critters in the garden

[isadora]

This one is in the market for a nice quiet home in the deep woods I hope he's the last one. He sure did like my hostas!
Stinky fellow, full of ticks and swarming with flies. Yuk.

Sandy

[Chris_W]

Pat, the poison bait blocks we spread around in the fall are Tomcat brand. It seems to really help, but I forgot about the display garden two years in a row and that got damaged badly over those winters.

The other day I was digging a hosta and as is common these days had to pull off several leaves to make it presentable (from the old frost damage) and I was throwing the leaves on the ground at my feet. Out of the corner of my eye something caught my attention and a small red squirrel was picking up the leaves and running off with them - right at my feet! I plucked off a couple more and he ran up again, but this time he could tell I was watching and stopped a few feet short. I know he really wanted them, and started towards me several times, but eventually ran off and waited a while. Maybe I was blaming the wrong critter all along!

Ground hogs are the worst, and yes, they are very smelly and always covered with ticks. Yuk is right!

[Noreaster]

Chipmunks are EVIL EVIL creatures!!

I have done the bucket method....but the ones I did like that took all afternoon to drown and I ended up having to help them. I trapped a couple and gassed them with WD40...that was faster and the dog has killed one. But they just keep coming!

Wow, that makes me sad to think about an animal suffering like that, even if it's deemed a pest. I have tons of chipmunks and I have to say I've never noticed them to damage any plants in my garden. The worst they do is dig tunnels and eat Suggo,which i'vegiven up on anyway.

[Noreaster]

It doesn't sound too humane, but I'm not sure getting eaten by a cat or eagle is particularly gentle... drowning might not be so bad...

Yeah, I think cats have the edge on evil over the chipmunks. They like to play with their half dead prey. I was working on day at a friends print shop and her cat strolled in and dropped a screaming, bleeding chipmunk at my feet and then proceeded to finish the job in front of my horrified eyes.

Dogs just give their prey a quick death shake and boom- broken neck, instant death.

[Bob Scott]

I've had a half dozen different terrier breeds. They beat a cat hands down for critter control.

[Patrushka]

Thanks Chris. We went to see LucyGoose (at work) yesterday and I bought some. I haven't noticed any activity in the past few days but I think I'll put some down a few of the holes anyway.