My Dog Goes Berserk About Possums

[GSDowner]

Dear All

I am desperate for help. When it gets dark possums come out and my dog does not stop barking.

I am sleep deprived and can't function normally

I googled like mad to find a solution and read about getting python toys, spraying the roof with urine , etc. I also contacted our Council. I was advised to arrange for a contractor to come, trap them and seal any entry poins in walls and in the roof. Unfortunately I cannot afford $800 at the moment.

I definitely don't want to kill them (and there are people who do apparently) but to discourage them from hanging around.

I would be forever grateful for any advice that would restore my normal life.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Are they actually in the roof or in the garden? Mine bark at possums running along the fence but are inside with me during the evening and at night or I'd have had complaints. I've had some rats in the roof but no possums and mine haven't been too bad with that.

[all that glitters]

Let dog sleep indoors in a crate?

[PAX]

Let dog sleep indoors in a crate?

Possums are the reason I first started crate training, the possums are safe, the dog is quiet and the neighbours are happy.

[Adnil444]

Hi, I also have this problem (but to a much lesser extent). I actually got rid of the trees in my backyard that were attracting them - the ones with berries etc. I have a couple of gums but because they are so large and tall, the possums are up very high, if in fact they do come in the yard, which seems to be very rare nowadays.

[GSDowner]

My neighbours are protected from the noise as the dog is inside ( he lives in the house).

but I am the one who is on the receiving end.

They make noise in the roof and inside walls.

[Erny]

They make noise in the roof and inside walls.

Sounds to me that you might need to get someone out who will be able to rid the possums from your roof and close up gaps from where they are getting in.

[PAX]

They make noise in the roof and inside walls.

Sounds to me that you might need to get someone out who will be able to rid the possums from your roof and close up gaps from where they are getting in.

If you remove a possum, you are just making room for another, although your roof should be possum proofed, crating the dogs at night is the easiest solution IMO and experience with naughty Possums.

Naughty possums used to come down our chimney and into the bedrooms, lucky they are so cute, although my dogs beg to differ.

[persephone]

Training your dog, and possum proofing the house will help

have a read of these links to learn more

http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dse/nrenpa.nsf/F...15?OpenDocument

http://www.holdfast.sa.gov.au/webdata/reso...information.pdf

http://www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com/Livi...l%20Possums.pdf

http://www.nana.asn.au/n2-possum.htm

[Erny]

If you remove a possum, you are just making room for another, although your roof should be possum proofed ...

That's what I just said ??? If the dog is barking at the noises of the possum/s in the roof and walls, then the possums need moving from the inner roof/walls and the roof needs to be possum proofed (ie gaps stopped up). The dog is already inside - crating isn't by itself likely to stop the barking/worrying at the sounds, do you think? Perhaps it would help to stop the pacing which in turn might help the dog to settle, or it could work the opposite and the confinement might have the dog more frustrated.

[KitKat]

I occasionally use a remote trainer coller on my GSD's for this purpose but generally i put the boys to bed in their pens when i go to bed - then the possums are able to move around freely and the neighbours and i are able to sleep

ETA - next dogs are being brought up with the cats so the dogs can sleep inside and still alert if people are about that shouldn't be - unfortuantely my GSD's and cats don't get on so the dogs are outside only now. The house we are in now isn't big enough to add crates anywhere like the last place

Edited February 27, 2010 by KitKat

[MsKatie]

For what it's worth my OH put napthalene flakes in the roof space (moth balls) and they seem to have put them off - we had one in the wall cavity and the dog slept through all its noise ....................but goes nuts at them outside.

[love-my-dog]

I am the one who is on the receiving end.

They make noise in the roof and inside walls.

If your a handy person you can get the possums out of your roof and walls yourself.

First seal off all entry points the possums are or might be able to use with a piece sheet metal.

You need to seal off any and all possible enty points. They can be very determined to get back in.

Important.

You will need to provide an exit point for them.

If you have a tiled roof this is easily done by sliding a tile back just before dusk to let them out and closing it later in the night before they return.

You will need to do this over several days to be sure tht they have all left.

It also helps to place some tempting apple pieces out for thm to encourage them to come out.

Hope this helps

[LouBon]

You can get simple plans for a possum box from your local RSPCA or Parks and Wildlife. If the dogs will continually bark at them outside as well, ask a nice neighbour if they will house the possum box in their garden. I have known many people who have used this method successfully- possum safe- not too far from it's territory and dog quiet...

If you would like me to send you these plans, just pm me.

[Alyosha]

If you remove a possum, you are just making room for another, although your roof should be possum proofed, crating the dogs at night is the easiest solution IMO and experience with naughty Possums.

Naughty possums used to come down our chimney and into the bedrooms, lucky they are so cute, although my dogs beg to differ.

Agree. Nature hates a vacuum, it is usually not legal to remove possums from an area without a licence (relocated possums often die due to their territorial natures) but even if you do, another will move straight in.

Does the noise in your roof sound like scratching and scurrying? Or like a herd of elephants?

If it is the former it is likely rats or mice. But beware of baiting as it can also be sugar gliders which will also die from mouse & rat bait. If it is loud it most certainly is possums.

One thing you can try is getting into the roof and speading napthalene flakes - as long as you don't mind the mothball smell! Sometimes this will deter possums. Or Quassia chip which you can get from Bunnings. Quassia you can also soak into a tea sort of liquid and spray around the spots outside where they are hanging about or getting in.

[Diva]

I have heard that putting a light in the roof space and leaving it on day and night for several days, along with the napthalene or quassia, will help encourage them to move out. But the main thing is blocking their entry points once they have.

A friend was so tormented by a resident possum over a period of months that he got up in the middle of the night, knocked a hole in the wall where he could hear it and chased it out of the house. This method is not recommended!

[Erny]

If you remove a possum, you are just making room for another, although your roof should be possum proofed, crating the dogs at night is the easiest solution IMO and experience with naughty Possums.

Naughty possums used to come down our chimney and into the bedrooms, lucky they are so cute, although my dogs beg to differ.

Agree. Nature hates a vacuum, it is usually not legal to remove possums from an area without a licence (relocated possums often die due to their territorial natures) but even if you do, another will move straight in.

..... can I just be clear (because it is my post that seems to have sparked people talking about not removing possums) that I was only talking about getting it out of the ceiling/walls of the home. Not moving it to another area. I thought I was relatively clear, but perhaps not?

Edited February 27, 2010 by Erny

[mita]

You can get simple plans for a possum box from your local RSPCA or Parks and Wildlife. If the dogs will continually bark at them outside as well, ask a nice neighbour if they will house the possum box in their garden. I have known many people who have used this method successfully- possum safe- not too far from it's territory and dog quiet...

The man next door's just set up a possum box in his front garden. The possum had been going across his back deck to get into the roof. Their small tibbie would bark.....but only if she was on the deck. He sealed up the spot where the possum was getting into the roof. He also bought some black plastic snakes to dangle in strategic places.

Last I heard, he was encouraging the possum to go into the box using a trail of fruit.

A possum that sounds like it's as big as an elephant thunders around on top of our roof sometimes. But thank goodness our tibbies ignore it. And when the tib next door is staying, she doesn't bark as usual. Her attitude seems to be, 'It's your possum. Your problem.'

[GSDowner]

Thank you Alyoshka

The noise is made by possums as they sound like elephants, also hiss and make a can like noise

I also see them through the window walking on tree branches.

I will certainly try naphtalene and may be the product from Bunnings

[Beaglelover:)]

We moved into our new house about 7 months ago and we had one massive possum problem in the roof. We got a tree man to cut down any branches hanging over the roof and called Possum Busters (in Sydney). We havent heard anything since then.

Good Luck