Community Chat

[GingerHead]

That's funny! Yeah, I'd look into fake ones....they'd always look perfect in your fruit bowl.

I love nanners but stopped eating them because they contain a lot of sugars. 

[DottieBlue]

Your fruit bowl sounds really pretty, but I also think it is such a waste of food.  There are some very realistic-looking faux fruit for decoration nowadays--not at all like the plastic ones from the 1960's!

Also, raccoons and 'possums are rodents--just like rats and mice.  They carry diseases and can harm domestic pets, so I don't think you want them roaming your yard or neighborhood.

[Tinkrbl44]

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@occasionalrain wrote:

I dislike the taste and scent of bananas but I buy them because I like how they look in my fruit bowl. I suspect some might find that peculiar, so I wonder if other posters do things that some might find odd.

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@occasionalrain 

Instead of buying fruit that will go bad, buy a couple artificial fruit bananas and mix them in with the real fruit that you DO eat.    

I don't know what plastic bananas cost these days, but one purchase and you're good to go ... indefinitely.  

[on the bay]

Please read why it is beneficial to have a possum in your yard.

They eat thousands of tics in a season.

It is extremely rare for a possum to have rabies. Their body temperature is too low to have the rabies virus survive.

Racoons on the other hand can carry rabies.

Possums are immune to snake venom and will kill and eat them. They eat roaches and small rodents. They clean up any garbage lying around the yard.

They are afraid of humans and like to keep to themselves and are solitary mammals so unless a mother carrying her babies they do not roam in groups like racoons.

There are some cons. If they are threatened by a pet, a cat or dog or attacked they will fight back to protect themselves as would most mammals.

They may eat some flowers that you didn't want them to eat but more likely will eat rotten fruit and things mentioned above.

So some people like to have a possum in their yard residing peacefully with humans.

[monicakm]

@cindyNC 

I made these for years for our two chocolate labs. They are called Frosty Paws.

[monicakm]

@chrystaltree 

I don't think the raccoons would appreciate  wax bananas (g)

[spumoni99]

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@Still Raining wrote:

Those critters you are attracting with food carry rabies.  If a pet or person is bitten, they are in a world of trouble.

They will also try to invade your house crawl space.

Just NO!

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It is very rare for oppossums to have rabies.

[Sooner]

I am very familiar with opossums and will take a pass on them in my yard.

[BoopOMatic]

I hear you, @occasionalrain ...I'm thinking it's a good idea to have pretty things, things that make you happy, to look at in your home.

Last I heard, *no charges will be filed* for rotten bananas.

[cindyNC]

@spumoni99  It is rare for opossums to have rabies but they can catch it.  I follow the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center on FB and they just had a baby opossom w/rabies.  Lots of good info