How to stop possums and rats eating seedlings?

BOBA

Every time I get a good crop of veggie seedlings growing the word goes out to all the possums and/or rats in the area and overnight my seedlings are chewed to ground level. I have set traps and wired off the whole garden to no avail. Perhaps I should just give up and plant poisonous plants!!!

Community manager's note: Check out How to protect your plants from possums for expert advice.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @BOBA. It's fantastic to have you join us, and many thanks for reaching out.

Although native wildlife can be difficult to deal with whilst trying to produce crops, it is part of what makes Australia a unique place to live. Like you, I've lost hours of work and countless seedlings to possums and rats, and it is indeed devastating. I was particularly fond of the possum that would choose only to chew off the very succulent growing tips of each and every bean seedling I propagated, killing them in the process.

Fear not, as you aren't alone! Have a read of this ongoing discussion on tips for keeping possums away. You'll see from the comments that many of our members deal with the same issue, and they have some fantastic advice to share. You might also find this discussion on garden night critters by @diy_hausdesigns useful. My personal favourite way to stop crops from being eaten is to exclude possums and vermin from the area with an enclosure. I really like @Grub80's home made shade hoop house, or draping bird netting over stakes has worked in a pinch for me. These Backyard Farmer 3m Greenhouse Tunnels could also be a simple solution to your issue. Moving your propagating plants to a greenhouse with a closing door would be a sure-fire way to exclude anything that wants to eat your veggies.

I look forward to hearing about you producing some healthy crops. Please let me know if you need further assistance or have questions.

Mitchell