Posts Tagged ‘squirrels’
Squirrel – Disturbing Plants
Q: I missed your talk about dealing with squirrels on the radio a week ago. I have a wooded backyard and want to plant some hellebores (Lenten rose) that I have in pots. Every time I put out something the...
Squirrel – Flying
Q: I hear heavy thumps and thuds in my attic in the middle of the night. Also, something seems to be chewing the wood up there. Would raccoons do this? A: It is possible that raccoons have taken up residence...
Squirrel – Control in Garden
Q: My apple and pear trees began to bear last year but I didn’t get a single one. The squirrels got them all! Now that I see the fruit beginning to form, what can I do to protect my crop?...
Impatiens – Problems
Q: I have impatiens planted in a half-barrel. They have begun falling over, just like they were bitten at ground level. Could squirrels do this? A: Squirrels or chipmunks are not the likely culprits. It sound to me like you...
Bats – Attracting
Q: I received a bat house for Christmas (yes, I asked for one). Can you tell me some tips to make it successful or direct me to some information on making my bat house attractive to bats? I live in...
Rodent – Control Outdoors
Q: Do you know of any Internet sites that discuss control of rodents in the yard? A: The key to controlling outdoor rodents like rats, squirrels and chipmunks is to understand carrying capacity and seasonality. Every landscape has the capacity...
Pecan Shells – For Mulch
Q: I have always used pine bark or red oak mulch since I like the dark reddish color. It looks natural to me. I have been seeing pecan shell mulch lately and it really looks good. What do you think...
Tomato – Eaten by Turtle
Q: I have a problem with some creature(s) taking bites from many of my tomatoes. This morning I spotted a turtle about 6-8 inches long resting next to the tomatoes and 3 ripe fruits had been bitten off again. It...
Mothballs – Poisonous
Q: I heard on your radio show that mothballs can be poisonous. I’ve used them and I am just hoping for some clarification: are they poisonous to humans or animals only? Should we be expecting to experience particular symptoms? If...
Squirrel Damage – To Maple Roots
Q: I have a critter ripping, shredding and eating up my sugar maples. It’s becoming a big problem. A: Wow- impressive! I think it’s squirrels looking for water and/or something to eat. The base of a tree around the trunk/root...
Elaeagnus – Fruit
Q: I recently found a shrub with weeping limbs and tasty-looking fruit. I don’t recall ever seeing this before. Isn’t it odd that anything would fruit in late March? A: You’ve found a healthy elaeagnus shrub. A polite common name...
Fox Squirrel – Identification
Q: My mother-in-law finally got a picture of a mysterious creature she has seen several times on their property in Ringgold. I can’t find anything like it when I search for “squirrels” online. She says he is huge! The size...
Tree – Brought Down by Snow
Q: One of our pecan trees was brought down by wet snow this winter. Can we save this tree? A: I don’t have good news. You can already see the broken roots on the “heaved” side of the tree. What’s...
Squirrels – Trapping
Q: We always knew that a tree in our backyard was a fruit tree but we never were able to confirm it since the fruit never matured. The darned squirrels would strip the tree bare before we could figure out...
Peppers- Picking
Q: I am a novice gardener. This year I planted a red bell pepper plant in the spring and I now have three large green peppers. Do I keep them on the vine until they turn red or do I...
Magnolia- Seed pods
Q: Our magnolia tree has beautiful red seed pods on it. Can I plant them to make baby magnolias? A: Get started now before the squirrels beat you to it! First, pick the seeds out of the pod. Remove the...
Japanses maple – Seed pods
Q: I have seed pods on my laceleaf Japanese maple. How do I harvest and grow them? A: Unlike, say, bean seed, Japanese maple seed germinate sporadically over a two year period. Also unlike vegetable seed, maple seed require three...
Black walnuts – Planting
Q: While walking around our neighborhood a few weeks ago, I picked up several black walnut seeds. What’s the best way to plant them? A: Nuts can be planted an inch deep in a small sunny bed in fall. Cover...
