Possum magic

Well, here's hoping. The latest weapon in the battle to stop possums eating my fruit trees this year is two of these 'Animal Away' devices. They emit a high pitched noise and flashing light when the motion sensors are tripped. It's unpleasant enough for humans, let alone sensitive animal ears. We have installed one at each end of the little orchard in the hope of deterring the possums. And anyone else who decides to enter the fenced area, including the naughty dog who ate the only apples produced so far by these trees... I will also net the little apricot tree that stands fenced on its own inside our yard. David has installed plastic protectors on all of our non-fruit trees. Poss Off spray is too difficult (and very expensive) when you have a lot of trees to protect.

We haven't seen any possums in the yard so far this spring. Last summer they managed to break the top branches off all our silver birches and a small oak as well as all the apple trees. They don't like pear leaves it seems, as they left those alone. As a result, our espaliered pears are now much larger and healthier than the poor little apples. I really want them to grow healthy and strong this year, so we may one day even enjoy some fruit for our efforts. If these devices work, I will report back. If you've tried them, please let me know!