Do Lights Keep Possums Away?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Possums are nocturnal little creatures that enjoy the cover of darkness.

The lights will scare them away

and make it uncomfortable for them to stick around.

Do lights deter possums?

Possums like to operate under the cover of darkness, so anything

that you can put in your garden that mimics the reflective eyes

of a potential predator or lights up when they enter the garden should help scare them off.

What will keep possums away?

To keep raccoons, possums, skunks, or other critters out of your garbage, regularly spray the side of your cans with

a mixture of half ammonia, and half water

. They hate the smell (as we all do) and will stay away. (You can also try using an ammonia-based glass cleaner like Windex, but it’s not as strong.)

How do you keep possums away at night?

Turn On Extra Lights. These animals are nocturnal and only come out when it’s dark. Use this to your advantage. Exterior house lights, floodlights pointed at the darkest areas of the yard, and

lights attached to garden sheds and other garden structures

repel opossums and keep them away from the area.

What is a natural deterrent for possums?


Mixing fresh garlic bits in water

and spraying around a garden area helps keep possums away. Hot peppers or hot sauce — the hotter the better — mixed with a little water and dish soap and applied to plants the possum finds tasty also repels the possum.

What scent do possums hate?


Ammonia and garlic

are scents that possums tend to flee from. If using ammonia, pour a small amount of ammonia into a coffee can with a lid. Place a rag inside the ammonia and bring one end up through a hole cut into the lid. The rag will act as a wick to disperse the fumes.

Do possums come out during day?

While most of their foraging happens at night,

opossums can occasionally be seen in the daylight

. If food is scarce, they will spend as much time as necessary to locate it, scavenging at all hours. This is especially true during harsh winters.

What do possums hate?

  • Molasses.
  • Garlic.
  • Onion.
  • Hot peppers.
  • Hot sauce.
  • Mustard.
  • Quassia chips.
  • Black tea.

What kills possums fast?


Mix two parts water, one part dish soap, and one part hot sauce or crushed hot peppers

. Add this solution to a spray bottle and spray directly on your plants or in areas where you’ve seen opossums. The pests will avoid both the smell and taste of the mixture.

What is the best possum repellent?

  1. Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler. …
  2. Critter-Repellent Shake-Away All Natural (Fox Urine Granules) …
  3. Havahart Critter Ridder 3146 Animal Repellent. …
  4. Liquid Predator Urine Repellent. …
  5. PREDATORGUARD Solar Powered Predator Deterrent Light.

How do I get rid of possums in my house?

  1. STEP 1: Remove possum attractants such as food and water and potential homes. …
  2. STEP 2: Secure outside entry points to your home; block access to chimneys, vents, or any other holes or gaps. …
  3. STEP 3: Apply a chemical repellent to your garden. …
  4. STEP 3: Use electronic repellents to scare possums away.

Where do possums go during the day?

They are generally nocturnal and they spend the day in

hollow tree trunks, rock crevices, under brush piles, or in burrows

. They are excellent climbers and good swimmers. Opossums also spend a lot of time slowly ambling about on the ground, and as a result they are frequently struck by cars.

Should I let a possum live under my house?

To a possum, the

crawlspace under

a house seems like a good place to set up its own home. Dark, ground level and protected from the elements, a home’s crawlspace has the same qualities a possum would seek for its den in the wild. Most homeowners, on the other hand, prefer not to have a possum living under their house.

Does vinegar keep possums away?

Vinegar or Fox urine will

help you get rid of Opossums

. … They move around at night so sprinkle, spray, or drop your vinegar when your Opossum is out for his/her dinner, of course on the spot she or he was seen last.

Will bleach keep possums away?


A simple solution of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water can discourage possums from hanging

around. Keep in mind that you’ll probably smell it too, and this isn’t a good long-term solution.

What to do if a possum is in your yard?


Leave the opossum alone and enjoy watching wildlife in your own backyard

. However, if the opossum is injured or an orphan (less than 7 inches from nose to rump) then contact the Opossum Society of the United States, a local wildlife rehabilitator, a veterinarian, or your local animal shelter for help.

Diane Mitchell
Author
Diane Mitchell
Diane Mitchell is an animal lover and trainer with over 15 years of experience working with a variety of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, and horses. She has worked with leading animal welfare organizations. Diane is passionate about promoting responsible pet ownership and educating pet owners on the best practices for training and caring for their furry friends.