How to Detour a Possum From Coming into the Yard

Remove or secure all possible food sources. Remove bags of dog food, bird food or any other obvious food source. Secure the lids on garbage cans. Unfortunately, opossums and possums will eat many of the things grown in your garden as well as the bugs that frequent your yard, so removing or securing other food sources may not be enough.

Provide a nesting spot on the outskirts of your yard if possible. Since opossums and possums are just as likely looking for a nesting spot as they are food, you may be able to prevent them from completely entering and taking over your yard by simply providing another option. Create a simple nesting box in a high tree if one is available to discourage the animals from searching for a spot closer to your home.

Sprinkle a natural repellents in your yard. As with most animals, certain scents tend to repel opossums and possums. Both chili and camphor are easy to find natural repellents. The chili can be sprinkled onto slightly damp plants. Camphor can be mixed with vaseline and smeared along the animal's known paths. Quassia chips are also known to repel the opossum. Quassia chips can be boiled in water and the water can be sprayed where the possum is known to frequent.

Purchase a commercial repellent. If the natural method isn't working, many manufacturers produce stronger mixtures that are targeted at keeping possums or opossums out of the yard.

Use a sound device to repel the animals. In much the same way that dog whistles can only be heard by dogs, you can purchase a sound device that can only be heard by possums and that operates on a frequency that's unpleasant for the animal.

Grow food just for the opossum or possum. The old adage "If you can't beat them join them" applies here. If you can't detour the animals, your best bet may be to simply designate a small portion of your garden for them by planting foods such as eucalyptus. If they can fill up on foods meant for them, they're less likely to bother your garden or you.