Deer repellent
Ding, ding. Round 22. So, today the Minion picked up more deer repellent. Not before arguing that we’ve spent thousands of dollars on deer repellent, and plants that they’ve eaten anyway. The argument went something like, “What should I get? I don’t want to keep throwing money away on what doesn’t work!”
Response: Nothing works all the time. The best advice I can round up is that deer become acclimated to pretty much anything over time, so products or tricks must be combined or varied. The last product was Plantskydd Deer Repellent. It looks and smells like blood. I find it completely repulsive, and my horses shied away from the water tank after I applied Plantskydd to a barrel of recently chewed daylilies too near the water. Wear gloves to apply it. It seemed to work for a couple of weeks before it wore off. I only know the effectiveness wanes when I see new deer damage. Then I run to re-apply it. Two major problems are that the spray applicator sticks, making it hard to pump, AND WORSE, my dogs really love it. They are instantly attracted to the smell, licking it, rolling in it……….Yikes.
Today, I sprayed Sweeney’s Deer and Rabbit Repellent. It also smells disgusting, but more like garlic than blood. I’ll keep you posted…
Return of the Western Bluebirds!
The mountain bluebirds have been moving into three of the six nest boxes that we have on the property. Today, I saw the first western bluebirds of the season.
Here are the photos:
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- Male Western Bluebird
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- Male Western Bluebird
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- Female Bluebird
Pygmy nuthatch
The Minion’s research paid off: the holes that the woodpecker drilled in the distressed parts of the tree are now being claimed by another squatter.
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- Pygmy nuthatch moving in
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- Pygmy nuthatch
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- Pygmy nuthatch
April Shoppers
Seems like the housing market in our pasture is pretty active! The mountain bluebirds showed up almost a month ago, and they have claimed at least three of the 6 boxes we set out. They are our first line of defense against emerging bugs, along with the multitude of other birds. They are beautiful and sociable, hopping from fencepost to fencepost along your way, chirping cheerfully.
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- Lookyloo
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- Bluebird nestbox with nesting material
Awaiting the Return of the Foxes!
In a few weeks we will see the return of the foxes! These wonderful creatures keep the skunk and rodent population down in our area. Rodents present the risks of hantavirus, and skunks tend eat the garden, and spray the dogs.
Our neighbors may lose a chicken every now and then to these predators, but they are worth their weight in gold. Here are a few pictures that we have taken in prior years of our furry friends. Foxes often put on an entertaining show that we can view from the back porch.
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- Foxes
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- Foxes Hunting