You know that old saying: “Prevention is always better than a cure”? Wash your hands to prevent the ingestion of germs; clean your gutters to avoid a blockage; keep dessert at one serving to avoid a stomach ache. You may also have heard someone say that once a possum has taken up residence at your place, they’re notoriously difficult to get rid of. Not just that, the Wildlife Act actually legally stops you from killing, hurting or even relocating a possum – so what on earth should you do? We’re asked how to keep possums away before they ever cause a kerfuffle just about every single day, so we feel it’s our duty to give you the inside scoop.
How to keep possums away
The easiest answer to ‘How to keep possums away’, therefore, is learning how to deter possums from ever thinking your property looks like a great new possum home. They may look cute, but they’ll keep you up at night, threaten your pets and kids, spread disease, damage your wiring & property – and more. They’re also almost impossible for a non-pest expert to handle, and strict laws prevent you from doing just about anything with them.
Therefore, we need to know how to keep possums away in the first place:
1. Motion sensors
Here are a couple of things that make possums run away – sprinklers and light. Equip both of them in motion-activated systems for your garden and it could be just about enough to startle them into finding somewhere else to be.
2. Predator scents
What keeps possums away? Predators. The most obvious ones are dogs and cats, so if you don’t already have one of Australia’s favourite pets, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get hold of their smell. Once you’ve got your clumps of dog and cat hair, spread it around your place and the possums may think twice about taking the risk
3. Strong smells
There are some other smells possums really hate too. Garlic works well enough for the vampires, so give that a try – or try ammonia and mothballs too. Just be aware that ammonia is not just bad for possums, it’s bad for you, your pets and your kids too, so it’s a good idea to put it in a sealed container with a few holes just to be safe. You might also find some good possum repellent products on the market.
Some more ways to keep possums away include:
- Trimming trees
- Putting up higher fences
- Patching up holes
- Not leaving food/scraps/rubbish lying about.
How to deter possums with our professional help
Remember, possum removal is actually illegal across Australia – so if you’ve already got a possum problem, you’ll need the help of qualified, experienced and fully licensed tradies and pest control experts. They can humanely and safely implement possum control & exclusion measures.
