Cayenne pepper sprinkled around is supposed to repel rats--wished it repeled fireants and possums too--but one less pest is always good.
Fireants....I hate them!
I think my rationalization should work for everybody -- most people who see your house only see the outside. SO -- if the garden is pretty, more people think you have a nice house. SO -- it's far better for you to spend time working in the garden, right? Anyone comes inside, just say, oh, I was about to get to that; been working in the garden all day.
From my experience, a possum is as dumb as a bag of hammers. Set a hav-a-heart trap, then carry the snarling idiot to a wildlife area. The only cute possum in the world is Pogo.
I'm not trapping no possums--now if I can get someone else to do it....
I'm thinking if I just stopped growing anything 'edible' for a while...maybe he'd move on by October.
By the way, denial is a river in Egypt isn't it? ;)
Yes, Cleopatra. Yes, it is. And EVERYTHING is edible to a possum.
I had one once the dogs had treed. I tethered the dogs so they wouldn't be a threat, then pulled the tree limb down so it could scurry away along the fence. There was nothing between it and the fence. What a time to play dead. Dumb, dumb, dumb.
brigidlily, that is too funny LOL
My dogs were rasing cain one evening and I got the light and went to check out what they were barking at. I found a oppossum "dead", poked it with a stick and nothing. I went and got a 5 gal bucket and lifted it up by the tail and dumped him in. Covered the top with a board and bricks. The next morning, he was one PO'd OP! We took him to the park near the house and let him go.
Oh the cyanne is good for another thing. When you feed the birds only to find a squirrel hanging on it dumping seeds everywhere. You can add cyanne to the seed and squirrels won't want it, but it doesn't bother the birds.
Does the cayenne work with rats and seeds too? I had to quit feeding the birds for the rats...of course I had a nice snug deck for them to live under too.
Hmmm. Bird feed and possums, I just can't resist.
Nope, not seeing double. A few nites later, he brought a date...
Well--I had adjusted to not feeding the birds...I think the trend can continue.
Pod--you are amazing--that second pic is just too much.
What is that old song...One is the loneliest number (uh oh...my age is showing).
I'm gonna have someone clean out that brush pile/compost heap...it shouldn't cost too much; espiecially if I don't forewarn them of the possibility of a tenant. right? I hear the gentle lapping of the river denial against the river bank now....
I am wondering why I can't just cover my front/side yard w/ Cayenne- shouldn't it work on dogs as well?
The way dogs sniff and snort around I would think yes--but your dog may also get into it.
My dog stays in the back, I don't let me dog confuse other people's yards w/ bathrooms! I may be in you face about a lot of stuff, but that's not one of them.
It's a good thing I specialize in 'durable' plants--the folks up the street let a chow, big pit, and a terrier mix run loose every morning. Those dogs run right throught the front gardens...they were in the back too when I left the gate open on the morning of the 'possum encounter'. Good thing everything back there is fairly durable but I'd been really upset had they knocked over all those pots. Why can't they 'run wild' in their own backyard for their 'morning frolic'? They are always chasing something too--nearly knocked me down on a few occasions.
I don't dislike dogs but their owners often leave something to be desired.
I don't actually know the folks this 'pack' belongs too but I do notice they don't garden...that about says it all, right? lol
Ladies, try Coyote urine out front.
It works.
I think I will pour it on the compost/brush pile for the possum/possible rats.....saw a small rat run down the top fence rail at high noon--seems I'm right in a major thoroughfare...they happen to have it at a nursery I have a coupon for. Off to Cornelius on Monday we go. :)
I can live with the dogs--rodents/marsupials must go!
This message was edited Jun 10, 2006 1:56 PM
Again, strange that a rat, like the oppossum is out in the daytime. Do you have a neighbor near by that is doing a garage or store room clean-out that may be disrupting them?
I have no idea--I guess anything is possible.
I can tell you from my own experiences that building nearby disrupts them- all the houses going up in your area Deb are probably freaking them out, taking up their natural habitat, etc. I have seen rats out both during the day and nights- oppossum are a different story, they are an evening, night critter so figure yours was disrupted, likely by the dogs.
Now, I have a new problem- and I mean new, I was in the yard yesterday, mowing and was not bothered at all, this morning was throwing some fertilizer at a tree and surrounding amaryllis, walked away and then it dawned on me that I had just been among quite a few of these little buggers, looked up and...
Need some advice before I discuss w/ my husband...he tells me how to deal w/ problems but I am not sure that I can afford the outcome if he's wrong...either tell me how to safely get rid of these guys or make money off their efforts!
Oh my--bees huh? Thank goodness they are in the tree and not the house/bricks/masonry. Have heard on TV the house problem costs about $300.
A gun is not going to solve that problem! How close to the house are they? Do you have a really 'high pressure' attachment for your hose? I think the first thing I would try is that--and then run really fast--if they aren't very near the house. Then ask him if that don't work.
10 feet from the house, closest to the front door and driveway. Was thinking of high pressure hose but think he will opt for one of those wasp and bee killer sprays.
Yeah--but you might need a gallon.
Gosh this is the summer for weird occurances huh? escaping varmits of all kinds (including, apparently the 2 legged variety), bees, rabid bats on the TV, fire ants (although at this point in time I'll settle for them)...what's next? I hate to speculate...a plague of locusts?
I live in Texas; if the problem can't be shot, duct-taped, or tied up with string, watered more, mulched more, fed more (teenagers), loved more, or reasoned with....
bite your tongue! plague of locusts, just what I need. My husband just woke up and I showed him the bees, he didn't like your idea about the hose and didn't think much of the wasp hornet spray- that surprised me, he says wait until the end of the day because they may not like the heat and sun and may move of their own accord, if not he says call the exterminator- all I can say is it is getting bigger and bigger since I 1st saw it this morning.
I'm kinda with the exterminator thing--unless it depletes your plant buying fund....hey that problem should not come out of the gardening budget! lol
Did you really expect him to like any idea that a woman came up with?
Well there have been a few ideas I have had that he's like...
yeah--I can imagine what they were...
;)
blushing
THEY ARE GONE!
I just walked out to move the hose, heard a buzzing coming down the driveway to me and the cloud went off into the sunset! They had even started to build a comb there! I guess my husband was right, they don't like the heat- but then who does?
April--you gotta admit that's pretty odd behavior out of bees...
Were they near that blue clerondendrum? That and the beauty berry (for a while anyways) seem to be the biggest bee magnets I got.
Well, problem solved...
If anyone has the problem again, I think you can call a bee-keeper to come and they will gladly take them from trees to get the bees. I don't think they would want to mess with the houses though. Your County Extension Agency should know of someone. This is their swarming period I suppose. Maybe they were resting?? On their way somewhere cooler perhaps.
I am telling you it was strange, but my husband says it was the heat, they don't like it so when it heated up they moved on looking for cooler places. They were in one of my stupid oak trees, not hear the just blooming evergreen Wisteria or anything else that flowers.
They had actually started making a comb- if it happens again I will call a bee keeper, thanks Sheila!
This is what they left
I'd remove it--if they have no where to come home to....
I'm with Debbie, I would spray it with the flying insect spray at least to keep others from trying to take over. Then you may have to melt the wax comb with a patio torch or something.
I asked my husband the same thing, shouldn't we get rid of it to keep them from coming back, etc. he said, no the ants will eat it- I will have a look tomorrow and if it's still there I will use the high power nozzle and if that doesn't work I will get something to kill anything alive.
I bet the high power nozzle will work it off--can't be that permantly attached yet.
Side benefit--lawn under tree (or garden bed) gets a good watering. Sap sucking tree insects also get knocked off tree. I love 'multi-tasking'; don't ya'll? :)
Somebody please rename this thread "Wild Kingdom."
A new adventure every single day. I can hardly wait
for tomorrow !
Hey enough of that! You may have jinxed us and Debbie will be telling us about a bear! LOL
I hate all this stuff but it's kind of interesting. My grandson wasn't here when the bees came and went, but he looked at my photos a zillion times yesterday and he expects that today he and I will go find those bees. LOL, nervously.