Possums: cute, creepy, or annoying? Whichever fence you’re on, you’re unlikely to want them near your home.
Though they’re not particularly dangerous (they’re seriously misunderstood), they are known to wreak havoc in homes and gardens when on the hunt for food.
They’ll dig holes in the ground, destroy your vegetable garden and plants, and knock over your garbage can. So, what’s the best way to keep them away?
What to Expect? Some countries allow these creatures to be killed due to their destructive nature while others only allow them to be caught and relocated. If you’ve got a possum problem and want to know how to keep them away, this article will give you some ideas to try.
How big is the possum problem?
If you have possums in your yard, it’s not a huge problem in the grand scheme of things.
These creatures will eat problematic pests like mosquitoes, so they can even be pretty useful.
Of course, they can be annoying if they dig up your garden and eat your vegetables.
However, they do get scared quite easily and will stay away with certain deterrents.
The best way to scare possums away from your house
Possums are skittish. They’ll even “play dead” around predators.
They will avoid being close to creatures and people. Their eyesight is also poor, which you can use to your advantage!
Possums instinctively won’t approach things that move so if you add movement around your home, that’s the best way to deter them.
Any item that will move on its own or make noise will likely scare a possum – at least until it gets used to it!
Are possums dangerous to family pets?
We’re not talking about alligators here!
Possums are timid and docile, but they’ll only really hunt down mosquitoes, termites, and other insects to eat.
Your family pets are pretty safe, thankfully!
How to scare possums away from your house
Now we know a little more about possums, you might be wondering how to keep them away from your house and garden.
Let’s take a look.
Dog/cat hair
If you have a dog or cat, you’ll know how annoying it is when they shed hair all over your home!
Well, that hair can be very useful indeed when it comes to scaring away possums from your house.
Possums are frightened of dogs and cats and will avoid areas that carry their scent.
Simply collect and scatter pet hairs in the places you want them to avoid, and the smell will keep them away.
If you don’t have a cat or dog, ask someone who does!
Garlic
Garlic is a natural possum repellent thanks to its strong smell (which they don’t like).
If you have a vegetable garden, growing garlic will work. Otherwise, placing garlic cloves around will deter them too.
You could even try rubbing crushed garlic around things that you want them to stay clear of.
Mothballs/camphor balls
These balls contain plants that repel insects, but possums also don’t like them.
Camphor balls are natural while mothballs contain naphthalene or dichlorobenzene, which is toxic.
Works Fine – Possums won’t go near these balls and so you can place them around your home and garden to keep them away.
Ammonia
Ammonia is another great possum repellant because they can’t stand the noxious odor.
You don’t have to use ammonia neat, you can create a mix of 50% water and 50% ammonia to spray around.
This is particularly useful for spraying on the outside of trash cans to prevent possums from raiding them.
You do need to be careful though. If a possum inhales a high concentration of ammonia, it can cause them health problems. The same goes for humans too.
Grow certain plants
There are some types of plants that possums really don’t like.
These include lavender, citronella, agapanthus, chrysanthemums, rosemary, geraniums, and mint.
Not only will these plants keep possums away, but they’ll add beauty and pleasant aromas to your backyard!
Use lights
Possums don’t like light. They’re nocturnal creatures and are frightened of lights.
If you keep your home and garden well lit, you’ll be less likely to have possums coming near your home.
Of course, keeping lights on at night can come at a cost so invest in some solar lights that will charge during the day and come on automatically at dusk.
If you have chickens, possums might wait until nightfall to come and eat them or their eggs.
Possums are known to bite the necks of chickens to kill them and eat them. They also love their eggs.
Key Takeaway – Adding lighting around your chicken coop or having a door that opens and closes automatically at dusk and dawn will protect your beloved chickens from being a possum’s next meal.
Use sound
Possums also don’t like noise.
Adding things like windchimes around your garden will keep them away.
You can even get ultrasonic pest repellents that make noises that possums don’t like.
Use movement
As previously mentioned, possums will avoid things that move.
Installing lightweight objects that move in the wind is a good idea (provided you get some wind at night where you live). Ribbons, wind chimes, windmills, etc. are all great ideas.
Buy a Repellent
There are lots of official products that are great for repelling possums.
Most of these contain urine from other animals like foxes or coyotes.
As these animals are bigger than possums, they’re fearful of them and will avoid places where they can smell their urine.
You can also get non-toxic solutions that contain ingredients like rosemary essential oils, peppermint essential oils, white pepper, and garlic.
Some repellents are in a spray form while others are granules.
Set traps
You need to be careful when setting traps if you’re going to go down this route.
The trap shouldn’t be too big as they might get injured in it.
There are several types of traps available including trapping cages and motion-activated sprinklers.
Using their favorite foods like fish or apples as bait can help lure them in.
Remember – Once caught in a trap, you’ll need to take them somewhere to be released. The distance you should relocate them to should be at least five miles away but ideally ten.
Final thoughts on how to scare possums away from your house
Possums are intelligent creatures who can get comfortable in places they know – even your backyard and home.
As you’ve seen, there are many different ways to keep possums away from your house and you might need to try all of them before finding one that works for good.
One of the best ways of keeping these creatures away is by not attracting them in the first place. If they can find shelter, food, and water, they’ll come.
So, making your property less inviting to them is a good place to start.
You can even remove trees if you know they’re living in them but mainly, ensure your backyard isn’t littered with scraps of food and make sure there are no places to make a home underneath your house.
If you do happen to have them in or around your home, trying the tricks in this article can help you get rid of them and keep them away.