How to Get Rid of Possums

Scatter pet waste. Instead of throwing cat or dog waste in the trash, spread it around the possum burrows. You won’t need much; just one or two pieces of waste will do. Cats and dogs are natural predators of possums. Once the possums smell the waste, they’ll assume their predators are nearby.

Use scents that possums dislike. Possums have a very sensitive sense of smell. If they detect odors they don't like, they may decide to leave. Here are some scents that are guaranteed to drive possums away immediately:

• Fishy smells. The next time you go fishing, keep a few fish scraps (such as fins) and place them inside or near the possum burrow.
• Castor oil. Dilute castor oil with a little water and spray the solution into the possum burrow. Alternatively, you can drop a few castor oil capsules into the burrow.
• Coffee grounds. After brewing a cup of coffee, sprinkle the grounds around the burrows and cover them with soil. You can also mix the grounds into the soil. Coffee grounds will help repel possums and provide nutrients for your plants.
• Scented dryer sheets. Place a few dryer sheets inside the burrow. The strong scent of the sheets will make the possums avoid the area.
• Mothballs. Drop a few mothballs into the burrow, then cover the entrance with a plastic lid. Possums dislike the pungent odor of naphthalene found in mothballs.
• Tabasco sauce. Mix a few drops of peppermint oil, a tablespoon of Tabasco sauce, half a cup (120 ml) of castor oil, and a cup (240 ml) of water. Dip cotton balls into the mixture and place them in the burrow.

Plant Euphorbia Lathyris. This plant, also known as Euphorbia Lathyris, is commonly used to repel possums. You can buy seeds from nurseries and plant them in your yard, particularly in areas where possums are a problem.

• Possums also dislike other plants such as castor beans, daffodils, and marigolds.
• It has been found that oleander is also an effective plant for repelling possums. Consider planting oleander around the edges of your garden.

Create a noisy environment. Like many other animals, possums are frightened by noise. If you spot possums in your yard, try using noise-making items such as:

• A portable radio. Find an inexpensive, battery-powered radio. Turn on the radio, wrap it in a zippered plastic bag, and place the bag into the possum burrow. The plastic bag will protect the radio from getting wet.
• Wind chimes. These charming chimes produce a gentle, ringing sound that possums seem to detest.

Use a vibration device. Most vibration devices are installed deep underground and remain completely hidden above ground. These devices are typically battery-operated, though wind-powered models are also available. You can purchase these devices online, from some nurseries, or from home goods stores. To install a vibration device, follow these steps:

• Dig a hole in the ground. Ensure the depth of the hole is appropriate for the stake.
• Place the stake into the hole.
• Cover the hole with soil.
• Avoid hammering the vibration device directly into the ground, as this can damage the device.

Set a possum trap. Fill all the burrow entrances with soil, leaving only one or two entry points open. Clean the trap with unscented soap and warm water, then wear rubber gloves and place the trap inside the burrow with the door facing inward. Cover the trap with a black plastic sheet or burlap to block light from entering the burrow.

• The main burrow is typically 15 to 30 cm deep underground. To find the possum burrow, probe around the mound of earth that was recently disturbed. Use a garden fork or wooden spoon to handle the soil. Continue probing until you feel the ground 'give way.'
• Some people suggest rubbing fresh rosemary onto the trap to remove human scent.
• Once you've trapped the possum, contact an animal control agency or release it back into the wild.

Using waste from fertilizers. When the soil is damp, the chemicals in fertilizers seep into the ground, effectively driving the sugar gliders away. Avoid using this method if you have pets, children, or plan to protect fruits, vegetables, or herbs. Wear rubber gloves and follow the steps below:

• Dig a trench about 7.5 cm wide and 30 cm deep around the area you wish to protect.
• Consider digging additional trenches and connecting them at the center of the area you're protecting.
• Fill the trenches with fertilizer.
• Cover the trenches with about 2.5 cm of soil.

Using explosive charges buried underground or specialized detonators for sugar gliders to force them out of their hideouts. These explosive devices are labeled as flare devices for sugar gliders. The propane and oxygen mixture in the explosives will invade the burrow, killing the sugar gliders. Purchase some explosives, read the instructions on the packaging, as each brand may differ slightly, and then place the flare in the burrow and wait.

• Buried explosives/detonators also have the same effect on badgers, moles, ground squirrels, sugar gliders, dog squirrels, voles, and other burrowing animals.

Asphyxiating the sugar gliders with car exhaust fumes. Seal all burrow entrances with dirt, leaving only one exit open. Attach one end of a hose to the car’s exhaust pipe, and place the other end into the burrow. Run the car for about 15 to 30 minutes. The exhaust pipe will deliver toxic carbon monoxide (CO) fumes into the burrow, suffocating the animals inside.

Exercise caution when using poisons, especially if you have pets. Poisons accumulate in the bodies of the sugar gliders when they ingest them. This means if your cat or dog eats the dead sugar glider, they too will be poisoned. Therefore, avoid using poisons containing strychnine. Instead, use anticoagulants. These will cause internal bleeding in the sugar gliders without poisoning the carcass.

• Keep harmful substances out of reach of children and other animals.
• Consider alternative methods if you have pets in your home.
• Always wash your hands after handling poison.
• For using Warfarin anticoagulant bait/tablets, dig about 30 cm deep into the mound near the burrow entrance. Gently make a small hole, place a few tablets inside, and cover the hole without collapsing the burrow.

Consider using a water hose to flood the possum burrows. While this method may not be suitable in every situation, it's worth trying if other methods haven't worked. Keep in mind that depending on the depth of the burrows, your yard may become quite muddy. Seal most of the burrow entrances, and insert one end of the hose into the burrow. Let the water flow for about 30 minutes. Trap or kill any possums that may emerge.

• Make sure you're actually dealing with possums. Moles often prefer moist environments. If moles show up and you flood the burrows, your yard will likely become even more attractive to them.

Try placing some fruit-flavored chewing gum or soft chewing candies into the burrows. While there is no scientific evidence supporting this method, many people have found that Juicy Fruit gum works surprisingly well. Start by wearing rubber gloves to prevent your scent from transferring onto the gum. Unwrap the gum and drop it into the possum burrows. The possums will consume the gum and die inside the burrow.

Release a predator animal. A simple solution could be to let your cat or dog roam in the yard. However, keep in mind that this approach depends on the animal's hunting abilities and instincts.

• Not all cats and dogs will hunt possums, and their scent may not always help. You'll need a professional cat or dog that has been trained to hunt. If you're lucky enough to have a cat that can catch and kill possums, that's great. Regarding dogs, some dogs that may not seem inclined to hunt actually do quite well. If you want to ensure your dog can hunt possums, try getting two Jack Russell Terriers (both should be spayed/neutered to avoid unwanted puppies). The two terriers will work together to catch possums. They will take positions on opposite sides of the burrow entrance and will catch the possum when it emerges. If you know someone who owns a JRT, you may be able to borrow their dogs temporarily if your yard is fenced and they cannot jump over it.
• Install a few owl boxes on trees to attract owls to your yard. Owls will hunt possums. However, if you have puppies or kittens, this may not be the best option.
• Buy some non-venomous snakes and release them in your yard. Keep in mind that a snake may take up to a month to clear the possums from your yard. If you're dealing with a serious possum problem, consider getting two snakes.
• Be cautious when choosing snakes to deal with possums. While possum-hunting snakes are known to be non-venomous, they can still harm small cats or dogs.

Hire a professional. A specialist can use Aluminum Phosphide, a chemical that reacts with moisture in the air and soil to release phosphine gas, which is highly toxic. The gas dissipates without leaving any residues, and there is no risk of secondary poisoning. If your pets dig up and eat the dead possums, they won't be poisoned. This is the most expensive option, but many companies in this field offer warranties as part of the service.

Reduce the food supply or prevent the possums from accessing food sources. Possums will soon move on to another garden if they can't find much to forage in yours. There's no need to eliminate all your plants, vegetables, and flowers. If you can keep your tasty crops protected from the possums, they'll quickly leave. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Use baskets to protect crops from possums. Plant vegetables and other vulnerable plants in baskets. These baskets are often made of thin wire and can protect young roots until they grow stronger.

Use garden mulch to create a barrier between plants and the soil that possums are digging up. Possums seem to dislike the scent and taste of mulch.

Limit the number of plants in the garden. Instead, consider designing a rock garden or a pond garden. Pond gardens are visually appealing, and you can grow aquatic plants in them.

Install a fence, and to be sure, it should be buried deep in the ground. Possums are excellent diggers but not great climbers. You can purchase wire mesh from local nurseries or home improvement stores. Install the wire mesh around your garden, ensuring it's at least 30 cm deep. This will prevent possums from digging deep underneath.

• Ensure the fence is several meters tall from the ground.
• Try bending the lower part of the fence underground in an L-shape away from the plants. This will confuse the possums and stop them from digging further (beneath the fence).

Consider raised gardening beds rather than planting directly into the ground. You can create frames filled with soil and grow everything inside them. For maximum protection, you might want to consider placing a thin wire mesh underneath the base of these garden frames to prevent bandicoots from digging underneath and entering the bed.

• If you cannot locate a burrow after 30 seconds of searching, try another mound of earth nearby.
• If you’ve flooded a bandicoot burrow multiple times without success, the bandicoots may relocate to another part of your garden. If you continue flooding, they may leave your garden altogether.
• Areas that have been invaded are easily re-invaded, as bandicoots prefer to reuse old burrow tunnels. Be vigilant and deal with any new burrows promptly.
• Wear rubber gloves when handling anything you place inside a bandicoot burrow. Bandicoots generally avoid anything that smells like humans.
• Some methods may take time to show results. You should wait a few days before trying another method.
• Devices known as "burrow vibrators" produce noise and vibrations near the burrow. This unpleasant sound drives the bandicoots away.
• After eliminating the bandicoots, keep an eye on your yard to prevent reinvasion. Remove weeds and debris around the yard to easily spot new mounds of earth. Act immediately if they reappear.
• If you’re considering using traps, cover the burrow with a piece of wood, or mound dirt or rocks to ensure the bandicoot will be trapped from any direction.

• Oleander plants can be toxic to pets and children. Be cautious when planting oleander near areas frequented by children or pets.
• Avoid using poisoned bait in case your pet might ingest the poison or eat a poisoned rodent. When using bait, keep it away from children and pets, and wash your hands after handling it.
• Check the laws in your city, country, or local area regarding the removal of certain pests, as methods of eliminating bandicoots may be illegal in some regions.
• Do not attempt to capture a live bandicoot and bring it into your home.
• Common poisons used to kill bandicoots include (be sure to check the ingredients on the packaging of any bait you plan to use): Strychnine – The most common and effective poison, but it can severely damage the overall ecosystem. Strychnine will not only kill bandicoots but also any animal that eats the poisoned carcass or contaminated food. Similarly, Zinc phosphide will kill any animal that consumes the bandicoot’s carcass or poisoned bait. Chlorophacinone (RoZol) – An anticoagulant, this poison is the least effective but causes less harm to the surrounding ecosystem. Compared to strychnine or zinc phosphide, you would need to use about ten times the amount to kill a bandicoot. Like the other two poisons, it will kill any animal that consumes the bandicoot’s carcass or the poisoned bait. You should exercise extreme caution when using poisons to kill bandicoots.