More critter wars

[donttread]

I am a gardener although I must admit, it's starting to lose the charm and challenge I have come to love. Too much shade, too small an area, critters galore, fungi for both squash and toms. Despite all that I had a great year in 2019 producing way more produce than I thought possible. But that was the beginning of the end for my now 12-13 year old Square Foot Gardening soil. And this year is not good.
But I still try to defend it from the critters including my nemesis, the gopher. Well different, gophers over the years as well as defending my bird feeder from squirrels and chipmunks .
In fact I took a pause from writing this to go shoot a chippy out of the tree the bird feeder is on. But the other day I almost had my caddy shack nemesis. I've tried live traps, fences, repellants ( some of which appear to attract them, LOL) Tried rat traps to scare them away. None of it works for a whole season. This one so far has mostly stuck to cabbage but last year his grand daddy took to squash as well.
So a few days ago the opportunity arose. There was the little devil digging out a hole under our out building that I had filled. I opened the door and he did not startle. I fired and was sure I'd made a good shot, but no dead or injured wood chuck.
I'm not shooting real rifles here but rather a spring gun, with more pop than the bee bee guns of my youth. So I went out to look and there was the pellet buried in the frame of the building right where he had been. He must of instinctively ducked just as I shot. A few nights later he walked right through my repellant and chewed up a half a cabbage head. So the battle rages on! As I discovered the cabbage an old familiar tune played in my head.
"I'm alright, nobody worry bout me"

[RMNIXON]

[Dr. Who]

I am a gardener although I must admit, it's starting to lose the charm and challenge I have come to love. Too much shade, too small an area, critters galore, fungi for both squash and toms. Despite all that I had a great year in 2019 producing way more produce than I thought possible. But that was the beginning of the end for my now 12-13 year old Square Foot Gardening soil. And this year is not good.
But I still try to defend it from the critters including my nemesis, the gopher. Well different, gophers over the years as well as defending my bird feeder from squirrels and chipmunks .
In fact I took a pause from writing this to go shoot a chippy out of the tree the bird feeder is on. But the other day I almost had my caddy shack nemesis. I've tried live traps, fences, repellants ( some of which appear to attract them, LOL) Tried rat traps to scare them away. None of it works for a whole season. This one so far has mostly stuck to cabbage but last year his grand daddy took to squash as well.
So a few days ago the opportunity arose. There was the little devil digging out a hole under our out building that I had filled. I opened the door and he did not startle. I fired and was sure I'd made a good shot, but no dead or injured wood chuck.
I'm not shooting real rifles here but rather a spring gun, with more pop than the bee bee guns of my youth. So I went out to look and there was the pellet buried in the frame of the building right where he had been. He must of instinctively ducked just as I shot. A few nights later he walked right through my repellant and chewed up a half a cabbage head. So the battle rages on! As I discovered the cabbage an old familiar tune played in my head.
"I'm alright, nobody worry bout me"

Woodchuck defense:


"You may be able to irritate them into leaving by placing colorful beach balls in your garden; woodchucks generally dislike the balls' windblown movement. Or try stuffing ammonia-soaked rags into the entryways of their holes. (The main entryway will have a pile of soil beside it; there should be another entrance about 50 feet away.) The smell should cause them to move on. Another possible odor repellent is fox urine (available at most garden centers). If you encircle your garden with it, woodchucks may sense a predator and seek a safer home.


If you are in search of a permanent solution, fence your garden with chicken wire. Be sure it is buried 12 inches below the ground and extend at least 3 feet above the ground. Leave the top part of the fence unattached to posts so it will bend outward if woodchucks try to climb it. If there are many woodchucks present, add a string of electric fence mounted 4 inches above the ground. You may also choose to grow plants that woodchucks seldom eat. These plants include columbine (Aquilegia), daylily (Hemerocallis), blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora), cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), and marigold (Tagetes)."
How Can I Stop Woodchucks From Eating My Flowers and Plants? | Better Homes & Gardens (bhg.com)