Possums like to operate under the cover of darkness, so anything that you can put in your garden that mimics the reflective eyes of a potential predator or lights up when they enter the garden should help scare them off.
Motion sensor lights on your roof are a great way to keep possums away from your home. These bright lights scare off the nocturnal possum, preventing it from checking out your roof as its next home.
Not only do LED lights make your garden look attractive at night, but they're also used by some homeowners to deter possums from entering their yard. Switch on a few fixtures in strategic places in your garden and you won't be seeing possums anywhere near them.
In addition to ammonia and mothballs, possums will also steer clear of odors of vinegar, garlic, onion, peppermint, and camphor. These strong scents are often used as natural repellents to keep opossums away from gardens, trash cans, and other areas where they may be unwanted.
Installing motion-activated sprinklers or lights can get expensive. However, it can be effective if you can't seem to keep them away. The sudden light or water will scare the opossums away and deter them from coming back.
Opossums do not like light since they are nocturnal so they become active as the sun goes down.
Spice is unappealing to possums and most other pests, so you can stave them off by sprinkling the spice over your plants and soil. Similarly, you can boil water with hot sauce or cayenne pepper and pour the mixture into a spray bottle once it cools. Then, spray the mixture around your garden and other outdoor property.
Possum Deterrence Using Strong Odours
Possums appear to have delicate tastes when it comes to strong odours. Menthol rubs, perfumed detergents, and even mothballs can deter them when spread around their regular haunts.
Landscape lighting is a great way to keep animals at bay. Many will naturally shy away from the bright, artificial lights. Well-lit areas don't provide wild animals with cover from predators, so they will be hesitant to approach.
How to get rid of Possums? The Pestrol Possum Repeller offers an effective and easy way of keeping those annoying possums from your property. The device uses ultrasonic sound and a strobe light to scare away animals within its range.
The Hoont Solar Powered Motion Activated Ultrasonic with Flashing Strobe Outdoor Animal and Pest Repeller works great for possum, deer, racoons, and rabbits.
Spicy Peppers – Like garlic, hot peppers produce a taste and scent opossums dislike. Mix one cup of water, a half cup of dish soap, and a half cup of hot sauce or crushed hot peppers together. Spray this mixture around your yard.
A possum usually adopts a routine of leaving the roof space at the same time every night. Our clients will tell us that they hear their resident possum thump its way through the roof to head outside, usually just after dusk. They also state that the possum will return just prior to dawn.
Vicks can be used for a home-made remedy. Mix equal quantities of Vaseline and Vicks VapoRub on a plastic container. Use a knife to spread the mixture along any known possum routes eg along fences. Spotlights trained onto trees can often be effective in reducing possum attacks.
Your safest bet for you and your loved ones is to just stay away. When it comes to wildlife, your local pest control is the best equipped to handle it. Opossums aren't naturally aggressive but they can become dangerous when provoked.
Plants to deter possums
But, if you discover some plants that they ignore that grow well, plant more of them! Plants that aren't touched in my garden include acanthus, agapanthus, box and lavender.
Main predators include dogs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, large hawks, and great horned owls. The chance of rabies in opossums is extremely rare.
Opossum are not aggressive: their open-mouth, defensive hissing is merely a bluff to look vicious. And if that doesn't work they play dead when really scared! If there is an opossum in the backyard, don't worry. They aren't a threat, and more than likely they will be moving on in a short while.
Capsaicin, the active ingredient in chilli, doesn't affect any animals other than mammals so is harmless on beneficial insects, fish and birds. You'll need to respray plants after rain - and wash any edible crops before using. This method is designed to deter possums by making the target plant unappealing.
Similar to their interactions with humans, an opossum is not likely to prey on cats, dogs or other furry friends. If frightened by your pet, the opossum will likely play dead or emit a horrible stench.
Did you know possums hate the smell of garlic? That's right! So, you could consider crushing garlic pods and spreading them around the area. They even hate mothballs and can't stand the smell or sight of them.