Trish Brown writes:
The $^#% rat found some way to get inside the cage last night and
nibbled a couple of apples. Spent a while today applying some more
wire clips and chookwire to hopefully keep the bugger out.

The Yanks often talk of "tanglefoot" traps for rats. Is that stuff
available here? It's a sticky pad critters get their feet stuck to,
something like industrial-strength fly-paper. (Stepping on it would
probably give the neighbour's cat a few anxious moments, too.)

Remember a few years ago when someone got rid of her brush turkeys by
leaving a few lengths of garden hose lying around ('snakes')?

A suggestion I've heard is to place rubber snakes among the tree
branches. But as some birds soon suss out fake snakes, I'd try moving
the snakes around under cover of darkness, so they are seen to be in
a different spot each day. Bats might not see the snake in the dark,
but an electronics whiz might be able to modify a solar light to give
the plastic snake some internal LED lighting during darkness.

I have previously mentioned the idea of a large teddy bear in
a fruit tree to repel possums. Possums, being territorial,
see that the tree has already been claimed, and so avoid a fight
by moving on. Well, that's how I've heard it explained, but I have
not tried it.
--
John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)