I had a visit from possums again last night. They denuded a parsley and a camomile plant, and nibbled some spinach where their tops poked through the mesh. To reach the spinach they had to stand on a pot of oregano which is crushed but will probably recover. They also knocked over some pots in their clumsiness.
I've read and been told about a range of substances that will deter the marauding marsupials but have not had much success with these methods.
One reason is that applying something every few days or every time it rains (and in some cases every time I water) is a pain. My experiments trying out the substances below have shown me that its unrealistic to think that I will be able to keep up the reapplications to keep my plants constantly protected.
Some of the ideas seemed to work for a night or two, even a week, but then the possums overcame their dislike of the deterrent and ate my plants again. I think if they are hungry or thirsty enough they will eat their target plants anyway, especially if they can remember there being good eating in that particular spot.
It makes sense that since there are different species of possums, and each species lives over a range of different regions of Australia, under different environmental stresses, the same things may or may not work on any particular possums.
There is a good article on the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries website here which has a list of substances that people have used and claim to work to deter possums, so you can try some of them too. But as the article says nothing will work if the possums are hungry or determined enough.
MY LIST
I've forgotten the number of people who have told me to make a spray from blended CHILLIES - but my possums ate the whole chilli plant, including all the ripe chillies before I had a chance to make the spray!
I've also tried:
MOTH BALLS (scattered on soil or hung from branches)
MIX OF WASABI PASTE AND VICKS VAPOUR_RUB (spread on edges of pot, and along fence the possums liked to jump off)
CITRONELLA (lanterns/flares left with lids off so that oil is evaporating and releasing its scent, left next to pots)
LAPSANG SOUCHONG TEA (sprayed around and on plant)
BLOOD AND BONE (sprinkled around plants)
FISH BASED FERTILISER (watered onto plants)
BLEACH (sprayed on pot edges)
or COMBINATIONS of the above.
Because I don't think I'd be able to keep up the applications, even if they do work, I haven't gone to the effort of finding another common suggestion, Qassia chips, or gone to the expense of buying commercial products such as Scat or Keep Off (both by Multicrop) or D-ter. These products have Aluminium Ammonium Sulphate (Alum) as their main active ingredient, which makes the plants bitter, but also contain other strongly scented ingredients (such as the ones I've tried). Another product, Poss Off is based on Citronella, Garlic and Chilli.
I assume individual possums have different personalities with their own preferences, so maybe mine are a family of particularly determined criminals with poor taste and little common sense.
