Is there a winner? The cat and lizard love to play chase.
The photo was taken two days ago. Last night the cat brought the lizard in through the cat door. The lizard got loose and immediately ran under the washing machine. Haven't seen it since.
An interesting article that has some additional ideas to deter kitties from the garden... http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=165
Some good ideas there Kristi, thanks for posting. Coffee grounds might be the best solution, they're good for the garden and easy to get in bulk.
I placed chicken wire on the bed I planted last weekend and that did not deter Ms Lily. She didn't scratch but did leave droppings. At least the scratching will cease. A friend uses an electric wire zig zagged through the garden and says once a cat has experienced the [very low dose] 'buzz', they never come back,
Has anyone tried burying moth balls in and about the area? My mother used moth balls to keep away squirrels from her flower beds.
They disscipate quickly. I tried that trick in the horseshoe pits. I get busy with work and anything that needs me to watch it carefully so I can replenish when it runs 'dry' doesn't work in my current [self-employed] life. Someday I will retire from this madness, then maybe. BTW, I covered the horseshoe pits with shade type netting. Anchor the corners with rocks, easy to pull up when we play and replace when done.
Mothballs, just FYI;
http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/naphgen.pdf
http://www.silentmenace.com/Moth_Balls.html
Interesting. I wonder if people really still use them? They were big when I was a kid - in Vermont - but that was eons ago. ;-)
catmad, thanks. I guess mom was smarter than I gave her credit. Now I will go out and but several boxes of moth balls and bury them all about the garden. They will probably keep away moths and maybe butterflies too. This could help keep away all the pest worms that eat all my plants.
Glad posted those articles.
Oh dear. I was trying to persuade you NOT to use them. They are toxic to good as well as bad insects, but probably not much use that way unless they're in an enclosed area, like a closet or trunk, which is how they are effective against moths. Outside, I wouldn't want themi my soil, especially when growig veggies, as;
"Most naphthalene in the environment will turn into a gas. Some of it may be
bound to soil, where it can be taken up by plants. It can also be deposited on
plant leaves from the air. Naphthalene is broken down by bacteria, fungi, air, and
sunlight. Naphthalene has been found in wastewater treatment plant discharge.
No information was found on naphthalene and groundwater. The half-life of naphthalene
in the environment may range from less than one day in air to over 80 days in soil"
I don't want to eat that, or be exposed to it as I garden. Considering the sensitivity of cats in particular to toxins, I wouldn't even have mothballs in the house. Maybe this would have been better.
http://npic.orst.edu/ingred/ptype/mothball/chemprop.html
The ONLY way I will use Mothballs to deter pests is: take a small, empty, plastic water/soda bottle and poke holes in the sides, take the top off and put the MBs in the bottle put the top back on and TI E the bottle upright from a string or something. This way they dont get in the ground, yes they stink, but nothing can get to them.
Every kind of insecticide is lethal to good and bad bugs. I have found this method doesnt kill the pests but the smell deters them from coming around.
You are so smart!!! That's a great idea.
That works good with a peanut can also.
I didn't thunk it up myself. I read about it as a good way to keep snakes out of chicken nests and deer away from saplings. I have put it in with my chickens and I did seem to get more eggs. I know people that have tied this hi-tech tool to their small tree and the deer left it alone, but i'm not sure if this was the reason, couldn't hurt.
I tried using them to drive away moles or voles as they are called, it worked with some success the only problem with that in the garden was the moth balls drove away the bees also. oh well.
Love them toads for grubs and beetles though!!!!
That's always the problem. It kills or drives away the bad as well as the good. I did think it was a good idea for deer and saplings.
