Possum Control

griff · Postby **griff** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 6:23 pm

I have googled and find there is a wax card Vitamin D based poison for Possums but can not find a source,

Possums are the major source of the EMP parasite and mostly nocturnal which means they are hard to eradicate with a rifle

any ideas

griff

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:14 pm

If it is dark and you can't see use a semi-automatic 12 gauge shotgun. Your odds of a kill are better. :lol:

griff · Postby **griff** » Sat Jul 02, 2011 7:43 pm

shooting these things one at a time is not going to make much of a dent in the population.

griff

mightyhijames · Postby **mightyhijames** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:54 am

i've caught several possums in my livetrap using apples as bait. i'm after that damm groundhog but don't want the possums around, either. the farm owner shoots what i catch.

griff · Postby **griff** » Sun Jul 03, 2011 6:47 am

I have used live traps and will probably get some more; however, this is also a slow process and i fear, at best, all it will do is slow down the population explosion.

need something that will at least thin them out.

If you Google Possum Poison one of the things that pops up addresses the six poisons that work.. I don't think the stuff they use in New Zealand is available in the USA but there is a wax card you nail to tree trunks that uses Vitamine D to kill Possums which sounds like the way to go. However, I can not find a source.

griff

Shammy Davis · Postby **Shammy Davis** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:10 am

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/professi ... ossums.htm

ratherrapid · Postby **ratherrapid** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 10:11 am

i have a live and let live strategy for the critters. feed 'em and keep 'em healthy instead of sick. feed away from the horse/pasture areas and they set up shop at that location instead of the horse areas.

griff · Postby **griff** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 1:25 pm

ratherrapid

Possums carry the EMP parasite and when a possum takes a dump in any part of your pasture if he is a carriers, and many are, his feces will contain that parasite. If that parasite in on a blade of grass that a horse eats the horse will get EMP..

the EMP parasite gets in the horse's spine and if ever saw a horse with EMP i suspect your noble live and let live attitude would change, especially if it is your horse.

There is an EMP vaccine but I believe it has been proven not to be effective. Hopefully an effective vaccine will be developed

griff

mightyhijames · Postby **mightyhijames** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 3:30 pm

ratherrapid wrote:i have a live and let live strategy for the critters. feed 'em and keep 'em healthy instead of sick. feed away from the horse/pasture areas and they set up shop at that location instead of the horse areas.

i had a live and let live theory myself until the groundhogs expanded out the fenced off area in a 10 acrea pasture. now i'm afraid to turn my yearlings out there. nor do i want possum urine on my hay, which can carry dsease to foals. this a.m. i got a groundhog and raccoon in my live traps, both of which were disposed of quickly and humanely. that's the best i can do.

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Mon Jul 04, 2011 6:07 pm

Griff,

Is it possible to set up a feeding station--possums eat cat food--well away from the horses. Once the critters know there is free food in one location, then you can trap or poison them en mass.

griff · Postby **griff** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 6:34 am

Thanks Xfactorfan

Thats a good idea and it goes well with Sammy Davis' input.

I once used feed to get some pretty wild tiger strip cows into a very stout pen so I cold sell them.. Took about a week before they would come running when I pulled up in my truck..

I'll bet you the possums will do the same.

I'll let you know how his works.

griff

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 4:00 pm

Just to play devil's advocate, are you sure your local possums are sick, or carry any diseases?

griff · Postby **griff** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:16 am

I'm absolutely certain at least one is or was carrying the EMP parasite, and I strongly suspect if one was or is infected, others are also. There are also a lot a rabid possums as they are slow and "playing possum" does not deter rabid critters.

The other very real problem is we have destroyed their natural predators that once kept them in check and they now play havoc on ground nesting birds like Bob White Qual . Fact is I have not heard a Bob White in many many years, Feral cats are probably the major problem here but the recent explosion in possums has certainly contributed to this problem.

Lastly, a couple of weeks ago i found one in a bag of dog food I keep in a plastic garbage can in the garage. Not a pretty sight when I went to feed my dogs

griff

griff

xfactor fan · Postby **xfactor fan** » Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:16 pm

Possums are supposed to be insect eaters. However no one seem to have told the Possums that. They love cat and dog food. And I can see them eating eggs or chicks.

Good luck getting rid of them.

casallc · Postby **casallc** » Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:27 am

Drive through your pastures at 65MPH at night with your lights on. Possum's have a death wish by automobile. Pretty soon you will be rid of possum's, there will be a good deal of possum excrement for a while though.