The idea is to eradicate the damned things, not adopt a fortress mentality. Get the neighbours involved, possom catching contest. You can't expect poor old Dept of Conservation to do it all on it's own
grouch,
Jan 1, 3:37am
With a timms trap you have to be mindful of cats. I have a timms but wont put it out unless all the cats are inside and before anyone says anything about roaming cats I am in the country miles from anywhere with no neighbours but plenty of possums. I have just bought a product called No Grazers and its to deter possums, rabbits, deer. You spray it on and they dont like the taste. I use it on my roses as the possums can clean them out. Have used it for quite a while now and it does work.
pauldw,
Jan 1, 5:31am
I use apples dusted with cinnamon in a Timms. Score so far 8 possum, 1 hedgehog (before Timms put in tree) and 0 cats. Not that I would mind if the neighbour's cats were in danger but I haven't seen them show any interest in apples as food.
regy_2005,
Jan 1, 6:19am
Timms trap is designed so cats wiskers touch the entrance to trap so they don't enter,never had 1 in mine yet ,heaps cats round here
Are Timms traps the yellow ones with the lethal spring. Caught plenty with my yellow one. Off to farmer mate for plucking and dog food they go. Neighbour shot over 150 one year in my garden alone. They devastate the citrus,avocados,and anything else they fancy.
maclad,
Jan 1, 7:17am
20 years and never seen a cat in one and only two hedgehogs
omamari,
Jan 1, 8:43am
You aren't using the right bait. Caught 3 feral cats with a Timm's this year using raw meat. Bit of a nuisance now the neighbours have a cat, have to use a cage trap
brightlights60,
Jan 2, 1:58pm
My brother outside of Christchurch was getting one or two a week last year in a trap. They were luckily dead when he emptied his trap, and he did the helicopter manoeuvre with them. Stood, spun and flung them back into the native bush to decompose nicely.
eljayv,
Dec 31, 10:14am
Our paragon peach has a nice lot of fruit this season but they are still small, green and hard, maybe that is just how possums like them as I found two half eaten today. Any ideas how to discourage these pests, my son wants to net the tree but I wonder how that would stand up in the strong winds we sometimes get.
maclad,
Dec 31, 10:15am
Is it actually worth the cost, seems excessive, just my opinion. Why not try a Timms trap at the base of the tree
eljayv,
Dec 31, 10:30am
Does the Timms trap deal with with possum. My neighbour has a trap but when she finds a possum in it she has to kill it herself. She tells me she just puts the trap and possum into her rain barrel to drown. Don’t think I’m up for that task.
maclad,
Dec 31, 10:36am
The Timms trap, sounds horrible, breaks their necks, quickly, so no need for inhumanitarian drowning. I hate killing anything, but needs must. Worse that that I hate cruelty to animals and that is what I find drowning to be. CRUEL, even if only a possum. Most times the Timms works quickly, I have never found a suffering possum in one yet after many. many years of use.
lythande1,
Dec 31, 10:41am
Yes neighbour peach tree had a possum in it eating the green ones. Poor thing, must be a bit desperate this summer. it didn't eat them all. stomach ache perhaps?
grrrahaaam,
Dec 31, 11:47am
They put aluminium collars around power poles to stop possums climbing. Not all trees are suitable, trunks aren't straight enough or possums can climb neighbouring trees or structures to get to fruit.
omamari,
Mar 23, 7:12am
As Mclad said, don't muck about, get a Timm's trap
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