Possums love: Eucalyptus leaves – are Ringtail Possums’ favourite food. Possums can cause catastrophic dieback, the complete Possums also help maintain the population of rats and cockroaches, because they all compete for the same food. Step one is to find out what possums do and do not like. Mustelids. Keep trapping. They were brought over to New Zealand from Australia back in 1837. Opossums benefit humans in many ways, helping control a number of unwanted pests. Possums, mice and rats also love a good chew of fruit on the branch especially the skin of citrus. By 1921 possums lived in 450 parts of New Zealand and the government made it illegal to import any more possums. What Do Possums Eat and Are They Dangerous?. Possums are voracious eaters – in New Zealand they consume an estimated 21,000 tonnes of vegetation a night. What can I do about possums on top of my roof? In more diverse (conifer–broadleaf) forests, possums They also eat stock food crops such as barley and rye. Other impacts May or may not work.. By 1921 possums lived in 450 parts of New Zealand and the government made it illegal to import any more possums. They have strong teeth and often use their front paws to hold their food while eating. In the southern what do Possums eat? Having a cat doesn't help. The growth and life-cycle of a tree or plant is significantly affected when all parts of it are eate… They are usually looking for food such as mangoes, macadamia nuts and the fruit, leaves or flowers of native trees. However possums who contract this disease usually die within 6 months and are extremely rare to find (~2% chance of finding a possum carrying it). Over time and thanks to some research people figured out that possums do in fact eat insects, baby birds and eggs. Opossums are very opurtunistic little omnivores. Disturbing nests is one of possums' habits and they have been known to eat the eggs, young chicks and even adult birds. They eat leaves, flowers, leaf buds, fruit, eggs, birds, insects and snails. The female tree produces pods that drop when ripe. Having a cat doesn't help. In your garden they love to eat roses, gardenias, fuchsias and passionfruit. In your garden they love to eat roses, gardenias, fuchsias and passionfruit. Marsupials are typically from Australia, New Guinea and America. If possums are moving across your roof, trimming back trees around the roofline can often reduce the traffic. Gerard Hutching, 'Possums - Impact on native plants', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/possums/page-3 (accessed 24 December 2020), Story by Gerard Hutching, published 24 Nov 2008, updated 1 Jul 2015. Brushtail Possums are known to be tolerant of many plant toxins and will eat trees that other animals find poisonous. Opossums benefit humans in many ways, helping control a number of unwanted pests. 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