Posts Tagged ‘birds’
Birds – Attracting
To attract birds at any time of the year, select plants that provide nectar, fruits, berries or nuts. There are many trees and shrubs that offer fruit or berries long into fall and even through winter. The small apples of...
Mahonia – growing
Q: Recently I saw some holly plants with several long bunches of blue berries. A gardener told me they were mahonia holly. I am wondering if I can successfully transplant a few small ones into my red-clay landscape. Are these...
Sunflower – Harvesting Seed
Q: Please tell me how to harvest sun flowers. I would like to have seeds for next year and let the birds have the rest. A: The back of a completely ripe sunflower head is brown and dry, with no...
Millet – Ornamental
Q: I’ve recently purchased two ‘Purple Majesty’ millet plants. I was wondering if this plant comes back true to seed and when to collect the seed. They both have several seed heads on them and the kernels are fat and...
Bird Mites – Control
Q: We have a wren nesting in a fern-filled hanging basket. I take the basket down to water it carefully every few days. Recently when I watered the fern I was suddenly covered with minute lice-like critters crawling on my...
Rat and Mouse – Control
Q: Do you know of any Internet sites that discuss control of rodents? A: The key to controlling outdoor rodents like rats, squirrels and chipmunks is to understand carrying capacity and seasonality. Every landscape has the capacity to support a...
Japanese ligustrum (Wax Leaf Ligustrum) – Identification
Q: This tree was on our lot when we built the house. In winter it has a lot of berries. Any idea what it might be? A: It’s Japanese ligustrum, Ligustrum japonicum. You’re probably very familiar with Chinese ligustrum, Ligustrum...
Mulberry Tree
Q: My friend has a beautiful mulberry tree and has offered to let me take a branch and try to root it. How would I go about doing that? I would love to try to grow a mulberry, especially for...
Cedar Trees – Fence lines
Q: A lot of times I see cedar trees growing on fences lines. Can you tell me why? A: Can you say endozoochorous? Neither can I. But scientists who CAN pronounce the word know that seeds distributed in the feces...
Tent Caterpillar
Q: I recently noticed in the crook of a few of my trees white webs with lots of tiny worms squirming inside. Do you have any idea what this is and what to do about it? A: You undoubtedly have...
Birds – Feeding
Q: Do you have any information on attracting birds to backyards? Types of feeders, food, plants and watering containers are all part of the information I am seeking. A: Birds have the same needs as humans: food, shelter and water....
Birds – Roosting in Trees
Q: What a mess! For some reason, a flock some kind of black bird has chosen one of my Bradford pear trees to roost in. There is a huge mass of droppings under the tree. What can I do? A:...
Sapsucker – I.D and Control
Q: There are lots of small holes in my Bradford pear, making several rings around the trunk. Is this a borer or a bird? A: You are seeing the damage caused by a yellow-bellied sapsucker. This bird is a member...
Geese – Control
Q: I live in a neighborhood with two small lakes. One lake, in particular, has been the home to Canada geese since the inception of our community. The geese are fun to feed, lovely to look at, but they have...
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?...
Chimney Swift – Sounds like Bats in Chimney
Q: I think I have bats in my chimney! Every day when I come in the house from work I hear lots of cheeps and whirring sounds from the fireplace. My children won’t go in the living room. How can...
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...
Woodpecker – Drumming on House
Q: We have a woodpecker pounding holes in our stucco house. What can we do? A: Owners of stucco and cedar-sided homes often report that woodpeckers bang on their exterior walls and gutters. The sharp “rattta – tat – tat”...
