New Possumless Home Needed

[voloclydes]

those bugs would be black and orange?

if so pumkin beetles is the name you are after... the reek when you squish em too!

[Janba]

We're in suburban hell where we've destroyed all the local wildlife and the only native species left are some very curious-looking bugs that seem to be stuck to each other's bottoms most days... So send on your BC and dally here, Janba

They're on the next available flight but a warning said dalmatian grabs low flying doves out of mid air and bugs are a re dinner aperitif.

I am waiting till dark then bringing the possum hunters in, feeding them and locking them in till supervised pee time before bed . I hate that possum.

[Ms James]

those bugs would be black and orange?

if so pumkin beetles is the name you are after... the reek when you squish em too! ;)

Yes! That's them! What's the story with those things?

We're in suburban hell where we've destroyed all the local wildlife and the only native species left are some very curious-looking bugs that seem to be stuck to each other's bottoms most days... So send on your BC and dally here, Janba

They're on the next available flight but a warning said dalmatian grabs low flying doves out of mid air and bugs are a re dinner aperitif.

I am waiting till dark then bringing the possum hunters in, feeding them and locking them in till supervised pee time before bed . I hate that possum.

No doves around here, but dally can feast on all the Indian mynahs he wants! He'll have to fight the cats for the bugs, though.

[PuddleDuck]

Where I grew up there is a heap of possums and other local wildlife. Our dogs were experts at chasing possums off the verandah until one night when my old Staffy x Cairn x , Riff Raff saw a possum from inside - he was at the top of the stairs across the other side of the lounge room and went pelting down the stairs after it.

Possum sees Riff, flips up his tail and leaps into the convenient palm tree next to the verandah

Riff (who never backed down from anything in his life, little bugger!) leapt between the old railings on the 2nd storey verandah (fence around the verandah was replaced the next day), missed the tree and went down snapping at the possum the whole way ;) to land in the garden.

I wasn't home but my dad saw it all happening with his heart in his throat - went bolting down the stairs panicking and apparently picked Riff up from in the garden and Riff was completely frozen. Now, the thing is that Dad loves his dogs, but he doesn't cuddle them. We since worked out that Riff was actually frozen because Dad picked him up, not due to injury! Dad bolts back upstairs with Riff in his arms, rings the vet telling him to wait, they're on the way, and tears off to the vet with Riff in his lap - Riff was the whole way there, Dad trying to work out how he can tell his teenage daughter that her dog died after diving off the verandah.

Dad gets to the vet, TOTALLY freaked out, tearing through the door with Riff convinced he's about to die because he hasn't moved since Dad picked him up. Yells for the vet to come help, emergency, dog collapsed, dying, hurry up and help

Riff looked up, saw where he was, saw the other dogs in the waiting room and leapt out of Dad's arms and promptly started a fight with every other dog in the waiting room, none the worse for wear from his leap off the verandah, totally 100% fine.

Dad on the other hand has never recovered from the ordeal

[Janba]

Where I grew up there is a heap of possums and other local wildlife. Our dogs were experts at chasing possums off the verandah until one night when my old Staffy x Cairn x , Riff Raff saw a possum from inside - he was at the top of the stairs across the other side of the lounge room and went pelting down the stairs after it.

Possum sees Riff, flips up his tail and leaps into the convenient palm tree next to the verandah

Riff (who never backed down from anything in his life, little bugger!) leapt between the old railings on the 2nd storey verandah (fence around the verandah was replaced the next day), missed the tree and went down snapping at the possum the whole way to land in the garden.

I wasn't home but my dad saw it all happening with his heart in his throat - went bolting down the stairs panicking and apparently picked Riff up from in the garden and Riff was completely frozen. Now, the thing is that Dad loves his dogs, but he doesn't cuddle them. We since worked out that Riff was actually frozen because Dad picked him up, not due to injury! Dad bolts back upstairs with Riff in his arms, rings the vet telling him to wait, they're on the way, and tears off to the vet with Riff in his lap - Riff was the whole way there, Dad trying to work out how he can tell his teenage daughter that her dog died after diving off the verandah.

Dad gets to the vet, TOTALLY freaked out, tearing through the door with Riff convinced he's about to die because he hasn't moved since Dad picked him up. Yells for the vet to come help, emergency, dog collapsed, dying, hurry up and help

Riff looked up, saw where he was, saw the other dogs in the waiting room and leapt out of Dad's arms and promptly started a fight with every other dog in the waiting room, none the worse for wear from his leap off the verandah, totally 100% fine.

Dad on the other hand has never recovered from the ordeal

;)

I am glad Riff was OK and can imagine yout poor Dads reactions when Riff came back to life.

Thankfully I don't have verandahs for them to dive off.

Bl***y possums

[persephone]

until dad shoots the possum (brushtails only)

ermmm.... are they not a protected species in Tasmania?

[PAX]

Not much help, but the reason I started crate training was to stop my dog hunting Possums all night long, they drove her nuts and she drove me nuts, my other non hunting dog would run after her barking.

Ever since, all dogs are crated indoors at night.

[Nekhbet]

Yes! That's them! What's the story with those things?

they mate bum to bum they're Harlequin Bugs and they get EVERYWHERE! I always have a heap but they didnt attack my tomatoes last year thankfully and I dont use pesticide ... my grandmother on the other hand had a heap that attacked hers

[Souff]

until dad shoots the possum (brushtails only)

ermmm.... are they not a protected species in Tasmania?

The poster lives in Queensland .... a Kiwi living in Qld perhaps?

[Jsk]

We have a possum living in our laundry roof, but my lot arent bothered by it at all, to the point that it can walk amongst them.

The only time that the afghan gets pissy with it, is when the possum tries to eat his dinner Angus does not share!

Little George will bark at it until it hisses at her then she runs yelping to hide behind me

[Monah]

Nanananananananan Not Listening

............goes outside with her bowl of fruit for the ring tails.....................

If one possum goes another will move in, probably easier to rehome the dogs

Just joking, I have no help to offer sorry ;)

Me too! You need to feed them there ATM with all that heat Poor things.

We have a 'clan' of around 15 possums here, some with babies, males and females. They all get on OK as they have been born and bred in the garden. The only time the dogs take any notice is when I feed the possums, they wait for food to drop ;) ;)

Possums are only a 'dog' problem at nights, can you keep the dogs in?xx

[O-Ren]

free to good home: border collie, home must have neighbours that DONT own lawnmowers

every fortnight...........stupid Miss O-Ren must sound the 'house alarm' monotone bark for the 2hours it takes for neighbours to use their EVIL ride-ons

as for possums? she crawls under the bed whimpering at the SUGGESTION they might be out there ;)

[fainty_girl]

Our BC in Tassie LURVES possums

She will bark at a tree non-stop until dad shoots the possum (brushtails only) - then she is quiet.

Possum then matures on our "backlawn" (area where there is no bush and grass tries to grow) for approx 1 week then decides it is good to eat.

Needless to say we always wear shoes out side you never know what will be lying around.

She was at the vet for a week with pulmonary oedema from her dilated cardiomyopathy (at diagnosis) - she wouldn't eat the fresh chicken wings or expensive dog food that was offered but ate the matured dead possum in the backyard. YUCK

Having said that she is 10 this year, deaf and partially blind but manages to hunt wallaby successfuly. Particularly good at hunting roadkill

Your dad shoots possums? That is terrible! I know a while back when I contacted WIRES I was told that in NSW they are a protected species...not sure about Tasmania, but regardless that is no reason to kill an innocent animal.

How disgusting that your dad shoots possums then leaves them out there for the dog to eat ...Leave the possums alone and stop the BC barking by bringing her inside.

[greytdog]

Bianca will walk back down the back yard path from her bedtime wee, stop half way, and peer into the trees bordering the yard. Gives me the heebie jeebies, even tho I know it's probably possums she's looking for. She doesn't do anything else usually.

Also, why do some dogs insist on going RIGHT up the back of the yard to wee? Bianca will walk out until she's JUST out of the range of the back verandah light, then squat. I can only see a bit of shadow in the gloom. I can't always see if she's done anything, and, b/c I'm afraid of the dark, be damned if I'm going out for a look.

[mutt lover]

My old girl lady used to love going outside to sit and watch possum's in tree in back yard when we lived in suburbia always seemed to know when they were out there would bark to go outside and sit and bark at tree or whine, The possum's would be sitting in tree looking down as if to say dumb dog you can't get me, she did try to climb tree but quickly discovered she wasn't a cat, Finally to get some peace I'd shake the tree to get possum's to jump onto roof so I could get her inside, Funny thing was neighbours were taking bets every night to see what time Lady would be outside on her possum watch, ended up cutting tree down to keep the bloody things out of backyard much to Lady's displeasure still went outside to watch where tree had been. (Silly dog)!

Edited November 21, 2009 by mutt lover

[mr.mister]

Tell your neighbours to be careful. Mum swore for months that she could hear a possum running around on the roof then one day she put a pot of water on to boil and maggots started dropping out of the exhuast fan

Poor possum had fallen down in the roof and died. He couldn't have been in there for long -certainly not long enough to stink the house out thank God- but long enough. She had to call someone out to pull panels off the roof and remove it. It was terrible!

[LouBon]

I am a wildlife rescuer, and let me tell you the amount of scalped, savaged and mauled possums I have come across as a result of dog attacks is sickening. The are native animals for goodness sake, dogs are NOT. People will happily hate cats for their hunting- but in my experience, dogs can be just as bad. Keep your dog inside (just as cat owners should) if it attacks wildlife. Oh, and i'm sure if people saw the orphaned 30 gram babies they wouldn't think it such a novelty !!!

As for those people who shoot possums or encourage their dogs to savage them, you are breaking the law. Don't like possums? DONT LIVE IN AUSTRALIA

(edited for spelling)

Edited November 21, 2009 by LouBon

[Jennt]

I'm not sure about the regs in Tasmania, but in New Zealand it's legal to shoot possums because they are not a native animal and they are a pest and a threat to the nativeanimals. Tasmania may be in the same position?

[persephone]

Tasmania may be in the same position?

Tasmania is a part of Australia, unlike NZ, so I would presume possums are protected wildlife there as well, which is why I was asking...

[rugerfly]

We're in suburban hell where we've destroyed all the local wildlife and the only native species left are some very curious-looking bugs that seem to be stuck to each other's bottoms most days... So send on your BC and dally here, Janba

:rofl: ;)