden!
We offer thorough and affordable pest control services including termite control, ant control, mice & rodent removal, spider control and more across many suburbs including Bundoora, Watsonia, Greensborough, Eltham, Eltham North, Epping, Templstowe, Doncaster, Heidelberg, Rosanna, Lower Planty, Kingsbury, and Mill Park.
