Possoms in my yard

Discussion in 'Wildlife in the Garden' started by toni, Aug 23, 2020.

  1. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    We have had several over the last 3 years in and out of the garden....but they really do like to clean out the peanut bowl on the front fence.

     
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  3. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    They are good animals to have around ! Will eat anything,, rotten fruit vegetables,,anything and are almost immune to rabies ! I have raised a couple !!
     
  4. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Two years ago we had a mating pair and 4 of their offspring living in the backyard which I have let go back to nature so it's a very good safe place for them and the stray cats who have set up housekeeping back there now. The two parents died last year and the youngsters I am afraid some neighbor who couldn't care less how helpful they are in the garden caught them and did who knows what with them.
     
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  5. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Most people do not know how to take care of the baby possums ! They do not nurse as mammals do,, they lap millk same as dogs do ! For those with fruit trees than fall to the ground,, they clean them up ! No rotten fruit,, no flies ect !
     
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  6. Cayuga Morning

    Cayuga Morning Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    Toni, I missed this posting. So glad you have opossums and that you appreciate them. They are great tick removers. And they are cute too!
     
  7. marlingardener

    marlingardener Happy

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    We have opossums, even a young one spending a rainy night in our cat shelter! We have learned to appreciate the wildlife we have, avoid the questionable ones like rattlers and foxes, and just go with the flow!
    Cayuga, puppies are cute, opossums not so much . . . .
     
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  8. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    Possums have the pretty face and the white is almost silvery in the moon light. They have kept our yards free of June Bugs and Cicadas for the last 3 years...no noisy cicadas at night and no June Bugs making dive bomb runs at us when we go outside at night.
     
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  9. Cayuga Morning

    Cayuga Morning Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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  10. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    This year it looked like we would not have any in the yard until one evening our daughter came home from work about 10 p.m. and said she was sorry she had scared a possum away from the peanut bowl. I was up and rounding up food for it .... suet block crushed in a bowl, stirred in chunky peanut butter, mashed up and added a couple of hard boiled eggs and had it put in a bowl on the front fence before the possum could run away and hide. It does return once in a while now that it knows where the food is.
     
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  11. Tooty2shoes

    Tooty2shoes Hardy Maple

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    Oh my gosh I love Possums. Last fall we had a little white possum show up under our sunflower feeder. So cute and it had black ears and black feet. I believe I posted a picture of it last year. I named it Paco, so I guess I dubbed it a boy. Anyhow, we hadn't seen Paco for almost a year. Then the other night I looked out and here under our feeder was, PACO. I was so excited to see this little tick eater back.
    Hopefully he doesn't become Owl dinner as we have a pair of resident Great Horned Owls in the woods next to our property. This is the pic I took last year. He now is twice as big and has cute black feet as well. DSCN7220.JPG
     
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  12. eileen

    eileen Resident Taxonomist Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    He's done well to survive a year already so I hope he'll continue to visit your garden for a long time yet.
     
  13. Cayuga Morning

    Cayuga Morning Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    I wish I had a Paco.
     
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  14. Sjoerd

    Sjoerd Mighty Oak

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    Great seeing Paco again. He must be doing well there to have increased in size. He does indeed look like some kind of fluffy stuffed animal for kids.
    Unusual that he has those black ears.
    I am wondering if there is something in the water there as not only do you have white possums but also finches !
    BTW—have you seen anything else of that little white finch?
     
    Last edited: Oct 20, 2020
  15. Frank

    Frank GardenStew Founder Staff Member Administrator

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    Me too!
     
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