Possum plague vs the home garden

Possum Plague Riot Act

This is a classy and amusing bit of correspondence – I would like to join it from the perspective of a wildlife ecologist.

Under natural conditions, the Brush-tailed Possum (BrTP) is sparsely distributed because food (bush tucker) and shelter (hollow trees, logs) are relatively scarce. Particularly when compared to urban habitat where both food (rubbish, well-watered gardens) and shelter (your garage, roof) are abundant.
Conversely, predators such as the Powerful Owl (POWL), Spotted-tail Quoll (SPTQ), and the dingo were (relatively) abundant and provide a natural population control. Domestic dogs and foxes are inefficient and/or lazy predators.
Government isn’t much help, justifiably due to costs (high) and priority (low).
There is no silver bullet but there is some silver buck shot. The previous comments are useful for protecting your patch; a fully enclosed garden with chicken wire is “the final solution”
Big Final Solution: Re-establish Predators.
The POWL requires large tree hollows for nesting. Hollows are now rare in cities but only a few are needed – the it has a large range and a big appetite. Artificial nest sites have been used in Melbourne (44gallon drum on a pole). Hunting perches attract raptors – circular perches is best -birds perch facing the wind (steering wheel on a pole works a treat; toilet seats are cheaper). It occurs uncommonly in the ACT but flight easy, rapid allows access to these resources.
The SPTQ eats possums voraciously, and possible to a likely candidate for re-introduction. When a pine plantation near Bombala was being stripped at the sapling stage the SPTQ was re-introduced and the problem was solved. They are effective for rabbits too. The Mulligan’s Flat people have expertise here in re-introductions from their great work the Eastern Quoll (which eats small possums but not big ones).

Maya123 said :

Flying foxes are as bad, if not worse, than possums. At night in summer they come in their droves. I doubt there were bats here until they discovered the introduced fruit trees, so in that sense they are not native here. But despite this still protected in their day roost by the lake. They should be got rid of. At times I think the solution is to net the whole garden permanently. At least the back garden.
Wattlebirds destroyed much of my fruit crop this year. In particular my apricot tree. It started to flower in spring, but then the wattlebirds arrived and almost overnight the blossom turned brown from their efforts and the spring display never happened. My fruit crop was very much reduced.
A netted yard is very tempting…but expensive.

The fruit bats will look great hanging off the tram wires along Northbourne Avenue. Actually, they would be a good contender for the next ACT mammal emblem.
I read somewhere that if fruit bats eat laxatives they are in trouble because their greatest fear is incontinence.

Flying foxes are as bad, if not worse, than possums. At night in summer they come in their droves. I doubt there were bats here until they discovered the introduced fruit trees, so in that sense they are not native here. But despite this still protected in their day roost by the lake. They should be got rid of. At times I think the solution is to net the whole garden permanently. At least the back garden.
Wattlebirds destroyed much of my fruit crop this year. In particular my apricot tree. It started to flower in spring, but then the wattlebirds arrived and almost overnight the blossom turned brown from their efforts and the spring display never happened. My fruit crop was very much reduced.
A netted yard is very tempting…but expensive.

Try few small dishes of ammonia, makes possums think there are cats somewhere in the yard.

Maybe we should look across The Ditch for a solution:

https://www.nature.com/news/behind-new-zealand-s-wild-plan-to-purge-all-pests-1.21272

Yeah, I tried to get the possum plague up as an issue during the last election, but not one politician would touch it with a barge pole. So, I accept I am on my own and have methodically set out to reduce the impact. I have had some level of success. A few initiatives include led sensor floodlights in the eaves (about $120 plus labour each), plastic owls and hawks around the yard, power lines taken underground ($2,300 to actew agl) liberal applications of dynamic lifter, horse and alpaca manure on garden beds, napthalene spread in all ceiling areas, an infra red sensor sprinkler system, all trees having a possum collar fitted, spikes fitted to the tops of fences and dried ghost chilli powder applied to high traffic areas. The furry critters still come, but the numbers are way down. I am now contemplating an electric fence.

Of course, a cull would be helpful.

Thanks Paul, great article! However, I do have some information that may help.

I too, was riddled with the marauding night time exploits of our resident possums (one in our carport, and one that seems to live on a neighbours property 2-3 blocks away), and I carefully watched what they ate and what they didn’t and what I found was this…
1. they very much dislike wormwood, perennial basil, tansy, yarrow, mint peppermint, dogbane (can’t stand this and every time I touch it the possum stirs in its home)
2. wherever I put cuttings of mint peppermint or perennial basil, they left the plants alone for a few days but then re-attacked the plant when the cuttings wilted. Same applied to tansy. BUT….
3. wherever I put cuttings of wormwood (I used wormwood tree – absinthium aborescens) plants such as broccoli, spinach, chard, fennel, cos, etc. were not touched; even for a couple of weeks when the cuttings dried or became stale. Obviously fresh cuttings are better. But now I have healthy abundant crops of all of the above, and the possum still lives in the carport, which is where I put the dogbane to stop it from eating select succulents.
Good luck experimenting!