Banana peels are sometimes used as feedstock for cattle, goats, pigs, monkeys, poultry, rabbits, fish, zebras and several other species, typically on small farms in regions where bananas are grown. There are some concerns over the impact of tannins contained in the peels on animals that consume them.
All those peels attract animals and override their instinctual wariness of humans. This can lead to begging, over-crowding, and even human-animal conflicts when that cute squirrel sees your trail mix and won't take no for an answer. It can also take up to 2 years for a banana peel to completely decompose.
But they can't stand banana peels. Chop up a few peels, bury them an inch or two in the soil, and say goodbye to those pests for good. Don't use whole banana peels unless you want rodents, such as squirrels and raccoons, digging in the soil.
I toss banana peels in my flower beds because the peels are good for the soil. I rake mulch over them when the weather is better. Here an opossum quickly gobbles up a peel within minutes after I tossed it.
Suitable foods to offer possums
Most fruits are suitable, the favorites being apples, pears, sultanas, bananas, rockmelon, grapes, and watermelon. Most vegetables are also eaten, especially corn, broccoli, lettuce, parsley, carrot, tomatoes, cucumber.
They particularly like berries and fruits such as apples and persimmons. Possums will also eat nuts and seeds, although with less frequency than other foods.
Fruit By the (Mouse) Foot
Most households have some sort of fruit—bananas, apples, oranges—kept openly on counters or even on top of microwaves. Mice will avoid these during the day but get bolder during the late night.
Gardeners are of the opinion that banana peels control aphids like greenflies, blackflies and whiteflies. You can sprinkle them around your plants or even bury them in your garden.
Banana peels aren't toxic to dogs, but they are hard to digest because of the highly concentrated amount of fiber. Consuming a banana peel may cause vomiting from your dog, or in some cases, the peel might cause an intestinal blockage.
Banana peels can be placed directly onto pot plant soil, or around the base of your garden as mulch. As they decompose, they will release nutrients into the soil to feed plants. If using banana peels in your garden, place a single layer straight on top of the soil, being sure not to let them touch the plant stem.
Turns out, banana peels are a rich source of nutrients your plants crave: Potassium, phosphorus, and calcium, along with a host of other minerals your plants need. Here's the deal: Using them in your garden is a snap – and since it's free fertilizer, adding them to your garden is a no-brainer.
A healthy human snack can be a major source of stress for a mouse. Mice can enter your home through open windows and doors in the summer, but you might be able to ward them off with fruit. That's right: a new study from McGill University has found that male mice are scared of bananas.
If it looks and smells like food, it will attract rodents. That is one of the reasons it is best to avoid throwing your banana peels in your garden, on the trail, or out the window. You will give pests like mice and squirrel the wrong impression that there is a good source nearby.
Another downside to banana peels as fertilizer is that rotting organic matter can attract pests such as fruit flies, fungus gnats, and even cockroaches.
If you only have a few cockroaches, this is the way to go. Coat the inside of the jar in petroleum jelly and place a banana peel in the bottom. Place the uncovered jar in a dark place. The scent of the banana peel will draw the cockroaches in but, the inside of the jar will be slippery and not allow them to escape.
Bananas have not been proven to attract or repel mosquitoes. Experts agree that consuming bananas or other foods do not make us more or less attractive to mosquitoes, but what's in our body's natural chemistry – etched in our DNA!
The banana peel, while nutritious and full of vitamins, is not a good thing to give birds. The excess cellulose is tough to digest, which can cause gastrointestinal issues.
Despite their reputation, rats are not indiscriminate eaters. They have preferences just like humans do. Rats love fruit and vegetables. The best fruits for them include bananas, apples and pears; veggies like carrots, peas, corn and beans are also popular with rats.
Basic Rat feeding guide
Some examples of suitable fruit and vegetables are: apples, pears, banana, melons, stone fruits, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage (not red cabbage), endive, carrots, Bok choy/other Asian greens, celery, parsley, berries, fresh corn (small amount only) and peas.
Fruits: Mice enjoy and can eat a variety of different fruits. Some mice will develop preferences to certain items, but you can offer your mouse apples, pears, bananas, melons, peaches, plums, oranges, and berries just to name a few. Vegetables: There are also many fresh vegetable options that can be fed to mice.
Food and water
They will eat leaves, fruits, flowers, fungi, bark and sometimes small lizards, birds and eggs. Possums have a low metabolic rate and can easily become overweight. Their diet should be mostly native plants.