Deterring Possum (forum)

au0rey starts with ...
Hi, can anyone give me some advice? These are the wires running to my roof. Can anyone advise if possums walk on the two thinner wires which are on the right side in the picture? I am sure it can walk on the thicker one on the left.

I am trying to do something to the thicker wire (putting some barrier), I am asking a stupid question, will I get electrocuted if I touched the wire accidentally?

Thanks!
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Picture: 1

Time: 29th November 2011 2:23pm

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Xiem says...
au0rey i wouldn't touch the thicker wire it looks like a power line to me. The thinner wires look like phone lines but I wouldn't touch them either. Possums will use any wire they feel like to get where they want to go. Block the wires and they will find some other route.

Time: 29th November 2011 5:24pm

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Jantina says...
Good grief auOdrey, don't even think about touching those wires! I don't know what the thinner wires are but the the thick ones will electrocute you! The thinner ones may be phone lines as Xiem suggests and I wouldn't touch them either and she's right about the possums too.
Better to give some protection directly to whatever the possum is eating.
Someone I knew was killed when his truck touched some power lines auOrey, STAY AWAY FROM THEM!

Time: 30th November 2011 9:30am

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au0rey says...
Serious??? WOW....OK. I saw some people put up some plastic barriers on their wires in some other neighbourhoods I believe is to deter possums and I figure maybe I should too. Ok I think i had better stay clear of them. But one question, why then could possums walk on them without being electrocuted? And birds perch on them all the time. Very curious.

Time: 30th November 2011 11:24pm

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Jantina says...
The lines to houses should have some insulation around them to hopefully prevent electrocution but they are still potentially dangerous and not for touching. Birds and possums aren't touching anything else while on the wire through which the current can travel to be earthed.

Time: 30th November 2011 11:39pm

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Jason says...
Current doesn't get you unless it's on the way to somewhere else, so a bird or a possum can stand on one wire all they want. When you touch two or are on the ground and it can travel through you, then you are stuffed. There's a video somewhere on the net and I'm not suggesting you look for it of an Indian guy? standing on a trains roof and touching some cables, he instantly explodes into fire. Not a nice thing to see but it gives you some respect for power lines.

Possums on your roof wont kill you, just make sure you have no holes in it for them to get inside and you have no problem

Time: 1st December 2011 12:57am

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au0rey says...
Now I get it. Thanks so much! Guess I would have to come up with some other method to stop that pesky possum...chopping down some branches and some physical barrier on the fences instead. Thanks loads!

Time: 1st December 2011 1:36pm

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BJ says...
If you can access the part of the roof where the possums land, you can try one of those spray deterrants - i think 'poss-off' is one?

Time: 1st December 2011 1:43pm

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About the Author Theposterformerlyknownas
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J says...
There's animal repellent hilariously called "Scat" that's meant to repel possums. Or you could buy a possum trap. That works too.

Time: 1st December 2011 1:57pm

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Xiem says...
The Gallagher Petmaster works very well as a possum control but it is not cheap:

http://www.fatcow.com.au/c/Farmerswarehouse/Electric-Fence-Energiser-by-FarmersWarehouse-p17814

Time: 1st December 2011 2:07pm

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Gray says...
I have 11 possums at the moment. A few too many even though we like them around, the poo is a bit much on the deck.
I got a StrayBan and just point it where I don't want them to be. Works a treat.

Time: 14th December 2011 1:49pm

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About the Author Gray
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au0rey says...
11? I thought they are territorial? Can they accommodate one another well? Same family and relatives? Their poo isn't a nuisance yet cos I am having maybe two possums coming...but their pee really stinks! I plan to use thorny devils....anyone heard of that? Some gadget to fit onto fence to prevent them from walking on my fence to eat my choko and cucumber shoots.

Time: 14th December 2011 3:11pm

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