ROFL-
-I thought I heard a little mewing noise from Basement Squirrel. News to me.
Ravenous Rabbits and Other Garden PestsPart #3.
RCN, Even for you 2:50 AM is too early a start. You have a good 4 hours to wait for day light. Go catch another 2 hours shut eye.
Lady, I also agree about Fred. We need to see more photos of him.
I've been seeing more and more posts on all of the forums lately about voles. It seems to me that there are fewer here than last year, although I frequently see one crawling up my drain spout, which is something new this year.
Even though there are no mounds of dirt here, I'm beginning to suspect that there is a mole living in the den under my artificial hill. When it stops raining, I'll get some photos.
To whoever was having issues with Moles.,
I am cleaning out my guest room a bit, as I have my niece and daughter spending the night here soon.
Was going through some boxes and old magazines and clippings and came across this.
It is from 1998. It is a letter to an Editor of some gardening magazine:
Dear Editor,
Congratulations on a wonderful magazine. I read it cover to cover--TWICE!
I'd like to share my secret recipe for getting rid of moles. They were ruining my lawn and flower beds until one of my neighbors told me about this no-fail formula.
MOLE REPELLENT
4oz Castor Oil
8oz liquid soap (not detergent)
1oz of human urine
Mix well and store in an air-tight jar.
Mix 1Tbs. with one gallon of water and spray wherever Moles are present.
It really works!
Gita
My dogs keep the deer and rabbits away from the gardens. The chipmunks don't stand a chance around them. Brutus, whose name fits him perfectly, caught a chip munk and swallowed the thing whole. So, finally, after years wasting time growing tulips, crocus and and vegetables, not a critter has nibbled on anything.
Handsome pups!
I finally got and used Terro liquid ant bait. PHENOMENAL! I refilled the bait card three times over two days before they stopped coming. Musta wiped out the whole colony-FINALLY!
That's great, Sally!!
Jfleming, Those dogs are so cute. What breed are they?
Giving this a BIG bump!!!!!
I think most of us are, once again, dealing with garden pests....
I have a mystery.......Help me solve it.....
My basement entrance is 4 steps down from my patio.
There is a drain at the bottom of the a "floor" with a drain in the center of it where water can drain into the main drain under the house.
Something is pushing this drain off of the hole daily.....to come and go.
OK! Saw this years ago--so I thought I would put a half a brick on top of the drain to keep anything from using it....
Well--whoever it is--can lift up a half a brick and still get out....!!!! geez!!
It can't be Chipmunks--but it might be a rat????? WHAT would cruise the main, underground drain and then come out through this drain? Horors!!! WHAT else could push up all this weight?????
Today--I put a full-sized brick over it. Will see tomorrow if it has been moved.....
Any input welcome here......Gita.
Here's a picture of the drain--and how it was moved with the half brick on top of it....
This is an overview of where the drain is located.....
WHAT could be doing this????????
Can you set up a video camera?
I'd be freaking out. Time to call an exterminator.
Nope! Don't have any such thing....
I am not "freaking out"-----just curious.....
IF it were a Rat--I would not be too happy--as it has NO useful purpose in a garden....
Waiting for tomorrow--now that I have a whole brick covering the drain.....
I remember I had this issue many years ago. I really thought it was Chipmunks, based on the fact that they were seen running in and out of my Sump Pump discharge hole.....
I think I covered the drain with a brick and that was that....
Could a black snake be able to do this? I don't have any--just guessing....Wish i did! Would take care of some of these rabbits and Chipmunks....
It is dark already--think I will go out and take a look......Everything is still OK....
Gita
I still think a chipmunk could possibly push enough to shift the half brick. I don't think snakes are so routine in their habits that they'd do it several times. (No snake expert though). The next choice is rat. I would waste no time getting rat bait or trap. You say you've had them before around the back.
Actually my vote is rat because I think a snake or chipmun would only push it far enough to squeeze through and that looks lke a squeezed rat size gap.
Sally---
The gap might have been a bit smaller---I had to "re-create the scene" to take these pictures.
Haven't been outside to look yet and see if my whole brick is still on.....hold on! ...Nope! Still closed!
You have such a good memory!
That incident with the rat was years ago--and was, probably, prompted by me keeping cardboard boxes around....
They sure were chewed up!
Also--anything can crawl out from that County storm drain right behind my shed! It is the "Highway" to the sewers....
I will throw some of those wax bait cakes down the drain.
I really don't want to keep this drain covered by a brick--as it's purpose is to DRAIN water from rains....
Let's rejuvenate this Thread!!!! I am sure we all have some critter problems by now....
Gita
You can see the corner of the drain on this picture.....My back yard neighbor keeps his "outdoor fireplace" on top of it to burn sticks ans wood. Perfect, safe pad!
I tend to pay attention to rats. Comes from working for hte Health Dept.
Sally--
I now believe it was a Chipmunk. WHY?
This morning I went outside to look at the brick--and there was a Chipmunk standing right by it like--"Whacha do THAT for???"....it ran off as soon as it saw me....
Now--I have new respect for those little guys! If they could lever up half a brick on top of a steel drain cover--They must be a lot stronger that we know.
I only felt bad in case it had some little ones somewhere down there......Oh well....
Gita
LOL, seems like you've solved your mystery :) I swear I've never seen so many Chipmunks before - this has got to be a banner year for them! I'm having problems again with something eating the Sweet Potato Vine in my containers. A couple of years ago I had planted 'Blackie' to trail over the edges of a container on the gazebo. There's a huge yellow Hosta (Sun Power) planted in the middle and the deep purple cascading over the edges was a great combination. Key word: "was"! One morning I looked out the window and noticed something looked different - someone had chewed every single leaf off the Sweet Potato Vine! Jump forward to this year, I've reversed the combination in the two planters at the top of my Arbor steps near the Gazebo. Deep burgundy Cordyline planted in the center with Sweet Caroline Sweet Potato Vine (yellow) planted at the base. A couple of weeks ago just as the Vine was starting to trail over the edges "someone's" been nibbling again! The odd thing is they've only nibbled on one of the containers and left the other one alone but it probably won't be long before they're back to get the other one. Anyone else ever have problems with varmints eating Sweet Potato Vine? I suspect a groundhog because the containers are too tall for rabbits. Is there anything I can do, spray the foliage, etc. so it won't be so tasty for them?
Phew- much rather have a chip than a rat!
As to Sweet potato--back to square one with repellants. Jen says Liquid Fence is a good one.
And--today--Ta--Dahhh!
Drain moved out from under the full brick!
I guess there must be a bit of room between the rim of the hole and the brick--and "they" slid the drain out---somehow! Unbelievable!
Put the brick on fully covering the drain. We shall seee.....we shall see......
This is amusing. Then we'll test two bricks, three bricks. How strong IS a chipmunk anyway
Yikes, that's one determined chipmunk!
I have a new "friend". It appears that another ground hog has taken up residence in our barn during our absence. The downside is it is snacking in the veggie garden (which is slowly emerging from the 4 weeks of neglect). Come Friday, I'll have Jamie bring a large Hav-a-heart home from work and serve it some cantaloupe, that they find so irresistible. Then it's off to a power line trail with a nice little stream in an uninhabited area.
I wish I could train my black snake to terrorize ground hogs. LOL Ric
Between this and the bulldozers/new construction, I have not seen groundhog evidence, and rabbits don't hang around much either. . But when I go to my veg garden out back behind the shed, a squirrel and bird or two seem to always shoot out of there, like Whoa, here she comes!!! I don't even know what they are in there for, nothing getting ripe now.
She's so pretty Sally
Thank you~ she's a sweetheart but that's NOT the name I was using when she snuck out of the yard to terrorize the neighbor's cat again! Luckily they weren't even home so they don't know about this time.
After catching three -4 voles in the spring, I don't seem to be having anymor problems. Maybe they are just staying hidden better, maybe there's so much growing they haven't hurt any one thing enough to notice.
Something has made deep tunnels in my daylily bed ( talk about well drained) but did not go for the peanut butter baited trap.
With ground hogs is it the male who stays with the den and then the female returns? When do the babies spread out to find their own homes? Do fox kill GH?
Don't know how strong chipmunks are but I do have a snake strength story. Caucht a 3 foot black snake in my yard and put it in a 10 gal acquarium with a fine mesh screenmetal framed cover that was tight fitting and for good measure grabbed a 12x8 cement block and positioned it carefully. I then went to find Wayne to carry the snake to its new home.
Wayne was out front but when we got to the acquarium the snake was gone! And the lid still in place. Wish I could have been there to see how he did it but then again knowing my EEEEK response scream , maybe not.
We're having a big problem with tomato worms. These are big green worms about 3 or 4" long. I read about making a spray with peppermint extract to get rid of them. Can you tell me what peppermint and spearmint look like? I have both and I don't know one from the other.
Thanks...Peg
My spearmint has lighter green leaves, but I think it's more a matter of what they smell like... However, for your purposes I would think either would work. Hand-picking will work also, unless you're truly besieged.
I usually don't find more than a couple on my plants, so I move them to the volunteer cherry tomato plants or to a patch of nicotiana... when they grow up, they turn into very cool moths. DGers shared some really cool photos with us for this article: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/1270/
I'd agree that handpicking is probably quicker and more effective than making a spray.
Ah ha, trapped the little bugger (ground hog), and relocated him to a bucolic distant place. Down a dirt road with little traffic, fewer houses, near a stream, woods and a power line. Should be GH heaven even without my redbeets and cole plants. Ric
OOPS! forgot the pic.
Double OOPS! Wrong thread. LOL Ric
This message was edited Jun 30, 2010 9:59 AM
HEY !!! Made me click!!
Addy almost jumped out of the truck last night. (we do have her hitched whenever she rides) We stop at the light near here and there is a drainage ditch wtih cattails and always a groundhog den. Can you imagine, the groundhog will sit five feet from zooming traffic (Busy road!) and eat grass? I almost caused a crash myself once, I got fascinated with the GH and paused when I shoulda zoomed.
Thought someone may enjoy this little ditty from the NE Forum. Ric
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=7950548
I have another ground hog. He managed to get under the patio where Holly was working just yesterday. I guess I'm going out to get a cantaloupe, to bait the trap with rind. Ric
I have now seen a fat Groundhog scurrying around the back of mt back yard.
I don't think it "lives" on my property--but in the piles of fire-wood and logs my back yard neighbor keeps on HIS side of my back bed.....
Once i saw him come from that area and go right into the County storm drain that is directly behind my shed...
Oh, yes! The groundhog DID eat all my Dill plants to nubs......I put the rabbit fencing around it so it can re-grow.
I haven't seen my neighbor to tell him about it....maybe HE should put out some cantelope and shoot the thing....he has an air gun....
LOADS of Chipmunks this year too......Gita
If by "air gun" you mean a BB gun... that might work on a squirrel or a chippie, but I'm pretty sure it'll just bounce right off a groundhog. You need an actual shot gun. Wish I could get away with shooting ours.. but I have a very type-A neighbor in back and several neighbors in various branches of law enforcement. LOL
Groundhogs and shot guns bring to mind a childhood experience I am still ambivalent about. Seems my brother and I ( 5and 6) were enlisted to corner the ground hog underneathe our chicken house. We did so, where upon my father promptly shot him with the shot gun, two shots I recall.. Don't know what my dad did with the carcass, we did not eat it as we did other animals my dad hunted and shot. The woodchuck was shot because that is what was done with woodchucks and other varmits. No discussion. Period. But, what I still wonder iis what was it about woodchucks that they could be disposed of with such impunity?
I,m definitely a trap and relocate or, considering the high quality veggie diet from our gardens, they should be eaten. I know some folks do.
Anyhow, childhood experiences do shape and inform adulthood. For now I will live and let live as best I can..
This message was edited Jul 10, 2010 9:29 PM
They are edible and if not old enough to be tough, rather tasty BBQ d. They are herbivores and rather clean animals. I'll stick to boneless ribs though. LOL
Jill, a lot of people call a CO2 or pump pellet rifle an air gun. They are getting rather sophisticated and often used in competitions rather than cartridge rifles, also very quiet. Ric
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=195181
Just be sure they don't shoot back!
If you're real good with a bow and arrow, your neighbors wouldn't hear that
Reading historical fiction reminded me that for , say, a pioneer it could be really a matter of life and death for a groundhog to ruin your crops. Now of course we could survive, but are still ver y frustrated by groundhogs o other vermin ruining our efforts. They can be very destructive . Perhaps Judy your father was borderline in his take no prisoners stance. But perhaps he had years of frustration and hard work behind his position, and you kids to provide for. Ultimatley, all of our activites have effects on other species (must I feel guilty about my large yard denying many species their natural habitat?) and you just have to find yur personal limits.
OK the wine has gone straight to my head--Good night!
Well I think they are as cute as can be. But when they start eating the prized poppy that was just getting ready to flower or take out our Veggies I do get a bit miffed. We could be more protective of the Veggies by fencing the Veggie garden They can be terrible damaging to farmers crops and left unchecked they put out a lot of tunnels. When we had horses GH holes & tunnels were a real worry. Had a friend whose horse stepped in one and went down lucky the ground was soft enough that it gave and neither her or her horse were seriously injured. We let them go until they move into the barn then we trap & release them. Ric is heading out right now to release another one.
Ric, that's a rather hansome armed and dangerous ground hog photo. I love it. I'm glad you can relocate your barn lopers as an option. To tell the truth, if I did trap the ones at the en of the roar I cann not think of any place to release it around here within any reasonable distance .
Tunneling has not yet become a problem maybe because they include lots opf drivway and drainage ditch culverts as major portions of their domain. One large culvert very near thei burrow enterance runs under all 8 lanes of Route 50 and exits at a containment pond surrounde by tll grass, never mowed and unreachable by people or most other critters. I suspect that rather than our "gardens" sustains them.
We have decided that we will buy our cantalope and not compost the rinds so as not to tempt their sweet tooth to expand their current food shed.
Sally, never have found guilt to be much of a motivator for mindful consideration of the sustainability of life on this planet for ourselves and all other life forms we co habit with. To me, finding my own personal limits is not the same as cohabiting or living in harmony with.others.
I shall be more careful when I'm near groundhog land. Perhaps if I had been attacked by a gh or all of my coleus had been eaten by one or been chased by a bear, or charged by a deer or stalked by a wolf, I would feel diferently. For now I hope my shouts, whistles, loud pan banging, physical presence and occassionally giving the deer and gh I do encounter THE LOOK will continue to serve as a mutual deterent when there is potential encroachment.!
Anyhow the point of my posting of my chilhood experience was for all of us to remember that how we treat critters on our property can effect kids in ways that we might not predict .It was citterologist's post and my thinking about Joyana who most of you remarked on on the swap thread that prompted my first post and my own recollection from childhood.
Judy