Planting garlic cloves in your garden may be enough to keep opossums from eating your vegetables and flowers. Possums do not play dead voluntarily. Likewise, in your garden or foliage area, place the smells in a way it doesnt hamper the growth and roots of the plants. Dont use this paste near crops or gardens. What Smells Do Bats Dislike? So with all of this in mind, if youre noticing the start of a possum problem, or maybe you already have one, its time to get ahead of the game by deterring and preventing them and were going to tell you how! Possums are omnivorous so the smell of food and garbage attracts them the most. Generally, opossums use their urine spray or dropping to mark territory and keep their predators away. Garlic The scent and taste of garlic is sometimes successful in repelling opossums. If you have an overflowing garbage can, leftover foods, or open containers in your yard, it is like an invitation for the possums for a feast. Learn (2016). Fruit: Pick up fruit that drops from trees or bushes. To our surprise, we were also feeding this possum, "It's funny how one little critter can become so confusing. Stinky. This article has been viewed 1,145,016 times. What does it mean when you wear a bandana in your back pocket? These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Copyright 2022 OutdoorAlive | About Us | Privacy Policy. In the world of opossums, it is commonly called Playing Opossum for the opossums are clever enough to play lifeless in front of their predators. 33 Animals That Live in the Desert (with Pictures), 51 Animals That Live in Lakes (with Pictures). Lights are enough to frighten away skittish possums that are afraid of humans, but water sprinklers work better with possums that are a little more mature and a little harder to startle. The smell possums emit when they play dead is sometimes called possum spray. Ournationwide pest control findercan get you in contact with a wildlife pro near you. It seems to me that if you have to ask, youve never been up close to a fresh skunk blast. Like, its not even comparable. No matter how unpleasant Besides that, opossums attract other animals, and if you can avoid having a possum situation at all its best to prevent them. WebIf you are smelling a spray, it is likely cat or skunk, and skunks only do it when threatened. If a possum is hiding in a room or roof, place a few balls surrounding the room. Although with benefits to humans, the strong methol scent of camphor is widely hated by the possum population and can be used in a paste form on the trunks of trees, roof shingles, and on pavers and blocks to create barriers to deter possums. Eliminate the food sources to remove your possum problem. The more you pile your garbage, the more you play the risk of inviting this rodent. You can use this as paste form. Repel possums by sprinkling a bit of chili powder around your plants. Motion-activated devices are triggered once the possum crosses the sensor but they are also triggered by anything else that crosses the sensor. Male possums emit and stain their fur with this scent during mating season. Being that possums are nocturnal, bright lights will scare them away. Birdseed: If you do provide birdseed, try to lay some out in the late morning or mid-afternoon and only spread enough to feed the birds for that single day. The barrier should extend from the bottom of the hole to the bottom or underside of the deck. Opossums always emit a musky odor which permeates a box trap, and they almost always leave copious amounts of urine and feces. Possums are known to play possum or play dead whenever any threat is near. You need to take some preventive measures against those rodents. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Pungent, ammonic, stinky all the smells associated with these are threats to the possums. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. These foods are hated by possumseverywhere. Possums also rub some secretions from their anal gland on tree trunks to mark their territory. They Have Natural Defenses. A few years ago, a family of, "I have a pesky possum that comes up to the patio door looking for food. How long can a foreign object stay in your ear? Note that possums do not spray their anal secretions like skunks. They need a safe place to return in the morning. Learn more Learn more Learn more Learn more Learn more www.explorationsquared.com Learn more Do Possums Attack Rabbits? Opossums also are driven by the need for shelter and will den wherever it is dry and wherever there is a safe spot hidden from predators. Your email address will not be published. For some predators, the odor is just too offensive to withstand. If you place molasses in a pantry area it may drive away the possums but attract the ants. Pest Control Weekly is reader-supported. When exposed to intense fear, possums just freeze and fall dead to the ground. The smell of a potential predator might be enough to deter many possums from hanging around. Lets find out what smells these possums abhor and get away from. The most common type of destruction caused by an opossum is: 1) Uprooting the plants to dig holes as their hideouts. Several chemical possum repellents are available on the market, such as predator urine or essential oils like peppermint or eucalyptus. If you have opossums getting into your outdoor belongings or have been noticing them coming around quite often you may need to shield them away with some scents. Escape Behavior of Virginia Opossums. It is out of fear of the opossums being caught by a fox and being eaten by them. So, lets break this down with some differences. But rather than always scavenging, possums will remain in their dens for longer periods. MMPC is certified by the industrys leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). Opossum spray is not one of the ideal smells you want to expose your nostrils. Many An effective way to do this is by setting a live trap on your property. Grabbing molasses or any syrup in your pantry, mixing it with water until it dissolves, and then spraying it onto plants and garden spaces is an easy way to deter those uninvited possums. Although there are more than 60 species of possums in the world, there is only one type of opossum found in the United States, and its called theVirginia Opossum. I live in, "The article was extremely helpful. They also rub their glands on a tree trunk. Web10 smells that possums dislike and how to use them: Pungent, ammonic, stinky all the smells associated with these are threats to the possums. They will almost always exist in places where there are lush green, Read More 5 Reasons Snails Are In Your Garden (And How To Remove Them)Continue, Imagine yourself taking a walk outside in the morning to have a nice cup of coffee and some bird-watching time, only to find out that, Read More Keeping Raccoons Out of Your Bird Feeder: A Step-By-Step GuideContinue, Your email address will not be published. What smell do possums not like? Fidino, M. A., Lehrer, E. W., & Magle, S. B. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Remove all sources of food and water before dusk settles in, and keep pet food away from pet doors or other openings to the house. Opossums emit smells that resemble dead, rotting animals. The sternal gland of possums gives off a sweet, musky odor. Create an escape route for the possum or a trap cage for it to elope away. If you have bear spray/mace, you want to aim it directly at the bears face as theyre charging you. Although you may think a dog or a cat isnt thetypical possum predator, any scent of any animal can be enough to keep opossums away. If you didnt know, one of the ways possums defend themselves is to fall and play dead. 10 smells that possums dislike and how to use them: Where to place these smells to prevent possums? Theres nothing worse than waking up to some backyard damage or your flower and vegetable garden completely destroyed! Camphor, commonly used in vapor rubs, oils, and lotions, is a scent that is hated by opossums. To keep raccoons, possums, skunks, or other critters out of your garbage, regularly spray the side of your cans with a mixture of half ammonia, and half water. Make sure the plants are adaptive to this mixture. Does Lysol Repel Roaches? The capsaicin in hot peppers irritates the sinus of an opossum when they directly smell it and thus, keeps them away. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. 10 most pungent smells that When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Open holes provide easy access. The smell-sensitive animal will avoid the smell of fox urine. (Read This First! WebYou will smell the opossum urine smell before you see it usually; it has quite a scent to it. Keep this passage open for a few days to one week before sealing up the hole. Cement block and wood lattice can also be used. Out of many advantages of tea extracts, the prevention of possum is one of them. However, the opossum spray is a liquid that one needs to keep away from as it can have ticks, fleas, and diseases like leptospirosis. Close an empty trap at dawn to prevent the accidental trapping of a diurnal animal. If you're leaving food out for other animals like stray cats, it's more likely that possums are eating the food. Some animals mistake opossums for being dead and pass by without even fully noticing it. An animal can only get the secretion on itself if its fur brushes the possums anal region. With a netting system and this stink bomb, you can catch the energetic creature easily. Other Animals That Protect Themselves Using Smell, https://www.jjext.com/opossums-cant-actually-choose-play-dead, https://www.quora.com/What-does-possum-spray-smell-like, https://onekindplanet.org/top-10/top-10-worlds-smelliest-animals/, https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/news-events/big-features/animal-defense-mechanisms, https://www.pestdetective.org.nz/clues/other-clues/smell/, https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/opossum, https://opossumsocietyus.org/general-opossum-information/opossum-defense-mechanisms/. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The possum poop smell is horrible. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Rub this paste on tree trucks, doorsteps, and roofs. Possums are known for their pungent odor, which is a result of several factors. I grew up in an area of Upstate, NY where dealing with wildlife pests is a common occurrence. With any scent deterrent, be sure to reapply the scent often to keep the smell strong and effective. Camphor, mothball, onion, garlic, hot pepper, fox urine, molasses, tea extract, animal-rooted fertilizer, and fish smell are the smells possums dislike. Repair any holes in deck lattices, window screens, or door screens. Possums are usually non-aggressive animals, but they can create unsanitary conditions and may turn aggressive if they become diseased. The onion smells almost burns their senses and repels them from returning. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. (All You Need to Know), Do Rabbits Eat Coreopsis? By using our site, you agree to our. Known to carry leptospirosis, tuberculosis, coccidiosis, spotted fever, tularemia, and other diseases, the pesky creatures pose serious health threats when they invade urban environments. Opossums have a round face and round body with brown or golden fur, and opossums have gray to white coarse fur with a pointed face. It does not store any personal data. In case you keep your dry foods in the normal, non-air-tight container, their supercharged and powerful nose will run towards your pantry in search of food. Virginia Opossums are the only marsupial in the United States, and although commonly confused with raccoons or rats the Virginia Opposum is far from that. Ladine, T. A., & Kissell, Jr, R. E. (1994, October). More so for the taste, onions will deter possums if theyre growing in a garden. However, opossums will not pee or excrete fecal matter while in a place where they have to take a nap. Opossums also love to eat ticks up to 5,000 in a single season! (Read This First! This putrid smell along with their dead state is what really drives the predators away. ", them got under the house and died and left babies. With your information, I think I may be able to manage the invasive little buggers. This smell makes their playing-dead act more believable, and it drives predators away. ", Ontario, and the critters tend to enjoy producing great numbers of babies. ", and didn't realize. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Get-Rid-of-Possums-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/v4-460px-Get-Rid-of-Possums-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/72\/Get-Rid-of-Possums-Step-1-Version-4.jpg\/aid2585581-v4-728px-Get-Rid-of-Possums-Step-1-Version-4.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"