Re: American possums
- To: <t*@xtra.co.nz>, "Mediterannean Plants List" <m*@ucdavis.edu>, <w*@pacbell.net>
- Subject: Re: American possums
- From: "* <s*@rain.org>
- Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 16:49:47 -0800
I think the American possum will eat snails and slugs
check out a organic growers web page
http://www.rain.org/~sals/my.html
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
To: Mediterannean Plants List <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>;
wednesdy@pacbell.net <wednesdy@pacbell.net>
Date: Saturday, November 14, 1998 4:11 PM
Subject: Re: American possums
>Wendy Bradley wrote:
>>
>> Hi Tony--This is an American possum. I live in Napa, California. Our
>> possums look like giant, lighter gray, fuzzy rats; naked tails, pointy
>> little faces. They're so damn ugly, they're cute, in a way. Sounds as
>> though the Australian & New Zealand types cause alot of damage, but I
>> don't know what to expect from their American cousins. Wendy
>
>Hi Wendy (and Susan - thanks for your contribution),
>
>I can't help you in any way about the American possum. I have seen
>pictures of them, and heard many tales of their predations in peoples'
>gardens, but AFAIK, noone seems to have a satisfactory answer to them.
>
>In NZ we have the Australian Brush-tailed possum, which was deliberately
>introduced with the intention of forming the basis for a fur-trapping
>industry. It is true, the beast has a magnificent pelt, and - /pace/ the
>animal rights people - anyone who buys an article made of possum fur is
>helping NZ rid itself of a truly appalling pest.
>
>There are now some 80M of them munching away in our forests. They have
>the bad habit of concentrating their attention on a particular tree,
>defoliating it so comprehensively that after a time the tree dies. Then
>they move on to the next tree in line. Thus they are selectively
>exterminating those of our native species that they find tasty.
>
>In appearance, they are about the size of a large domestic cat, and not
>very different in appearance. Stand-up ears like a cat and a long, very
>bushy tail. Seen on a road in the dusk, it is easy to be unsure whether
>you are seeing a possum or a cat. The genuinely glorious fur is usually
>a dark brown, occasionally black, but there is quite a wide colour
>variation.
>
>Formally declared vermin in NZ, they are attacked in various ways.
>Traps, poison (including large-scale aerial drops) and any other way
>anyone can think of.
>
>They are nocturnal and do come into the suburbs, where their favourite
>food is probably roses, although some years ago we had a local "family"
>that would walk past some roses to munch on the fresh spring foliage of
>a large ornamental cherry tree. We bought a kill trap (looks like a
>large rat trap in a yellow plastic box with a hole at the front for the
>beast to put it's head in) and killed some two dozen over about 3 years
>without ending the problem. Then one year we sprayed the new foliage
>with a quassia bark "tea" (this is a weak insecticide, but apparently
>has a terribly bitter taste) and this was successful in persuading the
>possums that our tree was NOT good tucker! Other people have used fish
>emulsion fertilizers for the same purpose with success.
>
>Tony
>--
>Tony & Moira Ryan <theryans@xtra.co.nz>
>Wainuiomata, New Zealand
>
