- HubPages»
- Education and Science»
- Life Sciences
Stop the Possums!
What is it with possums?
I am sick and tired of possums!
It's well nigh impossible these days for a self respecting cat to venture into his own backyard.
The possums have taken over. Not only do they strip the rind off the lemons, breaking branches in the process, they leave their poo all over the ground. And worse.
I demand that all possums stay in their own territory, in the wild, in the bush, in the outback, or even in the zoo. I don't care! Not in my backyard!
Evidence : They eat the rind off the lemons
Why do they eat the rind?
Why do possums do this?
They eat the rind off the lemons and the poor fruit either stays up there to be further ravaged by birds, or falls to the ground with a great thud..
You may not be bothered by the ominous thwack of a lemon falling but I can assure you that falling lemons are dangerous.
Evidence : Possum Poo Carpet
How can I relax here?
This is my once pristine concrete yard which warms up beautifully on hot days, a formerly pleasant spot where I like to relax in the shade and keep up my scientific observations of urban bird life.. How can I lie on this?
You don't want it warming up with the piles of possum poo, not for one minute.
This is what Australian Possums look like
My Possums are Australian Possums
I have to explain this clearly...
The possums in my backyard are Australian Possums. small arboreal marsupial species native to Australia and New Guinea. They are NOT American Opussums (which are commonly called possums just to confuse us).
My Possums (curse them) are very, very different to Opossums
Have your say! Do you agree with me?
Possums must stay in their own place!
I am at my wit's end.
I am at my wit's end. I need help.
It's not right for a cat of my advanced years to be subject to behaviour of this nature.
Just look at my chair!
Evidence : My second best chair
My poor chair
My own chair is not safe from these furred fiends!
Evidence : My second best chair cushion
A heartbreaking close up of the cushion, my cushion, on my second best chair.
Perfidy!
Scare Possums with Staring Eyes
These glinting eyes should help keep possums away
Beware of Possum Cunning
The Lost Cat
I was touched with pity when I first saw this sign about a lost cat. To be factually correct, it's a sign about a found cat that someone has lost. It...
And now ..
Can you help me?
© 2011 Vladimir
A kind comment would cheer me up
The possums are in their own territory. You just happen to live in it.
Australian possums are much prettier than the American variety. You can take comfort in that, at least.
Possums should stay in their won territory because it can harm the other things.
When I lived in Surrey Hills ( a nice leafy suburb ) I had possums coming into the yard, and I thought they were cute until one ate the wiring in my bedroom wall and nearly set the whole house on fire. Heck of a shock to come home to burn marks on the wall and power point etc. I think the electrician also had to remove the dead possum as well. Now I live in the bush I have much fewer possums. When I had a combustion wood fire they would gather in the roof around the stove pipe - like their own family fireplace - lol! But now with central gas heating they seem to have moved on and leave me alone, thank goodness.
From my experience with possums, once they get the taste for something they keep eating it until they kill the plant. Not really sustainable I know but that's what they do. The only solution that is guaranteed to work is to physically barricade the affected plant off from the possum getting to it. The other thing you might try is to get Vicks Vapour rub and melt a teaspoon of it into boiling water and using one of those spray mister bottles, spray it all over the plant and fruit. Might keep them away for awhile. Hope this helps. Mr Possum
Ah Vladi shame on those old possums for making your life so disagreeable! How about a Blessing to cheer you up? It isn't as good as cleaning up the possum poo but it is a start.
The possums will gang up on your when you least expect it. They are planning their justice. Mwhahaha!
I am actually very worried about the possums in my backyard. All of our cats are indoor/outdoor cats, but one of them is just plain dumb. I don't think she would understand and to try to pick a fight with a possum, and I'm afraid the possum will kill or injure her!
i think they are cut, but then: we don't have them here in austria :-)
I saw a possum once peeking through our window as we were having dinner. It was the first time I had ever seen one that is alive. I thought it was a cat at first, but then I noticed the stiff tail which actually made it look like giant rodent. I have not seen any lately, partly because the raccoons prowl around my yard at night.
Don't let the possums bring you down, my friend! It's just not worth it.
I love possums but I don't have to live with them. At times they must be very irritating.Is there a way,such as food some where away from the house, to stop them coming so close to the house?Good luck Vladi!
They used to prowl in my backyard so noisily that I thought they were human prowlers, especially when the fruit on the trees were getting ripe. They certainly are not my favorite animals, but they aren't the worst villains in the garden.
Oh me! We have had possum in our garage and trying to get in the trash cans. My husband used to grab them by the tail and swing them at me to scare me. I can't stand them.
14