9 Natural Ways to Get rid of Possums [Step by Step Process & Precautions]

Possums or Opossums are a type of marsupial, that are found mainly in America. These creatures feed on a variety of other pests such as insects and rodents. But this is why they can be a major nuisance for homeowners.

Possums can easily be attracted to your garden if you have other pests like rodents. While they are there, they can also munch on your plants and destroy your garden.

Moreover, they are quite aggressive and can attack pets and even children. Possums can also carry deadly diseases such as Chagas disease and tuberculosis. So it is a good idea to get rid of possums as soon as possible and discourage them from coming back.

That being said, there is a lot of natural and easy ways to get rid of them without causing any harm to yourself or your pets, and also without harming the possums. 

9 Effective Ways to Get Rid of Possums Naturally

1. Trap Them

Trapping possums is the easiest and the safest way to get rid of them. It is illegal to kill possums in many states, so we do not recommend doing so. Always rehabilitate the possum in a secluded or wooded area after you have caught it.

Usually, possums do not arrive in your garden in groups (with the exception of mother possums), so trapping will be effective at getting rid of one or two possums quite easily. 

Required Material:

• Live Trap 
• Fresh fish or Canned Pet food

Step by Step Process:

• You can lay the trap in any area of your garden, but it is always good to hide it under some kind of foliage. 
• Set the trap properly according to instructions.
• Put a fresh fish or an open can of pet food inside the trap. 
• If a possum is in your garden it will most likely be attracted to the food inside the trap and become trapped. 
• Check back after a few hours or after a day, if you find a trapped possum, take it with you to a secluded or wooded area and release it there. 
• Repeat the process if there are multiple possums attacking your garden. 

Precautions:

The trap may also attract other animals if you have other pests in the garden. If that happens, release the animal and lay the trap again. 

2. Motion-activated Sprinkler

Possums are fairly big creatures, so motion-activated sprinklers are the perfect way to get rid of them. Whenever a possum is in your garden, These sprinklers will spray them with a stream of water.

This will not only scare the possums, but with repeated experience, the possum will learn that it is not a welcoming environment and it would not return to your garden. 

Required Material:

• Motion-activated sprinkler
• Water hose

Step by Step Process:

• Place the motion-activated sprinkler in an open area where the sprinkler can use its sensor freely. 
• Attach the water hose to it and turn on the water supply. 
• Switch on the motion-activated sprinkler and wait for it to do its work. 
• Every time possums enter your garden, they will get sprayed with a generous amount of water, which will deter them away from your garden. 

Precautions:

If you have a lot of trees or have multiple obstacles in front of your sprinkler, you may not get optimum results. So make sure to place it in an open and clear area.

3. Outdoor lights

Possums are nocturnal, which means that they sleep during the day and become active during the night. So if your garden is lit up brightly during nighttime, they will be deterred by the light.

After a few days, they would realize that it is not a welcoming environment and they will leave your garden permanently. 

Required Material:

• Garden lights

Step by Step Process:

• Place garden lights inside your garden at regular intervals. Lights that are close to the ground are much preferable. 
• Turn them on as soon as the sun sets and you’ll see much less possum activity in your garden during nighttime. 

Precautions:

Make sure the lights are bright enough and they cover your whole garden, otherwise possums will simply thrive in the darker areas. 

4. Motion-activated Lights

Similar to motion-activated sprinklers, motion-activated lights emit a bright light towards the target whenever they sense any movement in your garden.

Some of these devices also emit ultrasonic sounds, but that is not necessary for getting rid of possums. These nocturnal creatures do not like bright lights, so when flashed with a bright light, they will run away from your garden. 

Required Material:

• Motion-activated Lights

Step by Step Process:

• Place a few motion-activated lights around your garden, making sure to cover the entire area. 
• Usually, these are solar-powered, so you will simply have to turn on the switch initially. 
• Whenever a possum walks by your garden, the lights will turn on suddenly, which will startle the possum and drive it away. 

Precautions:

This method will only work if there isn’t a lot of obstacles in the way of the light. So make sure to place them in areas that are open and clear. 

5. Predator Urine Powder

Predator urine is a great way to get rid of many different types of animals from your garden. Anytime possums smell the urine of predators they will think that a predator is nearby, so they will run away from your garden.

Possums are afraid of foxes and coyotes, so the urine of any of these animals will work. Predator urine granules are much easier to use and will last for a longer time in your garden, thus deterring possums for a longer time. 

Required Material:

• Predator Urine Granules

Step by Step Process:

• Spread the predator urine granules all around your garden. Concentrate on the areas with the most plants. 
• If you have raised beds, you can put these granules on them as well. 
• While spreading them on your lawn, distribute them in a grid pattern, with about 1 teaspoon per square foot of space. 
• The strong smell of the fox or coyote urine will keep the possums away from your garden. If they were already in the garden, they will leave once they smell the urine. 

Precautions:

This is a temporary solution because over time the granules will not have a strong smell anymore, so you will have to take additional measures. 

6. Electric Fence

Electric Fence is a great option for getting rid of possums from your garden as well as to preventing them from coming back.

These fences will deliver a mild electric shock to the animal, enough to push them off of your fence, but not enough to kill or harm them in any way. However, the electric shock will teach the possums to not come back in your garden once they experience the shock. 

Required Material:

• Electric fence charger
• Electric fence wire
• Sticks for the fence

Step by Step Process:

• Decide the area that you want to protect from possums. It could be the whole garden or a specific area. 
• Put the stakes in regular intervals around the area that you want to protect. 
• Follow the instructions on your electric fence kit to wrap the wire around the stakes. To form a continuous line all around the space you’re protecting. 
• Attach your electric fence charger according to the instructions as well. 
• Switch it on and you’re good to go. Any possum that tries to enter your garden will get a jolt of electricity if they try to climb over the fence. This will keep them out and teach them not to come back. 

Precautions:

Do not use this method if you have young children or pets that are free to roam the garden, because it could be quite dangerous and they can accidentally get shocked by the fence. 

7.  Chili Powder

As possums start munching on your plants, if they taste the strong chili powder on them, they will be highly discouraged from eating the plant anymore.

Although it is not a foolproof method, coating your garden plants with chili powder will definitely keep the possums away from your garden plants. You can easily make a stray at home to make this process much easier. 

Required Material:

• Chilli powder 
• Dish soap
• Water
• Spray Bottle

Step by Step Process:

• Mix 1 cup of chili powder with 2 cups of water. You can add more water if the mixture is too thick. 
• Add two teaspoons of dish soap into the mixture and mix thoroughly. This will help the mixture stick to your plants better. 
• Transfer the mixture into a spray bottle and start spraying it all over your garden plants and grass. 
• When a possum enters your garden to munch on your plants, they will taste the chili instead and they will stop immediately. 
• Repeat this process every week or so. 

Precautions:

Chilli powder can irritate your skin, eyes, nose, or any other sensitive areas, so always be careful while using the mixture. 

8. Molasses

If there is one thing possums hate eating, it is molasses. So when you spray your garden down with molasses, the plants will no longer be attractive to possums.

For this method to work, you will have to spray it all over your garden plants and make sure that it sticks. When the possums come to eat your plants, they will taste molasses instead and will go away, discouraged. 

Required Material:

• Molasses
• Water
• Spray Bottle 

Step by Step Process:

•  Mix 1 cup of molasses in ½ gallon of water and allow it to dissolve. 
• Transfer the mixture into a spray bottle. 
• Spray the molasses mixture on every plant in your garden. You can also spray it on your grass. 
• Possums do not like the taste of molasses, so if they eat any plant they will instantly recognize it and dislike it. 
• Repeat the process every 2 to 3 days until the possums stop coming to your garden. 

Precautions:

Molasses can be a perfect breeding ground for mold and fungus, so make sure to only use this mixture outside. 

9. Moth Balls

Mothballs have a strong smell that could be quite off-putting to possums. It is quite difficult to get rid of possums using mothballs alone since they are small things that would not cover a large area.

However, if you place them near a nesting area of a possum, they will be discouraged from nesting in that area and they will move elsewhere. This is great for if you find a possum trying to make their home inside your garden or house. 

Required Material:

• Mothballs

Step by Step Process:

• First, you have to identify the nesting area of the possum. It is usually in a darker spot, or under a shed, or behind any kind of clutter. 
• You should remove the possum from its nesting area first if it is still there. You can do so by simply shooing it away. 
• Put 10 or 12 mothballs in the nesting area, and a few more around it to keep the possum out of the space. 
• You can use this method to prevent possums from nesting in such areas as well. 

Precautions:

This is a temporary solution, so make sure to add prevention methods to keep the possums out long term. 

6 Effective Ways to Keep Possums Away Naturally

1. Prevent food sources

Possums eat just about anything. They would eat plants, fruits, grass, small animals, fish, and even birds. They are also frequently found inside or near garbage cans as they eat human food scraps.

If you can remove these common food sources from your garden or house, then you could prevent possums from being attracted to your house.

To remove any fallen fruit, get rid of any clutter in your garden, trim down your grass, and cover any garbage can that you may have outside. This would stop possums from coming to your garden since there is nothing to feed on. 

2. Cover any access points

The simplest way to stop possums from coming inside your garden is to seal off any entry points in your garden and house. Possums could be entering through any holes, drains, or any other opening that is big enough for possums.

So simply cover up these areas with wood or wire mesh. You can also add a fence or a wall to protect your entire garden if you haven’t already. 

3. Install fences

Fences or walls could easily help you prevent possums from your garden. That being said possums are known to be able to climb onto fences, so make sure it is a wooden fence that completely covers your garden.

Even then, you may want to install some spikes on your fence to stop them even if they have climbed up. 

4. Drive them away

If you do not have a big garden to worry about and just don’t want them to cause a nuisance in your house, you can simply drive them away.

Use a long broom to drive them out of your house or garden. After a few times, they will quickly learn that they are not welcome in your home or your garden and would not come back. 

Top 5 Natural Repellents to Get Rid of Possums

If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of possums, check below listed best Natural/Organic Repellents.

Final Comments:

Although Possums are good for pest control, no one really wants them inside their house. Moreover, they can be quite aggressive and have been known to attack children and pets. So, it is always a good idea to get rid of them as soon as possible.

Fortunately, these creatures are quite easy to get rid of. You do not necessarily have to call an exterminator.

Moreover, a few small prevention methods can help you drive them out of your garden quite easily. We hope that this article provided you with the methods needed for getting rid of possums.