I recommended the peppermint and tea tree oils to repel the milipedes on your last post, and thought I'd give you some things possums don't like that can work as repellents. Possums don't like the smell of ammonia, garlic, hot peppers, hot sauce, and even cayenne pepper. Moth balls, fish oil and bleach are also listed as things they don't enjoy. Maybe keep your mop in a bucket of bleach OR ammonia (never both at once!!!) to help aid in keeping them away from it. A website suggested the following to keep them out of your trash..."you can make a possum deterrent spray by mixing equal parts water and ammonia. Spray the solution on the sides of your rubbish bins to prevent possums and other pests from rummaging through your garbage and spreading litter over your yard." Maybe give the dumpster a good spray down!

The site also lists this rather ominous sounding solution... "Placing stink bombs to block the routes where possums pass is another effective method to deter possums. To make a stink bomb, fill a sock with blood and bone fertiliser and place it along the possum’s path. You can use this to protect your vegetable patch, together with a netting system." I have no idea what blood and bone fertilizer is but I can send you a link to the website if you want it!

Good luck!