Light. 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.
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. Predator Guard's Solar LED Deterrent Lights work well for nocturnal predators and pest animals.
MISCELLANEOUS SMALL MAMMAL BEHAVIOR
Short-tailed opossums are very sensitive to light and noise. Excessive ultraviolet light exposure may lead to retinal melanoma. Short-tailed opossums have well-developed olfactory systems and rely heavily on their sense of smell.
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.
Repel possums by sprinkling the roof cavity with quassia chips (from hardware stores), and putting a light into the roof cavity and leaving it on for three days and nights. The combination of the light and the smell should drive the possum out of your roof and hopefully into the possum house you have provided.
Mothballs - Spread mothballs around to keep them away, or even to flush them out of areas they like to hide in. Molasses - Mix one part molasses with four parts of water in a spray bottle. Shake to combine, then spray onto leaves and branches that possums climb to get in.
Aim to start a disturbance near where the opossum is to startle the opossum and make it want to leave. Making a loud noise or playing loud music usually is enough to get the animal to retreat off your property. If noise doesn't do the trick, you can try setting up balloons, pinwheels or oscillating fans in your yard.
What smell does a possum hate? Possums dislike the smell of pepper, ammonia, garlic and naphthalene.
Main predators include dogs, coyotes, foxes, bobcats, large hawks, and great horned owls. The chance of rabies in opossums is extremely rare. When frightened, opossums bare their 50 sharp teeth and hiss or growl. However, they would rather avoid confrontation and be left alone.
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.
Carbon dioxide gas is the most appropriate technique to euthanize opossums. Opossums also can be humanely killed with a gunshot to the head, if legal and safe in your area.
While the Christmas lights are coming out, consider hanging them up around your vegies. Possums are nocturnal animals and the flashing lights really seem to annoy them… enough that they take themselves elsewhere for a midnight snack.
DO NOT TRAP. Opossums are transient animals, staying only 2-3 days in an area before moving on.
Habits. Opossums are nocturnal creatures, meaning that they are mainly active after dark. Known as solitary animals, they usually live alone when they are not actively breeding.
Or, a larger adult possum venturing out in the daytime may mean it is searching for a missing baby, or for food or water if it's been particularly hot or dry. Even if the possum in your yard isn't suffering from rabies, the creature may still appear to be struggling, which can be alarming for a homeowner to observe.
The neighbors may complain too if the sounds are too loud. Possums hate the sounds of predator animals, such as grunting, hissing or screeching. Those may be the best sounds to use to scare them away.
Aggressive behavior by an opossum is usually in response to a situation where they feel threatened. They may hiss, screech, or bare their teeth to ward off an attack.
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.
Leave the opossum alone and enjoy watching wildlife in your own backyard. However, if the opossum is injured or an orphan (less than 7 inches from nose to rump) then contact the Opossum Society of the United States, a local wildlife rehabilitator, a veterinarian, or your local animal shelter for help.
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.
There are protective sprays that can help deter possums from browsing on your plants. Yates Possum Repellent Spray is a patented formulation and contains ingredients that repel possums and help reduce feeding damage. You can use it on both edible and ornamental plants.
Sprinkling blood and bone fertiliser around the base of ornamental plants and fruit trees can act as a significant possum deterrent. They hate the smell, and will be less inclined to munch on treated plants!
Possums are nocturnal and mainly feed between dusk and dawn. Brushtail Possums are generally lone creatures, choosing a company when they want to breed.
Do not feed possums almonds, cheese, onions, dairy products, green potatoes or junk food. Put food in containers in high, sheltered areas. Spread the food throughout the enclosure to promote natural foraging. Possums need fresh water daily.