preventing possums eating tree leaves
pam cohen
We have a Melia tree that is being killed by possums eating all the leaves.
It's quite a large tree (over 4m) but can't sprout leaves faster than the
possums can eat them.
Is there something that anyone can suggest to spray on the leaves to make
them taste so bad that the possums won't eat them or at least will eat so
few of them that the tree can survive?
thanks
pam
My email address is p...@rsc.anu.edu.au
--
pam cohen p...@rsc.anu.edu.au
senior programmer
research school of chemistry
the australian national university (tel)61-6-2494089
canberra, act 0200, australia (fax)61-6-2490750
Alina Holgate
pam cohen wrote:
>
> We have a Melia tree that is being killed by possums eating all the leaves.
> It's quite a large tree (over 4m) but can't sprout leaves faster than the
> possums can eat them.
> Is there something that anyone can suggest to spray on the leaves to make
> them taste so bad that the possums won't eat them or at least will eat so
> few of them that the tree can survive?
I made a homemade garlic/chilli spray that seems to keep possums from eating
flowers I've planted. The recipe is posted to this newsgroup above under
the topic "Natural insecticide".
Jill Colwell
pam cohen wrote:
> We have a Melia tree that is being killed by possums eating all the leaves.
>
> It's quite a large tree (over 4m) but can't sprout leaves faster than the
> possums can eat them.
>
> Is there something that anyone can suggest to spray on the leaves to make
> them taste so bad that the possums won't eat them or at least will eat so
> few of them that the tree can survive?
>
> thanks
>
> pam
>
> My email address is p...@rsc.anu.edu.au
>
> --
> pam cohen p...@rsc.anu.edu.au
> senior programmer
> research school of chemistry
> the australian national university (tel)61-6-2494089
> canberra, act 0200, australia (fax)61-6-2490750
By melia, do you mean the white cedar? They eat the berries here, but nothing
else.
If the possums are giving the tree such a hiding, then they must be short of
food. At this time of the year, the mothers are carrying the babies, so as
much food as possible is essential.
I suggest that you supplement feed, also that you very quickly plant other
trees that they will eat. In my area (Gosford) they LOVE e. robusta (swamp
mahogonay). As we've had to heavily prune our white cedars this year, the
berries are short, so we're placing out food - apple cut in half - banana -
carrot etc. Not too much.
They're stopped from moving around by a wire fence out the front, so I'm about
to plant some heavyish vines on said fence so they can climb over. My banksia
has been all bashed down on the street side, because they're trying to "leap"
over the fence.
Basil Chupin
In article <pam-101197...@cenred.anu.edu.au>
p...@rsc.anu.edu.au (pam cohen) writes:
> We have a Melia tree that is being killed by possums eating all
> the leaves.
>
> It's quite a large tree (over 4m) but can't sprout leaves faster
> than the
> possums can eat them.
>
> Is there something that anyone can suggest to spray on the leaves
> to make
> them taste so bad that the possums won't eat them or at least will
> eat so
> few of them that the tree can survive?
Are you absolutely sure that it is possums causing the damage?
Your article reminded me of a program I saw earlier this year about trees
producing chemical repellants as part of their survival strategy against
animals that graze on their foliage. Not being familiar with the Melia tree I
went to one of my reference books. This reference mentions the following-
Melia azederach While Cedar. ..... with small glossy deep green leaflets,
bunches of small fragrant flowers in late spring followed by poisonous buff
berries. ..... Foliage sometimes stripped by catepillars which can be trapped
by fastening folded hessian around the trunk. This is removed during early
morning when the catepillars are usually nestling within.
If the damage is being caused by possums then perhaps you should seek the
advice of an arborist because I recall seeing or hearing a program where it
was mentioned that chemicals (not injurious to the tree of course) could be
introduced via small drill holes into a tree and are then carried to all parts
of the tree. Such a treatment could save your tree from the possum attack.
----------------------------------------------------------
Basil Chupin Internet: blch...@pcug.org.au
Fidonet: 3.620.269.0 +61-6-285-2353
Canberra, A.C.T., Australia
----------------------------------------------------------
pam cohen
In article <1DFD23...@pcug.org.au>, blch...@pcug.org.au (Basil Chupin)
wrote:
> In article <pam-101197...@cenred.anu.edu.au>
> p...@rsc.anu.edu.au (pam cohen) writes:
>
> > We have a Melia tree that is being killed by possums eating all
> > the leaves.
> >
> > It's quite a large tree (over 4m) but can't sprout leaves faster
> > than the
> > possums can eat them.
> >
> > Is there something that anyone can suggest to spray on the leaves
> > to make
> > them taste so bad that the possums won't eat them or at least will
> > eat so
> > few of them that the tree can survive?
>
> Are you absolutely sure that it is possums causing the damage?
>
I got an answer to my question from the ACT Dept of the Environment.
There are two solutions (no pun intended) that you can use.
You can either spray the leaves with quassia chip solution (made fromt he
bark of a very bitter sth american tree) (available through Amcal chemists
but not other chemists I telephoned) or something called D-Ter which is an
animal repellent.
pam
Roger Riordan
blch...@pcug.org.au (Basil Chupin) wrote:
>In article <pam-101197...@cenred.anu.edu.au>
>p...@rsc.anu.edu.au (pam cohen) writes:
>
>> We have a Melia tree that is being killed by possums eating all
>> the leaves.
>Are you absolutely sure that it is possums causing the damage?
Possums are extremely destructive. They are in plague proportions
here (Brighton, Vic). They have killed several photinias &
rhododendrons next door, there is not an almond on our once fruitful
tree, and they have nearly defoliated Sally's roses, a large coastal
ti-tree and a water gum (tristania laurina?). Sally surveys the
population by keeping an upturned compost bin lid under the tristania,
and emptying it each morning.
Napthalene tied in stocking feet and hung in the roses is moderately
effective. We did make a number of such packets and threw them into
the tristania, and it may have slwed them down a bit. Also tried a US
made ultrasonic siren - think it kept them out of the tree for one
night.
Studied a guillotine type trap in NZ recently, and very tempted to
bring one back. $X000 fine though, if you are caught harming the
little dears. Idiotic!
>
>Your article reminded me of a program I saw earlier this year about trees
>producing chemical repellants as part of their survival strategy against
>animals that graze on their foliage. Not being familiar with the Melia tree I
>went to one of my reference books. This reference mentions the following-
>
>Melia azederach While Cedar. ..... with small glossy deep green leaflets,
>bunches of small fragrant flowers in late spring followed by poisonous buff
>berries. ..... Foliage sometimes stripped by catepillars which can be trapped
>by fastening folded hessian around the trunk. This is removed during early
>morning when the catepillars are usually nestling within.
>
>
>If the damage is being caused by possums then perhaps you should seek the
>advice of an arborist because I recall seeing or hearing a program where it
>was mentioned that chemicals (not injurious to the tree of course) could be
>introduced via small drill holes into a tree and are then carried to all parts
>of the tree. Such a treatment could save your tree from the possum attack.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>Basil Chupin Internet: blch...@pcug.org.au
> Fidonet: 3.620.269.0 +61-6-285-2353
>Canberra, A.C.T., Australia
>----------------------------------------------------------
Roger Riordan
Jim Finnigan
Hi gang,
I know that it's getting a little off the subject, however recently I had
a problem with possums eating my pawpaws. I always wanted to grow my own
pawpaws in the back-yard in Brisbane, so went to the library and found out
how the commercial growers get their plants to production - only to find
that when the fruit was almost ripe, the possums would have a field-day.
I think I have successfully countered the little beasties by mixing some
chilli powder I found in my wife's spice rack, in a 500ml spray container -
(containers as cheap as chips at Coles Stores at the monent), and there were
a few nibbles taken from the fruit over the next few nights - nothing
serious, just a little bite out of the skin - and ever since the pawpaws
have ripened beautifully on the tree, just right for the taking.
Don't quite know how this may help with possums eating the leaves from a
tree, but if you spray the trunk thoroughly, around the base, the lower
leaves, - and if the possums cannot gain access to the tree from above
somehow, you may deter them. I made sure I sprayed the trunk of my pawpaws
as well as the fruit and around the base, and so far - success. Good luck!
Jim
Roger Riordan
blch...@pcug.org.au (Basil Chupin) wrote:
>As the bottom line, why not consider providing them with a "decoy" by
>providing them with food which will keep them away from your tree or any other
>plant they would normally feed on?
Are you sure this doesn't bring all the possums for 5 miles round to
start with your tasty entree, followed by a hearty dinner from your
trees, then settle down to breeding even more takers? :-)
Roger Riordan