Rodents In The Garden Archives – Strength Of The Small

Wasps Gopher Ground Squirrel Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Garden Surprises

By JM PerezJuly 15, 20203 min read1.1K views

A few weeks ago, I saw a strange young plant growing in a planter next to the Asparagus Fern and let it be out of curiosity. I am not sure how it got there, but I am guessing that it came with the potting mix. The plant flowered today and after researching it, I found out that it is considered an exotic plant.

Asclepias Curassavica also known as Tropical Milkweed, Mexican Milkweed, Scarlet Milkweed, Bloodflower, Swallow-wort, Silkweed is a non-native milkweed grown as an ornamental plant and as a food source for some butterflies. The plant produces showy red and yellow blossoms all summer and into fall. These flowers are followed by spindle-shaped pods which eventually split open to reveal ovate, flat seeds stacked in two rows.

Tropical Milkweed is deer and rabbit resistant. It is self-sowing and can be propagated by seeds and stem cuttings. It attracts butterflies (monarch caterpillars, eastern tiger swallowtails, giant swallowtails, painted ladies, pipevine swallowtails, queens), hummingbirds, wasps, and more.

The warm weather is bringing out various insects. Last weekend, my husband accidentally found a Paper Wasp nest under the eaves of the patio while taking measurements for one of the windows to build a screen. Even though they are not by the entrance and they are beneficial insects, just knowing they are around is a little concerning. What if something sets them off and they suddenly attack?

Unless we can get a professional to safely remove the nest, we will let it be for now. I read somewhere that all but the queen die in Winter, making it the perfect time to get rid of the nest without being stung.

On a positive note, we caught a gopher in the front yard. This one is number 9, the previous one dating back to 2014. For the past couple of years, I was under the impression that they had left the area and we just had to deal with the ground squirrels.

I spotted this one feasting on the tender branches of the Green Feathery Senna through the kitchen window. I immediately asked my husband to set the trap and the next day, the gopher was caught in the trap. There is a sneaky one in the backyard and catching it will require planning and commitment. As for now, I am grateful for one less as it is a relief.

This afternoon I was thrilled to find a present waiting for me in the backyard. Another ground squirrel bit the dust. These rodents are so destructive and persistent.

The presence of rodents in the garden is a pain as you constantly have to check for signs of damage (on plants as well as around building structures). Checking for holes and/or gaps around our property is a weekly chore I have entrusted to my kids and they do it diligently.
Unlike what some people might think, animals are not that picky when is comes to food source; they will eat anything and everything when hungry. Squirrel mothers are extremely protective of their offspring and will risk everything to keep them safe and fed.

I am crossing my fingers for tranquil days ahead in the garden.

Stay safe, stay hydrated and happy gardening.

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By JM Perez

Ground Squirrel Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

Scents of Spring

By JM PerezApril 18, 20203 min read654 views

The Lilacs are blooming and they are exploding with gorgeous clusters of fragrant lavender blossoms.
I got a couple more young plants from my neighbor today. In total I have 10 Lilacs planted in the garden, all of which are Lavender Lady Lilac, as far as I can see from those flowering. I hope to be blessed with a few different varieties from the younger plants.

I love my Periwinkle Creeping Myrtle! They are more creepers than climbers, and I hope I can successfully train them to climb. I am planting a few more on each side of the pergola.

As much as I love my property, I dislike the fact that it attracts squirrels, which I have come to despise. They dig, they chew and they damage everything. Once in a while, like every two years to be precise, a daring squirrel comes along and wreaks havoc in my garden. I don’t mind these little rodents choosing an opened area in the backyard; however, when they decide to burrow right under my drive way, garage, gas line (or anywhere near my home), it becomes an issues. We have spent so much time and money over the years in repellents, patching holes and we might end up redoing our backyard driveway.

There are so many squirrels and rabbits in the neighborhood. Some neighbors thought they were so cute and started feeding them, now they are everywhere. These rodents are fast learners, believe me. They have found ways to go around chicken wires and sometimes will chew through it. Now they stopped eating plants roots. They figured that eating the root would kill the plant, so they dig next to the plants and eat everything, then return when there’s new growth. I was surprised to see walnut seedlings emerging in different locations all over my backyard. Come to find out, this squirrel stashed them all over the place.

I have tried different methods to keep them away from my property and none worked. I pruned branches, protected my containers and garden beds with wire mesh, dug a few inches into the ground to prevent them from gaining access and they just chew through the wood. I have secured the roots of plants using wire mesh, applied a thick layer of mulch, sprinkled coffee ground, cayenne pepper/hot chili pepper.
The Live Animal Trap was useless; they would go in, eat the nuts and exit without triggering it. We set a squirrel trap just to find out that the squirrel dug an exit hole at a different location. This time we used a Macabee Gopher Trap and my husband found an agonizing squirrel the next morning and took care of it. As you can see in the picture above, the squirrel’s left hand got caught in the trap.

The University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources has many articles about managing Pests in gardens and landscapes. You can find the article on ground squirrels here.

I’ve had the Rio Samba Hybrid Tea Tree Rose for over eight years. It was in such a bad state a couple of years ago that I was ready to replace it; and then last Spring it bounced back, stronger and healthier with green leaves and abundant blossoms.

A few days ago, I built a simple fire pit in our backyard. It was always a matter of location for us, and I found just the right spot for it. Most of the retaining wall blocks were a gifts from a neighbor and the rest were purchased from our local Lowe’s store. We stacked them three tiers high, using the existing gravel as the fire pit’s floor. We love the outdoors and I know we will have fun nights, sitting around a fire.

Wishing you all a joyful weekend.

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By JM Perez

Mosquitoes Animals Ground Squirrel Insects

Strong Winds Today

By JM PerezApril 9, 20192 min read930 views

Santa Ana winds are back with a vengeance with gusts as high as 25 mph (and could occasionally gust over 40 mph). Loose dirt and debris are flying out in all directions and not too long a large branch fell from a neighbor’s Elm Tree. The air quality is currently very unhealthy. As for my allergies, I can only pray they do not flare-up. I am hoping we do not have power outages.

It’s been so long, so much that I can’t remember the last time I saw mosquitoes until yesterday. They seem to have made a comeback. I don’t know what attracts them to my yard as I do not have standing water nor have I seen a single breeding ground. The thought of not being able to work out in the yard was so unbearable and my kids can’t stand them; so I sprayed Ortho Home Defense Backyard Mosquito and Bug around the house and they are now all gone. I am also in the process of treating the yard with Mosquito Barrier.

There are strange mushroom popping here and there and I read somewhere that mosquitoes are attracted to their smell. I will look around and get rid of every single one of them.

For the past months, we failed to capture a ground squirrel that burrowed under the garage foundation. We were helpless in front of the potential structural damages and spent money on products which didn’t work (Tomcat® Ready-to-Spray Mole and Gopher Repellent, AMDRO Gopher Gasser, Sweeney’s Poison Peanuts Bait, Squirrel Cage Trap, etc.)

This particular squirrel would spend its nights on our property and spend its days on the property across from ours. We bought AMDRO Mole & Gopher Tunnel Trap and had no success for the first two days as the squirrel just created an opening next to the device. On the third day, which was Sunday, it worked. It was such a nuisance. Good riddance. What a relief!

Now, if we could only capture the gopher which has been destroying the younger trees, everything will be awesome.

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By JM Perez

Reptiles Gopher Spiders High Desert

One Interesting Afternoon

By JM PerezJuly 18, 20142 min read599 views

I have kept busy finishing a few backyard projects and tending to my Gardens.

We finally caught one of the many Pocket Gophers which have been digging holes and leaving mounds of dirt all over my front yard. What a relief! I found a couple of holes at the far end of my backyard and we will be setting another trap.

I found an adult female Black Widow Spider by my front porch and squashed it with my shoe.

According to Wikipedia, female spiders are often 20 times the mass of the males of the same species and produce much more venom than the other sex. Only females are of medical concern, as the shorter, weaker jaws of the males cannot penetrate mammalian skin. The neurotoxin of these spiders is, by volume, considered among the most toxic produced in nature, and by volume is more toxic than most snake venom. It is 15 times more virulent than that of the prairie rattlesnake.

We spent an interesting afternoon at the Mojave Narrows Regional Park. It was our first time there and the kids enjoyed the peaceful sight as we walked around.

While walking around the fishing lake, we saw a fisherman directing a snake away from him. As I freaked out, he told us it was a Gopher Snake and explained that the reptile only goes after rodents, but will bite humans if threatened. I didn’t care about the non venomous bite lecture, I was out of there. He cautioned us to be watchful around the park as the reptiles are out and about around burrows and on trees in search of prey.

Wishing you a beautiful start to your weekend.

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By JM Perez

Ground Squirrel Birds DIY: Projects Flowers Shrubs & Trees Gardening High Desert

DIY: Fruit Tree Deterrent

By JM PerezJune 17, 20141 min read2.1K views

A couple of weeks ago, I urged my husband to do something about the Squirrels digging holes all over my front yard to gain access to the nuts on the Sweet Almond tree. He came up with a very simple, yet functional mechanism to prevent those rodents from climbing up the tree. He created a piece similar to an umbrella shape and/or a funnel shape using materials we already had on hand.

From the pictures you can see how most of the work was done.

Materials/Tools Needed

Zip Ties
Chicken Wire 1 inch spacing
Pliers
Drip Tubing
Compression Reducing Tees

Step by Steps:

He first made a circle around the tree with the tubing making sure he could have the room to place the two support pieces to hold it in place.
After making the ring with the supports he cut strips of chicken wire to wrap around the ring edge and making certain there was no gap between wire and tree trunk.

The effectiveness is similar to the one of the image below.