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Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2019 19:44:08 GMT -5
Coons, possum, snakes, foxes, stray dogs, cats I shoot and enjoy shooting---they deserve it.
The bunnies get a pass---I simply plant enough for us both. Of course If I see one after a hard freeze he becomes friedrabbit. All one word in these parts.
Deer I dislike---they will stand under an apple tree on two legs and strip a tree.
But I am not making any of Martin's mix, period. My tender sensibilities won't permit it.
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Post by paquebot on Jun 26, 2019 19:55:34 GMT -5
For those used to seeing a ground squirrel just a little bigger than a chipmunk, the California ground squirrel is big enough to eat. First time I saw one I wondered what a gray squirrel was doing living in thee ground. Then found out that it wasn't a tree squirrel. Body is about the same size as a gray squirrel but tail is shorter.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Jun 26, 2019 19:58:50 GMT -5
Good luck with the trapping! Thank you. Nothing in the trap this morning - but this afternoon, about the time the culprit had been visiting, I caught a larger than average ground squirrel. I'm thinking, hoping, he's the one doing all the damage. I'll leave his body under the tree too cuz I think htat horrible smell is discouraging others, and now, me too. I might have to bury the first one soon. Only about 2 more weeks to go. The apricots are ripening, and they certainly are good! As a teenager I shot a squirrel that was stealing peaches from our trees. Then I got some twine and hanged him from the peach tree. The next day there was a squirrel perched on the same limb, eating a stolen peach. I can just imagine him shrugging and saying “sucks to be you dude”.
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Post by Gianna on Jun 26, 2019 20:14:13 GMT -5
Body is about the same size as a gray squirrel but tail is shorter. Yes. Tails shorter, and not fluffy, just sort of scruffy looking. Our ground squirrels don't seem to climb as much either - guess that's why they call them 'ground' squirrels, lol. There is a colony of regular squirrels (gray?) that have moved into the area, mainly sticking to riparian habitat near streams.
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Post by Gianna on Jun 26, 2019 20:28:42 GMT -5
The next day there was a squirrel perched on the same limb, eating a stolen peach. I can just imagine him shrugging and saying “sucks to be you dude”. I once put a platform in the bottom branches of a peach tree, and put cat food on it hoping one of my felines would like that as a perch and help keep the birds away. Silly me. At that point I hadnt yet realized my cats were strictly decorative. As for my apricot tree, I had to toss the, uh, 'ripe' critter a bit further away so I could get close enough to that part of the tree to pick. And the new critter body I put directly under the tree. But it's still fresh, so no problem. I dont know if this works, but it makes me feel better. I really don't like killing things, and only do it when really needed. It doesnt seem fair to the critters for me to grow a garden that attracts them with lovely food, then do away with them cuz it's appealing to them too.
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Post by paquebot on Jun 26, 2019 22:16:59 GMT -5
My present war with squirrels has ended with 8 having been reduced to compost in he tumbler. Not ended by choice but another critter. I can tolerate chipmunks and one shows up now and then. This is the year for one and it's a thief. It's stealing the hickory nuts from the live trap. By coincidence, son is suddenly being plagued with squirrels. Live trap will be shifted to his place for awhile.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jun 26, 2019 22:33:26 GMT -5
Just caught another squirrel here today, in the smaller trap. I always put a dab of peanut butter on the tray, and I get at least one a week. Much easier to catch than rabbits, at least here.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2019 19:45:04 GMT -5
Pepperhead; Thanks for the peanut butter mention. Suitable baits for traps are hard to come buy unless you want to spend big bucks for things like cat food, sardines, etc.
I will set out the bunny traps and squirrel traps next week; I'm quitting for the week end.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jun 29, 2019 20:34:15 GMT -5
And right now I am going to peel some kohlrabi, which, for some reason, rabbits are incredibly attracted to. So I am going to save all that peel, and see how it works as a trap bait. I'll keep you updated.
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Post by Gianna on Jun 30, 2019 8:12:11 GMT -5
Kohlrabi.. I would not have thought of using that. Unfortunately I dont have any growing right now, nor, after trapping that one large ground squirrel, no one else (besides a few birds) is going after the apricots. Over the years, my go-to bait has been chopped outer leaves of romaine lettuce. In my area where in summer there is a lack of green things growing (other than in my garden), the green, crunchy lettuce seems appealing. Of course it doesn't stay crispy for long. I have started to see more bunnies around my 'large pots' growing area on the front drive. Not sure if they are looking for food, or just appreciating the cover between the pots. But if they start standing on their hind legs to eat the beans, I'll start trapping again. Or maybe just put a low fence around the area.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 3, 2019 10:27:49 GMT -5
Too hot for a lot of tea so maybe need a couple 6-packs of beer. Two sizes of young rabbits have decided to assist in the garden harvest along with their parents. Wife counted 8 at one time across the street when she came home from work Sunday morning. Most of the beans this year are pole type which rabbits seem to love. Wouldn't be bad if they just took a leaf or two but 4" out of the stem isn't good. Always happens just when I think that everything is safe. Figure that I need about a gallon and everything except the peas will be sprayed. This place is definitely not going to have a good smell to them.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 3, 2019 11:16:18 GMT -5
Got another one in a trap!
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Post by Gianna on Jul 3, 2019 11:17:51 GMT -5
Good luck with deterring them paquebot,. I don't mind sharing a little and usually plant extras for that.. but when they totally ruin too much, something has to change. Enjoy that six-pack. I think the bunny/squirrel apricot crisis here has passed. The one large squirrel seemed to be the culprit destroying the unripe fruits. And the two bodies left near the tree to help keep critters away have been eaten by something. I'm pleased about that since 'the smell of death' is not all that pleasant. Last year there were problems with I think bunnies eating the tips of my peppers - and ruining many of them. I grow a lot of Anaheim types with pointy ends that were easy to bite. And I like them to get red. This year if the bunnies start eating the ends off the peppers, I'll have to revisit dealing with them. But for now, I can live with them. Probably a mistake, lol.
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Post by paquebot on Jul 3, 2019 12:31:14 GMT -5
Most adult rabbits won't bother peppers but young ones will. They try everything until they find that they don't like it. By then it is often too late for the plant. Most brassica is also safe from adults but not young. They just have to try it until they find out that they can't get rid of the gas that builds up. Kohlrabi seems to be the exception as both young and adults eat that.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Gianna on Jul 3, 2019 12:44:53 GMT -5
Most years my peppers, plants or fruits, have not been bothered by the bunnies. Ours are cottontails. Last year was towards the end of our multi-year drought, and at the time, there simply was not anything else for them to eat. And last year I had not fenced the area. Years ago I remember being surprised that they were eating potato tops! But when there is nothing else...
This year I'm seeing bunnies in and out of another pepper bed in front, but they havent been eating anything of note yet other than some weeds - which I appreciate. And of course all of my Zinnias there. If they start nibbling on the peppers, I think I'll fence. Good level ground there, easy access. (I did lose a few pepper plants to snails, but just at one end of the bed - but I had planted extras as usual.)
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Post by paquebot on Jul 3, 2019 13:02:35 GMT -5
Supposedly the California ground squirrel does not venture far from its den. I saw some figure like 80' maximum. Those that I saw at Camp Pendleton were often nowhere near any den. Most lived under old WW2 buildings then. Took me awhile to figure out that they were not just mixed up gray squirrels.
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 11, 2019 7:31:29 GMT -5
"Those that I saw at Camp Pendleton were often nowhere near any den. Most lived under old WW2 buildings then"
Oddly enough, Martin, the only thing I remember of those days is the waist-high, dry brown grass waving in the wind just outside the perimeter fences. That and checking the bulletin board each day to see when I was to ship out after being detached from my unit. Don't even recall seeing a rat.
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Post by ladymarmalade on Jul 11, 2019 19:10:48 GMT -5
Tuesday I potted up my baby apple trees in green menards buckets and left them on my deck. Dang rabbit nibbled both of them. I found the carnage this morning. there are still leaves. But both of the growing stems on the trees have been eaten off. One of them is down to just one tiny set of leaves. They were doing so well.
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Post by Laura_in_FL on Jul 11, 2019 23:03:37 GMT -5
Grrr.... Bunnies are such pests!
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Post by mgulfcoastguy on Jul 11, 2019 23:45:56 GMT -5
But delicious!
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Post by paquebot on Jul 24, 2019 20:01:27 GMT -5
Forgot to mention another good deterrent. I've been playing hide-and-seek with a young rabbit for a couple weeks. Just would not let me get close enough to whack him with a hoe. Same thing this morning. He wasn't afraid of that puny stick in my hand. He soon found out otherwise. He was stuck to the ground with a fish spear!
Martin
The truth is more important than the facts.
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Post by Hensaplenty on Jul 24, 2019 21:01:11 GMT -5
This thread has been super entertaining! Not to make light of anyone's critter troubles, cause I've had my share over the years, but some of these posts have really made me laugh!! Probably because I can relate. Thanks for the fun....and the good ideas, shared wisdom, stories, etc
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Post by Gianna on Aug 5, 2019 12:43:46 GMT -5
(There is a current thread discussing putting in raised beds and stopping bunnies, and how high to make the sides, but I dont remember where that is.) Here it is, page 2: notjusttomatoes.proboards.com/thread/5020/question-8-19-fall-garden?page=2&scrollTo=76532I was just outside looking for bunny damage in the ripening fruits, and noticed one of my numex chilie plants had fallen, and all the tender ends and leaves and small branches and smaller fruits had been eaten off. All that is left are green twigs. And another plant with a low branch that had been seriously eaten.... The war is back on. The uneasy Truce is over. I dont plan to trap, but I'm going to put up a bunny fence around that bed. It's about 20 feet long, 3 or so feet wide. I think I have enough low aviary wire fencing (16inch wide) to put around it that will allow easy reaching over it. I'll have to attach a few segments together, but it's doable. That's the job for today cuz they now have a taste for the peppers, and there's not much else for them to eat.
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Post by Gianna on Aug 5, 2019 19:11:35 GMT -5
I think I have enough low aviary wire fencing (16inch wide) to put around it that will allow easy reaching over it. I'll have to attach a few segments together, but it's doable. That proved more difficult than I had hoped, but at least there is a temporary fence up that should hold off the bunny onslaught. As I was working along the bed, there was even more damage than I had initially seen. Not the fruits this time, but the leaves. And again, the justification for over-planting things. I do want to get another piece of the aviary wire to give the fence more integrity, then to attach it to the ground better, etc. But this should hold until I get to the hardware store. edit: egads, I just priced some wire online/home depot. More expensive than I thought. I think I will make due with what I have.
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Post by Gianna on Aug 31, 2019 11:17:11 GMT -5
edit: egads, I just priced some wire online/home depot. More expensive than I thought. I think I will make due with what I have. Now that I've planted more seeds for cover crops in some of the beds, the bunnies are back and eating the seedlings. Unfortunately the urine/garlic deterrent was unpleasant to deal with, and not very effective. Perhaps our native species of bunnies don't mind that particular scent. So, more fencing is going up. Plus more bunny habitat removal (trimming shrubs growing too low). After making the blueberry enclosure a couple years ago, I had about 25 feet of 1 inch aviary wire left over. It is 4 feet wide - too wide for current purposes - so I'm going to cut it in half length-wise. I also have some green plastic fencing, but that is for the beds in the back where aesthetics are less important. This wire fencing will go right at the front of the property, where being less visible is desired. These fences are effective and easy to put up, and seem to also slow the birds too. Though I dont mind them as much - they eat fewer seedlings plus bugs and worms too. I also purchased another trap yesterday at a yard sale, so there is always that option...
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Post by brownrexx on Aug 31, 2019 11:44:31 GMT -5
I had to resort to using chicken wire fencing a few years ago and I have had no bunny problems since then. However for the last 2 years we have had a couple of feral cats on patrol and that works better than the fencing. I didn't even see one bunny this year.
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Post by Gianna on Sept 1, 2019 10:11:32 GMT -5
brownrexx , you are lucky. Our bunny population fluctuates, but now there are always some. 30 years ago, there were none to be seen. Then it was 'oh, look! - a bunny! How cute!!' It's been downhill since then... The bunny population, concurrently with the ground squirrels, has grown. But still there are some years when there are fewer of them and less problems in the garden. But this last year with the ample rains and subsequent growth on the hillsides (and some neighbors have been known to feed them!!), their numbers have increased again. But that's what bunnies do - they dont have 'fangs nor claws' but survive by increasing their numbers as much as possible, whenever possible. We dont have feral cats because of the coyotes and bobcats, but the coyotes themselves eat the bunnies. And snakes and owls go after the babies. But there are always survivors. And they are still cute.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 1, 2019 10:53:11 GMT -5
Gianna , I think that they are cute too and I am lucky not to have large trees in my yard because that attracts gray squirrels and they can hop right over a 4' garden fence like I have. We don't have ground squirrels. Ours live in trees but they definitely feed on the ground in gardens and bird feeders. I always thought that the excess bunny population was due to them not having natural enemies except for hawks but you have coyotes in your area so I am surprised that they do not keep your bunny population in check. It sounds like you live in a pretty residential area. Do you get many coyotes in your neighborhood or are they mainly in more rural areas? My brother lives in a totally residential area in Delaware and it is absolutely full of bunnies and squirrels. No feral cats in his area so they really have no natural enemies. My Dad used to kill squirrels with a 22 in his yard and although I didn't really like that, he killed over 25 of them one year and that is way too many for one yard! Their population is just exploding. Sometimes I see stories on TV about mountain lions in CA. Do they live in your area or is that someplace else?
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Post by Gianna on Sept 2, 2019 11:45:26 GMT -5
I think that they are cute too and I am lucky not to have large trees in my yard because that attracts gray squirrels and they can hop right over a 4' garden fence like I have. We don't have ground squirrels. Ours live in trees but they definitely feed on the ground in gardens and bird feeders. Gray squirrels with fluffy tails are new to our area. They've been around maybe 7-8 years. Still not common, and now seem to be limited to riparian settings with lots of trees. They are at the bottom of our hill, but since there arent that many trees 'up here', I'm hoping they stay 'down there'. I always thought that the excess bunny population was due to them not having natural enemies except for hawks but you have coyotes in your area so I am surprised that they do not keep your bunny population in check. It sounds like you live in a pretty residential area. Do you get many coyotes in your neighborhood or are they mainly in more rural areas? The homes in my immediate neighborhood were built on a single hill that runs N-S, maybe 1.5 mile long, with a road up the middle, and single rows of homes on either side, each on about an acre. To the rear of most of the houses are avocado and/or lemon orchards. I describe us as semi-rural. Above us are move avo/lemon orchards, and above that is the native chaparral/national forest. The coyotes are very common here, but tend to say in the extensive orchards, but do venture where the houses are, but less commonly so. No feral cats, and they will also take pet cats that are not careful (see avatar cat, rip). They can be bold. I've seen them on the property, but down the hill. I've seen scat on the driveway, so I know they roam more at night. At night, and sometimes during the day, you can hear them howling. The 'excess' bunnies appear to be more where the houses are, and where plants get watered and tender green stuff grows. The ground squirrels seem to be more down the hill, but also in the yards. My brother lives in a totally residential area in Delaware and it is absolutely full of bunnies and squirrels. No feral cats in his area so they really have no natural enemies. My Dad used to kill squirrels with a 22 in his yard and although I didn't really like that, he killed over 25 of them one year and that is way too many for one yard! Their population is just exploding. One year that was particularly bad here, I trapped. Between the bunnies and squirrels, I got 21 of them in one month, in one small area around the apricot tree. That was around when one of the neighbors was feeding them... I have friends a couple ridges over - they use an air rifle on the ground squirrels. Bunnies are too cute. Sometimes I see stories on TV about mountain lions in CA. Do they live in your area or is that someplace else? That is a definite possibility here. And bear. I have friends who ranch about 20 miles away, close to the ocean, and they see them (mountain lions) at night in the orchard. Anther friend in that same area had a bear on their long, rural driveway. And a good number of other sightings of both locally. We've had some large fires the past decade - I really thought we'd see a cat as they were driven out of the hills. It simply would not be a surprise to see one in the yard. I have seen a deer and a bobcat on the deck.
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Post by brownrexx on Sept 2, 2019 13:04:23 GMT -5
I have seen a deer and a bobcat on the deck. That sounds like a beautiful area to live. We are having 4 deer in the backyard for the first time in 20 years. My game camera almost always sees them around midnight so I think that they are just walking through my area to go somewhere else. I have had a small amount of garden damage but nothing significant. Previously I was wondering if deer would eat okra september and it turns out that they will. I saw deer tracks near my plants and a few leaves gone. They also ate sweet potato vine leaves but not enough to really hurt the vines. They grow very quickly. We saw a bobcat when we first moved here 20 years ago but never again. We do have red foxes and raccoons though so the chickens need to be secured at night.
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