possum

[Frost Homestead]

What's the best bait for luring a possum into a live trap? I've got a big ugly one living under my house

Apparently it loves it down there...lots of creepy crawlies to eat, especially with the sudden explosion of tarantulas I keep finding in the house.

 

[nanaluvsgps]

I wouldn't reccomend moving the possum because it could have a family as it is breeding season. Unless it is destryoing your harvests or getting into your actual house. He is eating all of the insects that would eventually get in to your house.

 

[Yknot]

Peanut butter and cat food work well, good luck.

 

[Trefoil]

I would agree with nanaluv- not because of its family, because of its exterminator qualities. If you really want to get it out of there, cat food would probably work, around here they eat with my cats.

 

[Frost Homestead]

I just don't want it getting at my birds. Possums won't attack/kill chickens? I'd rather not have it living and nesting underneath my house, I'm trying to eradicate the plethora of spiders/tarantulas/rodents/marsupials I seem to be infested with. This house was abandoned for a couple years before we moved in, I think they got used to having the run of the place. Sooo...I'd prefer to just seal the crack where it's getting in, but I wouldn't want it (& its potential babies) to die under there.

My husband took a look around under there this afternoon and he didn't see anything nest-like, I'm assuming because it's a marsupial that it carries its young in its pouch, so moving it wouldn't really matter. I mean the babies wouldn't get left behind. I'll try the cat food

 

[nanaluvsgps]

Ok, but I still think your best choice for eradicating spiders is a possum

 

[Mattemma]

I have caught them with apples,corn,carrots tossed in the trap.Bigger babies might get left behind so keep the trap set or be ready for a decomp smell for while. I saw that on an episode of INFESTED where possums invaded a house by the inside of the walls. I forget what diseases they carry,but the lady did get sick.Back to the decomp... I had a major rott for 2 weeks in a bedroom thanks to a mouse in the wall.

Are we talking about a crawl space? I HATE dealing with mine.Set a trap in there and set a trap at the location where your possum is getting in/out. I have never had a possum attack my hens,but I know they could.Shoot,just about anything eats chicken!

Getting rid of a predator is a plus,but even more so is getting rid of animals pooping and peeing under your house. I have had some drop a load in the trap and it is uber stinky. I can not imagine that building up under the house. I think I would like the trantulas if they stayed in the crawl. I have put boric acid,DE,and sprayed with bifen.For mice I prefer the snap traps after that unfortunate decomp episode when I used poison bait.

I think possums are cute,lol.Here is a teen I got.They drool a lot!Good luck!

 

[Frost Homestead]

Oh I know all about the decomp. I recently had a rat die somewhere under the kitchen

It was horrible for about a week, definitely not having company over during that! We have a trailer, so it's living down there under the underpinning. It got through a crack where a big live oak is growing too close to the skirting and pushing on it. I can easily fix the crack. Gonna have to open it up and set the trap in there for a while and see what I catch lol

that pic is crazy looking! eeek all that drool

 

[Mattemma]

Yeah I like that pic.It was a nice possum despite the attitude.I just caught another coon last night. Thought I had cleared out this area.No amount of spray can freshen up that decomp lol. I was even smelling the walls trying to find the place I could cut a hole and remove the offender. I would trap for a while inside and outside then close it up.

Sounds like that tree needs to go. I told my dh anything 6 feet and under near the house needs to go.He is still holding on to 1 tree,but I told him the foundation will be way more expensive than the tree,and eventually that tree WILL have to go too! His choice. I do miss one big tree I had to cut.It was great for the kids,but really bad for the house.

 

[Frost Homestead]

No way could I cut down the tree, it's a huge heritage sized Texas Live Oak. I'll just fix the skirting. We have a trailer, so there's no foundation. The trailer's been there for a loooong time, it's probably taken decades for the tree to push the skirting open a couple of inches, just wide enough for the critters to get in