Our backyard brushtail possums nibble on tomatoes, capsicums, grevilleas, hibbertias and marjoram, among other botanical delights. In fact they’ve dined on pretty much everything except the basil. Rats, it seems, do like basil, but only in moderation.
Do rats eat basil?
Rats are known for their love of eating basil. In addition to nibbling basil leaves, rats and mice can also access plants and their roots from below ground (they tunnel and burrow just like gophers and moles).
Do possums like oregano?
Strong-smelling herbs such as sage, rosemary, or oregano may deter possums, especially when mixed with spicy chili pepper.
How do you keep possums away?
Tips on how to deter possums from your garden:
- Prune tree branches.
- Use bleach to remove possum smells.
- Make an ammonia possum repellent.
- Make an animal-based fertiliser stink bomb.
- Use hot pepper or tabasco sauce.
- Add LED lights to your garden.
- Use fish oil spray.
- Make your own garlic possum repellent.
What do possums eat?
Opossums generally eat fruit, grains and insects, but will also eat out of compost piles, garbage cans and pet food dishes if they can get access. They have been known to eat fish, birds and mammals as well. Opossums usually have two to three litters per year, with an average of seven young in each litter.
What is eating my basil at night?
What animals and insects eat basil? Aside from people, there are a variety of things that eat basil. Japanese beetles, slugs, and aphids are the most common basil pests. Other pests include whiteflies, spider mites, caterpillars, and thrips.
What animal is eating my basil?
The most frequent assaulters of your precious basil plant leaves are Japanese beetles, slugs and aphids.
What plants are possum proof?
They prefer a sunny position and are very drought tolerant.
- Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile’ Easy to grow in sun to semi – shade they will adapt to a wide range of conditions.
- Acanthus mollis.
- Agapanthus praecox.
- Bergenia cordifolia.
- Zantedeschia aethiopica.
- Datura Brugmansia.
What plants keep possums away?
Natural possum deterrents
Keep possums out of your garden environmentally. Planting agapanthus, citronella varieties, lavender and rosemary bushes around your veggie patch may help keep the wallabies away.
What smells keep possums away?
Opossums have a strong sense of smell that they use to locate food. You can use this to your advantage by deterring them with scents they dislike around areas they frequent, such as camphor, garlic, onion, hot peppers, molasses, wolf’s urine, ammonia, and pet fur.
What vegetables do possums not eat?
- Radish.
- Rosella.
- Salad Greens.
- Silverbeet.
- Snow Peas.
- Spinach.
What are possums afraid of?
Possums respond negatively to noxious odors. They abhor the smell of ammonia, garlic, and napthalene (chemical found in moth balls). They are also afraid of lights at night, and don’t like to be wet.
How do you get rid of possums naturally?
Natural Methods for Repelling Possums
- Pet Fur – Opossums will avoid suspected predators, including a dog or cat.
- Ammonia – Fill a jar with a bit of ammonia and cut a hole in the jar’s lid.
- Garlic – The scent and taste of garlic is sometimes successful in repelling opossums.
What is possums favorite food?
Opossums eat insects, snails and slugs. Opossums are also partial to overripe, fallen fruit on the ground. Opossums aren’t the only animals that will be attracted to your food source, other nocturnal animals will become familiar with the goodies to be found at your place.
What foods are poisonous to possums?
Foods to Avoid Feeding To Possums
- For brushtail possums, human food is not natural and can make them sick.
- Completely avoid food such as bread, cake and biscuits, raw meat, and cooked bones.
- Possum joeys should never be fed regular cow’s milk as the lactose will cause diarrhea, slow their growth, and may cause death.
What do possums eat in the garden?
As omnivores, opossums will police your garden, feeding on insect pests, garden slugs, rodents, toads, snakes and even dead animals that might otherwise rot in place.
What eats basil in the garden?
The most common pests of basil are Japanese beetles, slugs and aphids. Japanese beetles are usually present for about a month in the summer. They skeletonize the foliage (i.e., eat the leaf blades, but do not consume the larger veins of the leaves).
Can you spray basil with vinegar?
You can use white vinegar — which has 5 percent acetic acid — as an herbicide, but it’s going to damage any plant it touches. When you spray it onto the leaves, it causes the leaves to shrivel up. Because you probably want to eat the leaves of your basil plant, that’s not going to work.
What is putting holes in my basil plant?
Slugs eat large ragged holes in the leaves of basil and many other plants. They feed at night and hide under mulch, plant leaves and rocks during the day. Trap and drown slugs using beer.
What is eating my basil and mint?
The beastie chomping at your mint and basil is most likely a caterpillar.It can be easily controlled with the use of Try Yates Natures Way Dipel Bio-Insecticide Spray. It is an organic certified product derived from natural occurring bacteria, there is no withholding period, great for your herb and veggies.
Do animals eat basil in the garden?
Larger animals such as rabbits, will also eat basil leaves, so protect your plants with some form of netting, bird netting or chicken wire.