What is Deterrent for Opossums

Opossums are omnivores that can feed on almost anything, they are happy eating garden vegetables, pet foods left outside or trash left in garbage cans overnight. Because they have successfully adapted to living in a human environment, they can easily become annoying animals in urban settings or in the neighborhood where they trash the garbage in the garbage bins. They can also transmit leptospirosis , tularemia, toxoplasmosis, tuberculosis, etc. when they scratch and bite and contacts with their feces and urine can pose serious risk to humans in getting these diseases.

Instead of harming the opossums, it is better to discourage their presence around your home or gardens by using deterrents that will make them live in another place. Natural opossum determent methods are safe and will not harm animals or plants if applied correctly. So, below are some of the natural determent methods for effectively driving away opossums from the home or garden:



Eliminate Their Food Sources

One of the main reasons why opossums normally take up residence in a particular area is because there is an abundance of foods there. They can eat almost anything, and will scavenge through the home or garden to find dead animals, pests, rotting wood, old foods, and even snakes to eat. Therefore, by making the home or garden free is one of the effective ways to make the environment unattractive to them.

Use of Molasses

Using Molasses to deter opossums from the home or garden is effective natural repellent. A cup of molasses mixed and dissolved in one liter of water should be drawn to leafy plants in the garden or flowerbed. A squirt of liquid soap can also be added to mix so that the solution will stick to the plant leaves. When the mixture is sprayed on fresh leaves, it deters opossums from munching on the plants. It is also important to check days after the application of the mixtures to see if fresh application is needed, and to reapply after it rains as it may have washed off the mixture.

Using a Trap

One of the best ways to naturally remove opossums from your home or garden is to use a live trap to capture them. It is best used at night, just place the trap near where the opossums mostly feed or near any of their nesting areas you are able to find, put some bait such as fish, meat, fruits or dog or cat foods in the trap, this will attract them and later trap them in. Then relocate them to a place farther from your neighborhood.

Ammonia

Opossums typically hate the smell of ammonia due to its strong odor. Make a small hole in a container or jar, then pour a little amount of ammonia into the container and dip a rag inside. Once the rag is soaked, then place it where the opossums normally pass through, the strong smell will chase them away from your home or garden.

Using Pet Fur

It Is also effective using the fur of pets like cats or dogs to keep opossums away from the home, this is because opossums detest the smell of cats and dogs due to their natural instinct of avoiding predators and competitions. Just take the hair of your dog or cat while brushing it, and scatter it around the area where opossums have caused damages around your property.


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