stubbed toes and mud pies

[digitS']

Chased 3 raccoons off my fence this morning.

The motion lights were on when I stepped over to the South Window so I walked out on the deck. Went after them with a cane and the long-handled dandelion weeder. The larger one climbed down in the neighbor's yard immediately. The smaller ones, about the size of tom cats, tried climbing a tree. I was out 3 times to let them know that coming back down on the fence wasn't good enough and they better hit the ground running.

After they disappeared, over the course of 20 minutes, I brought the vacuum cleaner out on the deck so that they could hear it at 5am and know that I was engaged in a  sweep of the neighborhood. .

Others have been here before in earlier years, the neighbors have told me. I have never seen any damage but know better than leave the welcome mat out, unswept. Vaarrrrooooom

Steve

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

We have a lot of raccoons too. Last week during the day I was walking past my sliding glass door and there was the mom raccoon and 2 babies lined up side by side lookin in my glass door.

 

[flowerbug]

we used to get raccoons climbing the screens on the patio doors, but now we only have one screen in on one door and they've not taken to climbing that one.

every once in a while they go through and flip over things in the gardens and decorative areas looking for edibles (not the THC kind) and we just put them back where they belong.

 

[flowerbug]

beautiful day today. low 70s and a bit of a breeze. i got out and did some wild grape vine and other weed removal along some of the fence out back. i didn't know there was a tree in there under those vines, but once i got going i saw it. a few hours of that was enough, looks much better now.

loppers will take down pretty much any small sapling or the larger grape vines and the pruners would cut through all the small stuff.

from the size of things i found back there i would say that i did not get any trimming done at all back there last year and perhaps the year before...

also i did not know that raspberries can get taller than the 6ft fence, some were growing up through the grape vines.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

OMG the ground squirrels are digging down the entire side of the house next to the foundation to get under the house for winter.
I’m so frustrated. Tried ammonia, peppermint, mothballs and even tried to drowned them. The Chip and Dale chipmunks are really a nightmare.even up under the roof trim. 2 fav Trees are starting to show serious damage from the gophers removing soil from around the roots. Set traps to catch them. Catch a few that way.
Anyone have any other ideas… HELP.

 

[digitS']

I have been successful in the garden at "making life difficult" for ground squirrels, including the marmots.

My way to do that is to find rocks about the size of the holes they dig and drive them into the those burrows one at a time with a chunk of wood and a sledge hammer – about 5 rocks per hole.

I am aware that these rodents live underground through the Winter months. They can dig. They may well find a way to survive this experience, escape and carry on with their lives somewhere else. They not be welcome there either. Where I have been able to get at these burrows, I have had success, probably in just prompting the residents to move on. And, you should know that I have killed some of these rodents but it may not have been necessary in every case.

Steve
BTW, flooding with a slow trickle from the hose has been successful against voles.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

I have so many holes we are talking the whole foundation along one side of he house. A constant adventure. Not just a few holes. I have tried the rocks and posts they just dig around them and make a big mess.

I guess I’m stuck hosting these critters until they hibernate. I am cutting down the hazelnut trees hoping less food with keep them at bay.

We are at war as usual. I will not give up.

 

[digitS']

Well, my understanding is the local park department ..

. poisons them.

I have dispatched both ground squirrels & marmots with a .22 caliber rifle loaded with "shorts."

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

I am at the point I will hire you and your 22 to shoot them if you see them. But wouldn’t that make more holes in the foundation or around it . Their goal to get under the house for winter.
They are hard to poison . The chipmunks don’t eat the same poison bait for mice and rats. What poison?

I have been known to pour oil in their holes they hate that, and just move to another spot. The oil is from when I change the oil on the tractor.
My neighbor pours gasoline in the holes. Not to sure I want to do that either near the foundation of the house.

I’m still working on the hazelnut trees almost have one cut down. The wood is so incredibly hard it has dulled 2 chains on the chainsaw already.

Mothballs would help if I place them where the cats and dogs can’t get them .
It’s a nightmare, I’ve washed so much soil back into the tunnels and holes next to the foundation of the house I’m surprised the house is still standing.

I appreciate you taking the time to help . Thank you.

I do have a bobcat that frequents the area, so many lil critters all over …moles, voles, chipmunks, snakes -garden , rabbits , and i’ve seen bird feathers from the quail around several areas in the pastures. I just don’t want to meet up with that cat. For now..it’s one day at a time.

Thanks again @digitS'

 

[flowerbug]

rat traps baited with raisins and a bit of peanut butter. make sure the raisin is stuck on the trip pan barb. they are a hazard to set, but effective. the bucket traps with peanut butter on the spinners will also work but you do need to bait them properly. they are not a hazard to set at least.

hardware cloth under a rock mulch will prevent them from putting burrows, but then like any rock mulch once it gets enough dirt and weed seeds then it can start growing weeds and gettiing them out of the rock mulch can be difficult.

we have so many rock piles here that hunting them can be a challenge but i do get a few each season with the air rifle to also keep their population down. there is usually a few running around all the time. i'm most annoyed by them going after the strawberries...