Homemade Possum Trap and Last Nights Captive MWWUUAAHHAHAHA

A while ago I made a possum trap from old scrap bits and pieces. Turns out it's really effective.

At the moment it's very dry here and things are getting desperate which means the garden is always under threat. I can't really blame them, I'd do the same I'm sure, if I was a possum.

Anyway, this is the front view, please note the old nylon chopping board front door with build in lifting handle.



And this will be last nights captive who is looking very sheepish. In fact it's kinda got that whole "I've seriously #ed up haven't I" look on it's face.



Freedom, relocated a long way from home. I only kill what I'm going to eat, except for rats & mice, and cats.



The trap release. This really is the key, it's an absolute hair trigger. Basically the weight of the board presses that little knife edge into the end of a piece of plywood.



This in turn is connected by a piece of fishing braid to the food barrier. Another key element to the design is that the barrier is always leaning away and so the mechanism is always under tension. The system does not have to account for any additional movement to be activated. I do put a very small amount of wild bird seed in front of the barrier as a teaser but more so at the entry.



Finally, at the base of the door slides I've pinched them in a little bit so that when the door comes down it gets slightly jammed in at the bottom so that it doesn't open easily. This is done mainly for transportation.



So there you have it, total cost was pretty much nothing and probably works for heaps of other animals.

Are you in the USA? I've never seen an opossum that looks quite like that. Otherwise, very cool?

With Lyme and other disease rising I would collect and feed them!

Possums, like many other small and medium sized mammals, are hosts for ticks looking for a blood meal. But opossums are remarkably efficient at eliminating foraging ticks. A single opossum might kill an astonishing 4,000 ticks in a week.

www.caryinstitute.org...

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Queensland, Australia.

That's a Common Brushtail Possum.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
Are you in the USA? I've never seen an opossum that looks quite like that. Otherwise, very cool?

He may be from Australia and that is a possum, which is different than North American opossums.

a reply to: myselfaswell

Cool trap, but I have to admit, that doesn't look like any opossum I have seen in my backyard! What is it really?

Edit add: just seen your post above. Have to admit that your possums are much cuter than ours in the USA!

a reply to: SeaWorthy

Wow. That's extraordinary. I've actually had 3 ticks in the last 5 weeks or so.

a reply to: myselfaswell

Nice one

Possums are so noisy, they sound like steam trains in your roof and man oh man rrallybad when there is a clue getting it on. They go for hours

a reply to: myselfaswell

I believe that's Australian, right?

Here's a comparison.

originally posted by: myselfaswell
a reply to: burdman30ott6

Queensland, Australia.

That's a Common Brushtail Possum.

You beat me to it.

Anyway, great idea for a trap.

Also, why do you kill the cats?

a reply to: introvert

Also, why do you kill the cats?

They decimate the birds, wrens and the like, as well as other native animals.

originally posted by: burdman30ott6
Are you in the USA? I've never seen an opossum that looks quite like that. Otherwise, very cool?

Doesn't look near as ferocious as the carrion eaters we have in the US do they?

originally posted by: myselfaswell
a reply to: introvert

Also, why do you kill the cats?

They decimate the birds, wrens and the like, as well as other native animals.

I would have figured they would be benficial to have around to take care of the mice/rats. But I didn't think about the birds.

Which I should have, considering that my beast of a cat likes to leave birds on the back step.

originally posted by: CynConcepts
a reply to: myselfaswell

Cool trap, but I have to admit, that doesn't look like any opossum I have seen in my backyard! What is it really?

Edit add: just seen your post above. Have to admit that your possums are much cuter than ours in the USA!

It doesn't matter how cute it is.

Everything in Australia can kill you.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Yea that doesn't look like any possum I've ever seen.

***SNIP***

a reply to: myselfaswell

That does not look anything like the opossums we have here in Massachusetts. Yours is far cuter. Also, I just use the Havahart trap I bought for like 20 bucks.

a reply to: myselfaswell

Is it possible for you to go a bit more in-depth on the trap release?

I'm not quite understanding it from the description and pics.

a reply to: seeker1963

No, the OP's is downright cuddly looking compared to what the lower 48 have.

North American opossum. Very intelligent and hardy animal. A few facts about opossums. They look hideous. But in fact are very caring nurturing moms & dads. Impervious to snake venom, rabies, most if not all spider venom and stinging insects. Seems their leading cause of death in the states is "two lane blacktop road", they just can't seem to get across them with any success. I have one that visit's my back deck each & every night. I even feed it the table scraps. Named her Blondie, she had babies this spring in my trash pile for burning , didn't have the heart to evict her with her babies and all. So when this winter gets here I'll remove her trash pile condo and evict her back to the woods. They may look nasty, but in fact are only animal that don't carry or contract rabies...........Old timers in the south and other places used to eat the meat, said it was good for what ailes you. Opossum stew, may take some getting used to.

a reply to: myselfaswell
Wait . Hold on . You actually eat possum (opossum) ?
You a better Southerner than I am
Might as well fry bacon ,throw the bacon away , and eat the grease.

NVM - I see you are way further South