This is freaking me out!!!!
I am off today, so I get the pleasure of relaxing on the porch and observing everything this morning. It has been raining the past 8 hours and has finally stopped. I was watching the squirrels and birds at the feeder a few minutes ago and something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a small bird hopping along the ground. But as I looked closer I realized it was a furry rodent!! I think it might have been a good sized mouse. (I couldn't see it close enough and I lost sight of it in the yard.) It didn't appear to have a long tail though, which made me think it was a mole when I first glanced at it. (But they don't usually travel above ground nor do that hopping movement.)
The weeds and grass are tall right now as my son needs to mow the yard today which is why this creature was kind of hopping instead of scurrying in my yard. This rodent was heading towards my lawn furniture. Which is VERY close to my house and the bird feeding post. This is in broad daylight with birds and squirrels right there eating, too! Eeeeeck! My dh is going to be VERY VERY VERY unhappy with me! He is afraid of mice/rats and snakes. He has learned to respect and share our yard with the snakes, but mice he will NOT tolerate. My dh is gonna be sooooooooooo mad at me! As I am sure that it is the bird and squirrel feeders that are attracting them to my yard. I can NOT believe this!!!!!!
Good gosh!!!! And all because of the darn bird feeder area!!!! Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! This is probably why it is NOT a good idea to put a bird feeder in your yard unless you have acreage and can put them far, far away from your house.
I am sooo exasperated! I just want to scream!!!!!!
And I get NO sympathy from the birds or squirrels. I went out in the yard to try to find this rodent to verify what it was and that disturbed the morning feeding of the birds and squirrels. So there they all sit up on the electrical lines and in the Pepper Trees just fussing at me for disturbing their meal! Good thing I don't know what they are saying and they don't understand me!!!!
Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!
New critter dilemma ....
Becky, I hear where you're coming from.
We started seeing rats on and under the deck...during the day! And, heard them in the attic!
My bug/rodent guy gave me a warning about the birdfeeders, so I only feed them a couple months in the middle of winter. The rodents probably come around then but, hopefully leave when their food source disappears.
Even the squirrels are destructive, they've chewed some of the wood on the eaves, they have those rodent teeth that keep growing. Now, I only feed them a handful of peanuts per day. I do it at the same time everyday so they can plan their schedule.
I'm sure those birds were thanking you! Was the little furry thing squeaking? He was probably thanking you too LOL.
The upside is if you have rats the rat snakes will come and help you out.....I think that's the upside.
If it's been raining for 8 hours then perhaps it's burrow got flooded and that's why it was above ground? Or some neighborhood kid is missing a hamster :o)
Don't worry...it will most likely find it's way back the subterranean tunnels soon enough.
Although I am amused your DH is skeeeered of the critters...I'd like to see a photo of it munching on birdseed if it ventures closer. BOO!!! Hee hee
~ Cat
Rox - ROTFLMBO! Oh! More snakes will REALLY delight my dh! LOL! I do have the one big black snake in my yard. Maybe this would keep him fat and happy! ;-)
I don't know what I am going to do. I don't want mice or whatever this creature is IN my attic or house anywhere.
I was planning to feed the birds year round as I get some very pretty birds here who are permanent residents. Cardinals, Blue Jays, Painted Buntings, Red bellied Woodpeckers, etc. I so enjoy seeing them and the butterflies. It just adds a whole new dimension to gardening that I truly love!!! Unfortunately, it also brings in the not so pleasant critters. :-/ And so far, I haven't seen any damage from the squirrels other than the occasional digging in my garden beds.
I don't know what to do. I'd sure love to hear more suggestions!
Cat - "IF" it is a field mouse .... I KNOW there will be MORE!!! Have you had any experience with these rodents around your house? And yes! My dh is a bit skittish around mice and snakes. I raised them as a kid and have allowed our children to have them as pets! LOL But my dh was never allowed to have such pets and as an adult is NOT amused to have them anywhere in the vicinity. He fears what he doesn't understand. :-(
If its a RAT Beckey, then you will not see a mouse anywhere around!!!!
Where there are Rats, there are no mice....................
Florida is known for having wild field mice. So it is probably NOT a rat. I am just not sure what it was since I didn't see it up close. It also didn't have a tail that I could see. Though it could have lost it's tail to a predator or some accident. I just don't need those kind of critters in my house and preferably not in my yard either. :-(
I wouldn't say anything to the DH till your sure what you saw.
Pelle - Oh! Don't you worry!!!! I may not say anything to anyone in my family!!!! My dh will make me take down the bird and squirrel feeder and that's not an option that I want to have to consider yet. :-) They don't notice things in the yard like I do! lol
LOL Becky, you always have something going on! But, that is life in our gardens. I can't imagine something "hopping" around your yard! I could be wrong but don't think that rats hop. Could it have been a small bunny? It's that time. We had one last year and I loved it!
What's funnier to me is that your dh, or anyone else, are afraid of mice. I just can't imagine why. I can't think of any critter than I'm afraid. June bugs gross me out and I am known to let out a girl yell when one flies at me but I'm not afraid of them.
My first bird feeder was hanging on a plant hook attached to my fence until I saw a very large field mouse (or small rat) running along the fence board and getting into the feeder. (it lived under the neighbor's shed) I moved the feeders out into a grass area on shepherd's hooks after that.
You've all heard that I had so many field mice 2 years ago so I had to stop feeding the birds. Last year I didn't see but one mouse so I think it helped. I've put the feeders up again so we'll see.
Here's a pic of the live trap I used. He's really cute! I carried off about 20 of them.
Paige, I think 'cute' might be a bit of an exaggeration, don't ya think?
It is cool that you relocated them.
Becky, could it have been a baby rabbit?
Really, you don't think he's cute? How about this shot?
He's adorable! I would have loved to have had him in my house instead of the rats I had in my attic recently. Lots of people along the coast are having rat problems since the hurricanes.
If you put it that way...mice instead of rats. Here, the roof rats are a real nuisance.
Paige - Love the little rascal that you caught in the cage. Those little field mice are rather adorable! Much cuter than a rat that's for sure. (Though I've read that rats are much smarter! lol)
gardenpom - OOOOOOOOHHHHHH NOOOOO, don't say that!!!! I do not want rats!!! ugh!!!
It was NOT a baby rabbit. I know my critters. It was either a mole or a mouse. It looked like what Paige caught in her cage. I just didn't see a tail and that is what has me confused. When I say it was hopping, I meant that it was not able to scurry through the yard but was sort of hopping over the tall weeds and grass. (But not like a rabbit does.) It is possible it was a mole, but I have never seen a mole out of it's hole, but maybe Cat is right. With all the rain we had, it might have been driven above ground. And I certainly have mole tunnels all over my backyard. There is at least one mole that is having a field day in my yard. (I swear it reminds me of Caddy Shack and the gopher that was tearing up the golf course! Where's the dynamite???) Every day there is a new tunnel. How do you get rid of moles?
I am tired of battling the critters!!!! I feel like calling an exterminator! lol Who ya gonna call ..... Critter Busters!!!! lol
So you know you have moles? ...lucky you? lol "Becky's petting zoo/garden...next right" I'm ready to see pics! I've never seen a mole. I think I'd rather have the field mice tho.
Just an fyi about the field mice: they love Gomphrena! (purple more than red) I discovered them when I found something gnawing off the tops of my plants. They'd just leave the flowers but loved those stems!! They left a huge mess tho and seeds everywhere! I thought my entire garden would be overtaken by those seeds but not one of them germinated! That probably ended up to be more of a blessing tho because it didn't attract them again.
Lol...Becky's Petting Zoo!
Ewww moles...what about voles? I don't really know what they are but thought I'd act like I did lol
Paige - Moles are not cute ...... at all. They are ugly. And they do some major tunneling. (sigh) Honestly, I have enough garden work to do without the added chore of battling and trying to outwit the pests that manage to find their way into my yard.
Get this ..... moles can be run off by using a "thumper" noise underground. Reminds me of the movie "Tremors". Only the moles aren't attracted to the noise, they like peace and quiet. Hey! Maybe I should bring my radio out into the yard and turn the bass way up and rock and roll em right out of my yard! LOL
Here's a link to what they look like:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Scalopus_aquaticus.html
See the tunnels in 2 of the photos? That's what my backyard looks like! Not pretty. I am none too pleased either!
Ooooh, they are ugly!
I read something about putting cat litter in the tunnels too.
You could post on the 'Gardening for Wildlife' or 'Wildlilfe', is there a pest forum, can't remember.
Rox and Paige - I wouldn't call it a Petting Zoo. Narry an animal you'd want to pet. They'd all probably bite you hand off. Let's see ..... Raccoons, squirrels, moles or mice ..... what next????!!!
In all honesty .... I have already had a flash of another horror. They have been heard doing their bird call in my neighborhood. I've seen them twice a block from me. It is a mating pair. And they do like bird seeds!!! They would wreck my feeder and my backyard if they decide to pay me a visit....... Sand Hill Cranes!!!! Nooooooooooooooooo!
Here's a photo that the teacher I work with took of one at our school. I had walked into the classroom next door to bring that teacher some caterpillars and I saw the bird looking in at me through the window. I ran back to my room and told everyone. The teacher ran outside with her camera while I was inside looking at the bird again through the window trying to figure out why it was pecking at the window sills. We never did figure it out, but the bird had the principal and others trying to keep the students away from them. They can be pretty fierce if threatened. And they are bigger than many of the students at the school. (sheesh!) LOL!
Edited to add:
The more that I am thinking about what the little furry critter looked like, the more I think it was a field mouse. And there is no way that moles can hop..... even a little. So I am sure it is a mouse. Not good. Not good at all! :-( :-(
This message was edited Apr 7, 2007 12:25 AM
Wow!! That's a Sand Hill Crane?? I'd be quite scared if I saw that thing staring at me too!! I can just see that thing trying to get into your feeder. LOL! (tho not really funny) Your yard is soon going to need a forum of it's own...birds, wildlife, butterflies, killer bees, varmints...
That mole is not near as cute as the ones in my son's books. Didn't you say your son liked loud music? Maybe a backyard "party" with some heavy-metal music could run it off.
Becky.. Just out of curiosity do you get a lot of beetles and Japanese beetles around your place?
If that was a mole they do come up if there places are flooded. usually if your seeign lots of tunnels in your yard it is where the moles are tunnling to get at the different types of beetle larvae. the tunnels are a pain, but I would rather have the tunnels than the damage that the beetles wil do to all the plants later when they emerge.
Once the mole has cleared your yard of grubs they will move on to other pastures to munch and eat. They a pain , but are actually doing you a good service.
If the rain brought the mole out it probably brout a bunch of larvea up to and it could be just trying to get at some of the ones wigglying now on top of the ground.
starlight - Fascinating info!! I didn't know what they were tunneling after!! You know what??? I DO have those ugly grubs in my yard. (The BIGGEST, nastiest looking ones!!) Thanks for telling me that. Now the little moles are welcome in my yard! :-) In all honesty, I haven't tried to get rid of the moles. I knew they were after something I probably did NOT want in my soil. Thanks for making the little moles a hero in my yard! ;-) :-) Though I do hope they DON'T tear up any of my garden beds. They do make a mess of my yard. The Sand Hill Cranes like the grubs, too. When they swallow one, you can see it going down their long crane neck! LOL!
Here's a photo of one of the mole tunnels. It goes for about 9 feet. With the rain we had the other day, it kind of washed it away! It was much worse before the rain. If I see any of the grubs in the yard, I will take a photo as they are hideous looking creatures!
Nice tunnels ; ) LOL. That what the mole going after. Those nice big ugly cutworms and other larvae soem of them can make up to four generations a year. The one year where I had a mole I started trying to follow his tunnels pattern and the direction he was heading.
I started turning dirt in that area and about grossed myself out at the number of larvae that was there. That was just a small section.
They may accidently disrupt a plant a two but that only if you have a bunch of larvae by that plant. The mole won't hurt your plants roots or anything , but if those grubs get to your roots, your gonna have nubs or dead plants not only from the grubs distorying your roots , but the beetles then eating your foliage and your not goign to have anythign to feed your butterflies with.
They smell the grubs under the ground and just head in that direction to go gobble them. Unfortunately they have to make the tunnels to get there. I usually just come back and stomparoudn on their tunnels. They done feeding there and generally won't go back through the same tunnels but make new one s as they follow the paths of where the grubs are laid.
Mien hung around for almost a whole spring and summer before he finally moved over to the neighbors yard. I went back to the area after he move d on and turned the ground and didn't find any grubs left and he had also aeriated the soil so it was nice to work with.
With stayign as organic as I can so as not to hurt the butterflies and frogs and lizards I have I don't use chemicals and the mole is actually a great organic mode of pesticide.
Just watch the ankles when walking around those areas where he grabbign lunch. : )
Thanks for all the wonderful info about the moles, Ella! My kinda critter! I don't do pesticides in my yard either. And I wouldn't kill the moles. They come through my yard almost every Spring and sometimes in the Summer too. :-) And yes! I do go around stomping the dirt back down! LOL! But the rain seems to do the best job of settling the tunnels back to normal. It did occur to me that they do aeriate the soil like earthworms. Do they also eat earthworms?
Can't really say for sure Becky. I don't know the answer to that, nver really crossed my mind before.
I can tell you this. I have eathworm beds, been raising them and have nevre seen the mole in that section at all and he would have a virtual feast. Seems logical that he might grab a couple if he starvign and doesn't find or smell more grubs, but that just speculation on my part about the worms.
Star, thanks for the info on moles, I guess they aren't so bad after all.
Becky, those cranes are beautiful, with their little red hats on.
Ella - Thanks so much for all the great info about moles!!!
Rox - Yes! Those Sand Hill Cranes are beautiful! I always enjoy seeing them. (As long as they are NOT in my backyard.)
Well .......... more interesting things happening today!
I weed whacked around my entire yard today! As I was working in the backyard, I had to move all my outdoor furniture around. When I did I discovered a HUGE wasp nest under one of the chair cushions. My dh helped me spray those buggers. (That's the only time I use pesticides in my yard!) Hopefully that will knock the wasp population down considerably! Maybe I'll see more cats now.
Now get this ...... late yesterday afternoon and all day today I kept hearing this noise coming from my neighbor's house next to me. It sounded like chewing and scratching on aluminum. Off and on all day today. I kept standing on my tip-toes to see over the fence to try to figure out what was going on. My neighbor is gone. I think she went out of town for Easter. Anyway, I was weeding in my front garden and as I got around to the side of the house (nearest my neighbor), I heard the noise non-stop. So I walked over to the back of her large screened-in pool area. As I was walking over there I made noise because of the leaves crunching under my feet. The noise would stop. So I'd go back to my yard. Then it would start up again. I finally just stood there for about 15 minutes waiting for the noise to start again. Sure enough ..... I could hear where I thought it was coming from. It was coming from the gutter that ran down the side of her house next to the screened porch. It sounded like it was coming from the bottom of the gutter near the ground. So I walked over and looked. I guess her lawn guy added another piece of gutter at the bottom and then some hard plastic tubing which was actually going down into the ground. I wasn't able to see inside because it was all shoved together and blocking any exit. So I pulled the dang thing apart. I could see something in there. So I went back to get a flashlight. When I got back, whatever was in the gutter drain must have finally gotten out.
Now after thinking about it, I believe that a little squirrel must of ran along the gutter on top of her house and into the drain part and got stuck. It's a very tight area about 9 feet straight down. I think what I heard was the squirrel chewing and trying to claw itself out at the bottom but there was no way with all the aluminum blocking any kind of exit. That poor little critter has been in there for over 32 hours! I bet he was hungry and thirsty. I hope it wasn't Simon. I don't think it was. But I noticed 2 of the squirrels were missing this morning during feeding time as well as the rest of the day. Maybe now I'll see them ALL tomorrow. Poor little fella!
So weird that I kept hearing that sound off and on yesterday afternoon and all day today and it was driving me crazy!!! I kept thinking the whole time that it sounded like a squirrel chewing on aluminum. I think I was right!!! They should have screens on those gutters to keep the leaves and critters out!!!!
What a day!!!! :-) Never a dull moment around here! :-/
Oh Becky, poor Simon! Good thing you were caring enough to figure it out, you saved him.
Great job!!!
Ms Kitty is sitting here slapping at my screen.... LOL. We live in the woods and seem to have a balance of nature so far ....not that I wouldn't help out now and then.
Elaine
Rox, Elaine, and all - It's been quiet this morning and this evening at the neighbor's house. I've been gone most of the day. Apparently whatever it was (squirrel or otherwise), it got out. I only saw 2 squirrels at my feeder early this morning. I never got over to fix the gutter drain. I'll try to get over there tomorrow sometime and fix it back to the way it was. I didn't want to put it back last night in case the little critter hadn't escaped yet. :-)
Just remembered, my chipmunks live in the gutters and the french drain under the house... You can hear them scrabbling around all the time. They probably have several nests under there. Of course Mr. Indigo snake also goes in and out.
Elaine
Elaine - Yikes! Crazy where those creatures nest at!!!! Wouldn't they drown if it rained really hard?
Wellll, good question. I guess they build where the water doesn't go through too fast.. We have french drains inside and outside our foundation.
Elaine
What exactly IS a french drain????
The builder digs a trench around the outside or inside of foundation of a house on a slope, puts down gravel then black slotted pipe which is connected to the downspouts of the gutters. This carries water down and away from the house. It also allows water which may flow down to the house to drain away.
Elaine
Interesting!! Since it's flat land here in south -central Florida, I wouldn't have ever heard of French drains if you hadn't told me about them. Sounds like a very good drainage system! Can't imagine anything living in the drains, though. LOL!
Well ..... I saw the little furry critter once again today!!!! It was under the outdoor furniture scavenging food. Probably dropped seeds from the squirrels and birds. So I ran outside with my camera (hoping to get a photo of it). But it was QUICK!!!! It scurried from the furniture to one of my plant beds and hid under the plants. But I could see it through all the plants and can say for a fact that it is a .....................
Field MOUSE!!! And a rotund one at that! I sure hope it isn't a pregnant mama. That would be my worst nightmare. I have a feeling that it is living IN my yard hiding behind some of the plants. I am just surprised that the big black snake hasn't found it yet and invited it for dinner! lol
It's tail is shorter than most mice, but it could've had it bitten off by a predator.
I must confess ............. all these critters are a bit more than I was expecting or inviting into my yard. I am going to monitor the situation closely. If I see more, then the bird and squirrel feeders will have to be taken down until fall/winter. I can't have an ever-growing population of mice living in my yard which might also get into my house. Funny, but we have a neighborhood hawk. I am surprised he hasn't seen this mouse as well. Maybe that's why this mouse has a short tail and is fat. It's a smart and wise mouse with experience!
Yes,, we didn't have these drains when I grew up in Florida either, but they sure do the job up here..we have a gently sloping yard down to a small creek area. Sounds like Ms Mousie is pretty smart. Do you have a cat??? I could loan Ms Kitty to you for a few days. She is going on 13, but still can hunt...
Elaine
Elaine - I do have a cat, but he is an indoor cat because of the construction and traffic here. He'd wind up as road kill otherwise. I may have to live trap this little mouse. But I'll wait and see what happens. I suspect if I take the feeders down, then the food source stops, and all the critters move on! :-)