Clear leaf litter and debris out of it once a year
Cutting
Cuts with a hacksaw or a sturdy pair of snips
Shipping & returns
Tracked delivery anywhere in New Zealand. Free on orders of $75 or more; below that the only method offered is Express Delivery at $25, which is also available above the threshold as a paid upgrade. Allow 5 to 7 days, after a 24 to 48 hour handling time.
We give you 14 days from delivery to change your mind on an unused item. That is our own policy, not a New Zealand statutory right, because there is no statutory cooling-off period for an online purchase here. Send it back unused and in resaleable condition and we refund what you paid for it. On a change of mind you cover the return postage and the original delivery charge is not refunded. If the item is faulty.
If it arrives faulty, damaged or not as described, we put it right at no cost to you under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993, return postage included. That is a statutory right and nothing on this page limits it.
Possum routes run under trees more often than not, so expect leaf litter. Clear the strip out once a year, and cutting the branch back does more for the underlying problem than the strip does.
Cheaper Per MetreThe one for a long route
No AssemblyOne moulded piece, ready to screw down
Screws, Not TapeA possum is heavy enough to test it
Blunt And Non LethalAn unpleasant route, not a trap
About this product
The plastic version, for a long fence line.
One piece moulded strips for the rails and beams a possum travels along. Cheaper per metre than the stainless, which matters when the route is fifty metres rather than five.
The brushtail possum is an introduced pest in New Zealand and is not protected, so the only real constraint here is a practical one.
This is the moulded plastic version of our possum strip: one piece, 500 mm long, no assembly, and cheaper per metre than the stainless.
It goes on the rails, beams, brackets and post tops that make up the route a possum uses to get from a tree to your roof.
Fix it with screws wherever an animal will actually put weight on it. Tape and adhesive are fine for birds and marginal for a three kilogram possum.
Work out the route before you buy. A metre of strip at the pinch point beats twenty metres in the open.
Choose this over the stainless strip when the run is long and nothing about the site is unusual. A fifty metre boundary, a long pergola, a run of shed roof: the deciding factor there is what it costs to treat all of it rather than most of it, and treating most of it is the same as treating none.
Choose the stainless instead where the site is coastal, where the strip is somewhere a possum will lean its full weight, or where the run has to be specified for a commercial job.
One correction worth making plainly, because the live listing for this product got it wrong for years: this page is about possums. Some of the copy this product has carried was written for a different country's range and describes an animal that does not live in New Zealand at all.
The choice between this and the stainless strip is mostly about site rather than quality. Moulded plastic is a single piece with nothing to assemble, it costs less per metre and it sits lower, which matters when the run is at eye level. Stainless is the one to pick for coastal exposure, for anything a heavy animal will lean on, and for anything that has to be specified.
Fixing decides how long it stays put far more than the material does. On timber, screws. On a block capping or a painted surface, a UV stabilised exterior adhesive on a surface you have actually cleaned. Grit and old growth under an adhesive strip is why it lifts in a year.
None of these strips is a trap and none of them is sharp enough to injure. They work by making a surface unpleasant to stand on, which is also why placement beats quantity: a treated rail with an untreated post beside it is a step, not a barrier.
Still deciding?
Not sure yet? That is fine.
You can change your mind. We give you 14 days from delivery on any unused item. That is our own policy rather than a New Zealand statutory right, because there is no statutory cooling-off period for an online purchase here, and we would rather say so than imply a right you do not have. Send it back unused and in resaleable condition and we refund what you paid for it; on a change of mind you cover the return postage.
If it turns up faulty, damaged or not as described, that is on us. The Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 gives you a repair, a replacement or your money back, we pay the return postage, and nothing on this page limits that. Read the detail on our refunds and returns page, or ask us anything before you order.
No. The brushtail possum is an introduced pest and is not protected.
Why did the old copy mention an animal we do not have?
Because it was written for a different country's range, where that animal is the pest on a fence line. It does not live in New Zealand and we have taken the wording out.
Plastic or stainless for possums?
Plastic for a long route where nothing is unusual. Stainless for coastal sites, for anywhere the animal leans its full weight, and for specified commercial work.
Will a possum break the plastic?
It is a solid moulding rather than thin pins, so the strip itself holds up. The fixing is the part that fails, which is why we say screws.
Where should I put them?
At the pinch points on the route: a rail, a bracket, a beam end, a post top. Not the whole boundary.
How do I find the route?
Look for rub marks on a rail, droppings under a beam, and anything that bridges from a tree or a bin to the roof.
What about the branch over my roof?
Cut it back. Nothing on this page competes with a branch that lands a possum on the gutter.
Can I spike a downpipe?
The brackets, which are the ladder. The smooth pipe usually is not the climb.
Will they stop a possum completely?
They make a route unpleasant rather than impossible. Treat them as one part of a plan with the branch and the entry gap.
Do they hurt a possum?
No. The points are blunt. The animal finds the surface uncomfortable and goes another way.
Will they deter cats as well?
Yes, on a fence rail. Same strip, same effect.
What about rats?
No. A rat picks its way through and needs trapping.
Do they protect fruit trees?
Not from a fence. A tree needs netting over it or a smooth band on the trunk.
Should I trap as well?
That is a separate exercise with its own rules, and it is not something we sell. Your regional council usually has advice.
How many strips per metre?
Two, and round up.
Can I cut them?
Yes, with a hacksaw or sturdy snips.
What screws should I use?
Stainless, on a fence you would rather not see rust streaks on.
Can I use adhesive on a block capping?
For birds, yes. For possums, only where you genuinely cannot drill, and expect to check it.
Do I need two rows?
On a wide capping, yes. On a standard rail, one down the middle is enough.
Will they go brittle outdoors?
They are made for outdoor use and are not affected by ordinary temperature swings.
Can I paint them?
Yes, with an exterior paint suited to plastic.
Are they visible?
At fence height, yes, though black on a dark fence is close to invisible from a distance.
Do I need my neighbour's agreement?
On a shared boundary fence, yes as a courtesy and possibly under your fence agreement.
Do they need maintenance?
Clear the leaf litter out once a year, especially under trees.
Can I take them off later?
Screwed, easily.
Do you sell them in bulk?
Yes. Send the metres through the wholesale page.
Do you install them?
No, we supply only.
How much is delivery?
Free on orders over $75. Below that the only method offered is Express Delivery at $25, and there is no minimum order.
Can I return it if I ordered too many?
Yes. We give you 14 days from delivery to change your mind on any unused item. That is our own policy rather than a New Zealand statutory right, and your Consumer Guarantees Act rights are unaffected.
Who do I ask if my question is not here?
Email theteam@birdspikes.co.nz with what you are treating and roughly how long the run is.
The complete guide
The long route version
4 min readBird Spikes Company
When plastic is the right call
Possum routes are long. A boundary fence, a run of pergola, a line of shed roof: the deciding factor is usually whether you can afford to treat all of it, because treating most of it is the same as treating none.
That is what this strip is for. One moulded piece, cheaper per metre, and enough of it to close the whole route rather than the interesting part of it.
When to buy the stainless instead
Coastal sites, anywhere the animal will lean its full weight on the strip, and jobs where a material specification is part of the paperwork. On a short pinch point the price difference is small enough not to matter.
Screws, not tape
This is the one thing we will repeat. For birds, adhesive is fine. A possum is a three kilogram animal that will test what it stands on, and a taped strip on a fence rail is a strip you will be refitting. Screw it down.
Find the route first
An overhanging branch, a fence line running to the wall, a downpipe with brackets, a pergola tied into the eaves. Rub marks, droppings and scratches will show you which one. Then treat where the route narrows: a rail, a bracket, a beam end, a post top.
Cutting the branch back is free and usually does more than anything you can buy.
A correction to the old listing
The copy this product carried for years was written about possums, including phrases like "possum deterrent spikes". That is copy from another country's range. There are no possums in New Zealand and we have taken it out.
Afterwards
Possum routes run under trees, so this strip fills with leaf litter faster than most. Clear it annually. A strip packed with leaves is a surface again.
Tell us the bird, the surface and roughly how long the run is, and we will tell you what suits it before you buy. Free delivery across New Zealand on orders over $75.
Plastic Possum Spikes sold by Bird Spikes Company at birdspikes.co.nz. One piece injection
moulded plastic strip, 500 mm long, no assembly, NZD 10 per 50 cm strip with no minimum: the
lower cost alternative to the store's stainless possum strip, chosen when the route is long.
Fitted to fence rails, pergola beams, downpipe brackets and post tops, SCREWED rather than taped
because a possum is heavy enough to test the fixing. The brushtail possum is an INTRODUCED PEST in
New Zealand and is not protected. A possum travels a ROUTE, so the job is to find the access point
(an overhanging branch, a fence line running to the wall, a downpipe with brackets) and treat
where it narrows, rather than treating the whole boundary. The stainless strip is the better
choice for coastal sites, for anywhere the animal puts full weight on it, and for specified
commercial work. NOTE: the live listing this page replaces described possums, which is copy
from another country's range; there are no possums in New Zealand. No effectiveness percentage,
service life or warranty is claimed. Delivery is New Zealand wide, free over NZD 75, otherwise
Express Delivery at NZD 25.
