Possum Trapping Tips…

Fantastic, you have possum traps out, but the key is how to manage them, and how to get the possums to engage with them.
We need to get into the mind of the animal and understand their behaviour.

Step 1: Have you got possums?

Firstly, check that you have possums. Banks Peninsula have tons of possums, so in all likelihood you do.
You might have seen them at night, or you could have heard them, or you’ve seen the outcome on plants, especially on your fruit trees & roses.

Trail cameras are a great way to confirm you have possums. These can give you insight into their location and behaviour, to help with your trapping efforts.

Step 2: Trap Placement

Trap placement is super important. Like they say “fish where the fish are”!
We’re going to assume you are using a tree mounted trap, as these are the most popular.

• Possums have favourite foods, or trees, so a good starting point is look for scratchings or markings on the trees on your property. Mahoe (Whitey Wood) is a particular favourite and being a softer wood, the scratches are very apparent. The tree should be around 10cm diameter, so they can get their paws around it.
• Attach the trap around 1 metre off the ground, to avoid non target species, and ideally screw your trap to the tree. Some people like to mount the trap on a board, and then strap the board to the tree, so it’s easier to move and try different locations.
• Possums tend to follow a “pathway” in the bush, using cameras you may identify these, obviously then place your traps there!
• The reality is, some trap locations will perform better than others. If you’ve not had significant results after a few weeks in a location, move the trap and try again.

Step 3: Baits or Lure to Use

Unlike many other possum traps, you don’t need to pre-bait them. Possums are generally quite inquisitive.
Effective lures include:

• Peanut butter
• Nutella
• Fruit, such as an apple sprinkled with cinnamon
• Carrots mixed with curry powder & peanut oil (yum yum)
• There are numerous commercial baits, try them if you wish and see how they perform.
• Check your trap and refresh your bait as often as you can. Rodents will compete with possums for the bait, so the more it is fully baited, the more possums you are likely to catch!

Step 4: Record your catches!