possum and bird protection

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by hedwig, Mar 21, 2006.

  1. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2005
    Messages:
    680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    our papayas are growing great, and we have some melons. But our last melons were eaten by the possums just a week before they would have been ripe , even with chilli sprayed, and I don't want to donate the papayas to the possums or birds either. I wonder if we can have atleast some of the tamarillos this year? How are you groing fruit and protect them?
     
  2. Rob6014

    Rob6014 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2005
    Messages:
    57
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    This year the rosellas found my quince trees and have pretty well destroyed every bit of fruit. Luckily, I have access to a huge supply of quinces elsewhere, so while it is annoying the heck out of me, I am not going to bother netting the trees... Our tomatoes are under attack from magpies - we put up CDs and they seem to control them OK. They get a few, but we get the most.

    We are planning to move to a larger place in a couple of years, and we are going to bite the bullet and net an entire orchard and vegie garden area using commercial orchard netting.
     
  3. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2005
    Messages:
    680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    really CD's work? Only against Magpies or against Lorikets as well? Shurely not against possums, because they're active at nicht.
     
  4. Rob6014

    Rob6014 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2005
    Messages:
    57
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    The CD work against the magpies, against crows and particularly against currowongs. The *&^% parrots sit/hang on the CDs while they attack the fruit... Strangely, nothing has been interested in attacking the raspberries. Last year I netted them, and the parrots would hang on the net and eat the berries. This year they are uncovered.
     
  5. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    g'day hedwig,

    for possums you can put some of the flat tin around the tree about a meter off the ground need to be sure the possum can't get to the tree from some other source ie.,. fence or overhanging tree branches. you will need to bag the pawpaws (i use potting mix and grain bags to cover the whole bunch) to keep the bats away and i have never had any of the normal fruit loving birds get to the pawpaws like they do to the stone fruits etc.,. also never seen a pawpaw farmer taking action against birds.

    for possums and other garden crops you need something like a 1.5 to 2 metre high fence with a run of that (10" wide i think?) flat tin around the top on the outside so they climb up to the tin but not past it. also they say if you set up a possum feeding station well away from your crops that the possums will be happy with that?

    len :D
     
  6. SueinWA

    SueinWA Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2005
    Messages:
    1,251
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I don't know if this is a appropriate for these "pests", but up here, people say if you put out containers of water, it reduces the fruit damage. It is said that a lot of the damage (like one bite per fruit) is actually the bird/animal trying to get water.

    A cheap fix, if it would work.

    Sue
     
  7. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2005
    Messages:
    680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    if I bag the papayas: do they ripe without light? The possum fences seems to me really much effort! We have always water in the garden, there is an old bathtube as fishpond and a "pool" with jest a bit of water for the kinds. Well I will hang some CD's in the trees, bag the papayas. Does nose help? For example hanging bells in the trees.
     
  8. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    g'day hedwig,

    they don't need the sun to ripen, i don't bag them until the look like they maybe starting to ripen, but no matter they all ripen in time. yes a good possum fence is a lot of effort and could be a bit pricy but it is all one up isn't it, you will still need to bag for the bats.

    maybe string up some alli' cans they make a racket with little breeze i have seen this used in gardens before.

    onother possum method is thick hottest chilly paste put where they walk/climb they get this on their paws ans then throuhg preening onto the lips and their eyes, all times i ahve been told it is not a long term damage to the animal but they guarantee the possum won't come back.

    len
     
  9. hedwig

    hedwig Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 28, 2005
    Messages:
    680
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    I tried chilli on melons - it didn't work. I will try bagging and hanging some noisy things in the tree. In a gardening book I saw a picture of an orchard it was really a big cage allover the orchard - but who can affort this? How does commercial growers protect their crop?
     
  10. gardenlen

    gardenlen Group for banned users

    Joined:
    May 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3,464
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    g'day hedwig,

    they don't do it sustainably do they? they have licenses to trap and/or kill any bird or animal that is a pest in their orchid or cane/grain farm.

    to me that is what permnaculture is about among other things living with and improving the habitat living with the native fauna, doing what we need to do to protect our food plants within that realm, and if we don't want to deal with competing fauna then grow something they don't like. yes building protection over favoured food plants is oft' expensive but it is a one up like a gardener in boondal he/she loves those purple turkey figs so they have built a permanent chook wire cage over them so they don't have to compete with the birds.

    chillie paste may not work in a water melon patch but others have used it successfully on tree crops where the possum has a defined path to tread.

    len 8)
     
  11. barely run

    barely run Junior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 28, 2005
    Messages:
    583
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Commercial growers use Bird netting It is strung over supports or in the case of grapes just hung over the vines....lots of smaller home growers drape individual trees....initial costs might be pricey but the nets are reuseable for many years.
    Cathy
     
  12. Tezza

    Tezza Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2003
    Messages:
    1,585
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    0
    :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


    Sorry bout that..But i just cant help laughing at us humans who actually bother with nets,cages etc to prevent birds eating your fruit.I have never used or intend using netting as it looks unsightly,Costs money,needs replacing when damaged,needs replacing when trees grow,needs replacing when the weather rots it down...

    I thought Permaculture was doing it as in a rain forest principle(see Bill Mollison)...I never heard of nets in the amazon,the Daintree, or any other forest.Nets arnt very self sufficient either,unless your a net maker lol.

    If like the majority of Permies have a full packed in type of garden area, how would u cover the trees when the trees branches touch the next trees branches.How do u get around when your trees are a few years old and are over 20 foot tall.....

    Netting was invented by a society who wasnt interested in allowing a little share to go to the wild life,It was invented by unscrupalus growers who didnt want to share anything,and maximise profits only...In growing for my self I find that i cant eat all my fruit and am more then happy to let ANY birds eat the top of my trees as long as they leave me the ones i can reach,
    witch in most cases they do..A benifit of allowing birds to help them selves is to encourage the sead from the eaten fruit to be dissperesed by the birds to the surrounding areas in a more natural way( as in nature)
    wouldnt it be nice to go walking out in your neighberhood and seeing a fruit tree growing from a self sown seed that humble parrot might of pooped out a few years earlier...

    Tezza
     
  13. scooter1962

    scooter1962 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 11, 2005
    Messages:
    16
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    try the strayban ultrasonic unit from Shu Roo Australia - out in Rocklea. units cost about $200.00 and are about as friendly as you can get with something you don't like. Be warned though - they don't always work if your beasties are hungry.
    shu roo have a web site
     
  14. Antonino Giglio

    Antonino Giglio Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2004
    Messages:
    83
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    0
    Tezza,
    is easy for you to speak, isn't it? :?

    Instead of criticising people that are working hard for they little income (many honest farmers), what USEFUL suggestion would you give to people that have trees and other plants destroied by possums? :(

    Maybe I can call you and you can stay out at night and scare them off... how's the idea? :lol:

    And don't tell me about the ethics of protecting local fauna ad other similar staff otherwise I send you to live in the amazon jungle and then you'll see what really living in nature is... with big predators 'cats', deadly mosquitos and so on...

    :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
     
  15. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2007
    Messages:
    2,721
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    The tin around the trunk works for me. You have to loosen the tin every year or so though as the trunk continues to grow.

    The bird one is interesting. Commercial orchards here use netting alot now, but I remember when they didn't and still made a living. What has changed? More greedy orchardists (like Tezza says, not leaving enough for the birds)? Or a balance has changed with the local ecosystem so there are more hungry birds and less feed?

    Planting extra for the wildlife makes sense to me, but it depends on your garden and surrounding ecologies.

    Birds are part of the health of any tree and forest. If you stop birds getting to the trees, won't you have more 'pests' of other kinds that the birds would have eaten?

    Do you have lots of native trees planted that provide the right kind of food for the local birds?


    Possums... here they get shot or trapped (or some people poison them). But here in NZ they are far from their own habitat and create many problems. Some things to know about possums - as mentioned they do create trails. Also they seem to create scent trails, so even over hard ground or a roof they will find their way to where a previous possum has been.

    In NZ they get distinct eating habits. In the bush they will sometimes eat one particular kind of tree in an area and leave all the rest even though at another time they may have eaten the rest. Does that happen in Oz?


    They don't like getting wet, and so if they can they avoid going through thick vegetation when it's been damp or raining. They will find a track before they have to go through wet bush. They don't go very far when it's raining.


    I'm on a semi rural section. We always have a few possums in the neighbourhood at any one time. I've never seen any damage to my garden from possums. My theory is that there are so many compost bins here that the possums don't bother with the plants :lol:
     
  16. pebble

    pebble Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 24, 2007
    Messages:
    2,721
    Likes Received:
    7
    Trophy Points:
    38
    Location:
    inland Otago, NZ
    Climate:
    Inland maritime/hot/dry/frosty
    Maybe urine marking would work? Human, or dog? to deter the possums. What eats possums in Australia?
     

Share This Page

-->