Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new night vision camera. We occasionally get bats eating our figs in the backyard. We will be ready to capture them on camera next summer should they decide to pay us a visit. Of course, they are not the only animals that help themselves to our produce at the night market. Here is a taste of our backyard fauna.

The brushtail possums are frequent, noisy visitors. Normally, there is a furore after sunset when the possum exits our garage/shed. The dogs go crazy. However, I didn’t really expect the possum to stop by at 2am in the morning.

This photo was taken a couple of years ago. My neighbour has a much better shed but the possums prefer to slum it with us.

Mr Possum, that is not your best angle.

The rodents have been a huge problem over the last few years. We have caught quite a few in a snap trap that my True Love designed. The trap is placed in what is effectively a tunnel. This is the culling method that is preferred by the (Australian) Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (see here). Unfortunately, the rats are very canny and after a successful night trapping, the trap must remain unset for several weeks until the rodents get hungry enough to try their luck again.

Our fig tree fruited prolifically this year, but it seemed none but the rodents would enjoy the fruit. We tried collaring the tree with an Elizabethan dog collar to prevent the rodents ascent. It worked.

Here is a short clip of one of the little bastards. As yet, we have not worked out a way to keep them from our tomatoes.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the backyard antics. Perhaps we will set up the camera in our banksia rose hedge. It appeared to shimmy with movement this afternoon.

Thanks for joining me.
Kind Regards.
Tracy.

26 thoughts on “Backyard Bandits”

  1. Fabulous! We have a night vision camera too, but I have a knack of not placing it where the night visitors I know are there and really want to see show up. Well done on your greater acuity!

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  2. Good luck with all that (via the night camera & traps).

    I need something for the Harlequin bugs and cabbage moth caterpillers etc.

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      1. You’re welcome, Tracey.

        One of the reasons I haven’t replanted my balcony herb & veggie garden is the Harlequin bugs. I had dozens & dozens and even 2-3 inside crawling up my lounge wall. Between the severe weather, extreme winds, bugs & caterpillars, I thought it wasn’t worth replanting. I’ve got just 5 potted herbs at the moment. But, with the high (and rising) cost of food lately, perhaps I ought to make the effort to replant this coming Spring. Did I mention my younger brother saw iceberg lettuce for $15 each the other day?

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  3. I bought a rat trap a week ago as I have/had rats in my shed. I found a nest or two. I set the trap and nothing for two nights. Moved it to another part of the shed and trapped one on Friday night. I decided live trap just in case it was a native rat. It was a Ratus ratus and too bust Saturday morning so I let it out a way from home on my way.
    Possums are always a pest. My live trap is set when they get too much and relocated in the bush up the road. Possum sex at 4am is sooooo annoying.
    Glad the collar worked

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    1. At least you know that your rats haven’t been baited and so you can safely release it elsewhere where it might be eaten.
      Do the amirous possums make the trip back to your place, Brian? They are abundant here and there is a lot of cussing.

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  4. Your possum looks different from the ones I used to see when I lived in the South. I was curious, so I looked it up. There are a number of different varieties. I learn something new every day!

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  5. Thanks for the morning show Tracy. I don’t have much yard by design. But we do get skunks and other little varmints wandering through. The dog goes out for a morning inspection to smell what’s come through the night before.

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  7. If the collar is longer and slipperier and there’s no place for a manic leap, the collars work more effectively (I love figs).
    Tomatoes – put an onion bag over toms that are still green. So far, it’s worked for me, but I usually leave a few sacrificial plants around the outside of the veg garden.

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