Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 I live in the Midwest. We have birds that return every year to have babies, which I enjoy a lot. My biggest problem is rabbits. I have a hundred and some perennials they love to chew on each Spring. I have a lot of labor and money invested and tend to get a little irritated a those furry creatures. I purchased a Havahart live trap last fall. I've transported 15 rabbits to a nice park and lake about 12 miles outside of town. As soon as I return home with the empty trap to reset it, there are three more rabbits in the back yard running off in a scamper. I've resorted this year for the first time putting poultry wire around the plants till they get some growth. It's wonderful seeing blooms and knowing they'll still be there tomorrow, but it looks tacky. I'd agree to plant a carrot garden just for the rabbits if they's agree to just eat out of their garden. Can't reason with them, though. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 I live in the Midwest. We have birds that return every year to have babies, which I enjoy a lot. My biggest problem is rabbits. I have a hundred and some perennials they love to chew on each Spring. I have a lot of labor and money invested and tend to get a little irritated a those furry creatures. I purchased a Havahart live trap last fall. I've transported 15 rabbits to a nice park and lake about 12 miles outside of town. As soon as I return home with the empty trap to reset it, there are three more rabbits in the back yard running off in a scamper. I've resorted this year for the first time putting poultry wire around the plants till they get some growth. It's wonderful seeing blooms and knowing they'll still be there tomorrow, but it looks tacky. I'd agree to plant a carrot garden just for the rabbits if they's agree to just eat out of their garden. Can't reason with them, though. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Interesting how our wildlife affects our opinions of them depending where we live. I've stopped feeding the squirrels....the would dig up my pots continually in the spring and I'd have a terrible time getting my garden to survive. When I was young, my parents had a squirrel problem in the attic. My dad got some humane traps and would trap them and take them down by the river to release them...but they always seemed to show back up. He finally started driving them across the river before releasing them. Apparently squirrels are relatively intelligent...seems that removing the shingles first would be evidence of that. Pigeons, I didn't know they would peck through a roof. They roost, don't build nests unless it's time to lay eggs. And even then their nests are just a small pile of twigs and sticks where ever they are roosting. And I honestly didn't know that they lived outside of cities...I sure don't remember ever seeing pigeons when I've not been in the city. In Chicago I think the biggest complaint about pigeons is that they shit every where...there are piles of it under the EL tracks where most city pigeons live. I wash my back porch down regularly with a push broom so don't have that problem. People say they are dirty which is far from the truth. I use a litter box for my bird bath and they get down in there, splash water und their wings, duck their heads under the water and shake themselves dry. It's quite a thing to watch. And pecking through your roof...that's surprising to me because they roost versus nest. And I would think I would have holes in my porch after all these years of living here with the pigeons. But like I said, I don't have other options in my wildlife. I'm sure if I didn't live along the el tracks and had grass and trees, I would feel differently about the creatures I cultivated...although I've come to appreciate the life style of pigeons... Tatezi . My biggest beef with them is that they and the squirrels have the irritating habit of making holes in one's roof. The pidgeons peck them right through solid 1 inch pine board. The squirrels are bright enough to pull the shingles off first. At any rate, I did not appreciate having either squirrels or pidgeons in my attic. Now, this was with two perfectly good trees, a sycamore with knots and a monstrous magnolia, to build nests in. I did not poison them......beyond that I will not go. :-). Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 Interesting how our wildlife affects our opinions of them depending where we live. I've stopped feeding the squirrels....the would dig up my pots continually in the spring and I'd have a terrible time getting my garden to survive. When I was young, my parents had a squirrel problem in the attic. My dad got some humane traps and would trap them and take them down by the river to release them...but they always seemed to show back up. He finally started driving them across the river before releasing them. Apparently squirrels are relatively intelligent...seems that removing the shingles first would be evidence of that. Pigeons, I didn't know they would peck through a roof. They roost, don't build nests unless it's time to lay eggs. And even then their nests are just a small pile of twigs and sticks where ever they are roosting. And I honestly didn't know that they lived outside of cities...I sure don't remember ever seeing pigeons when I've not been in the city. In Chicago I think the biggest complaint about pigeons is that they shit every where...there are piles of it under the EL tracks where most city pigeons live. I wash my back porch down regularly with a push broom so don't have that problem. People say they are dirty which is far from the truth. I use a litter box for my bird bath and they get down in there, splash water und their wings, duck their heads under the water and shake themselves dry. It's quite a thing to watch. And pecking through your roof...that's surprising to me because they roost versus nest. And I would think I would have holes in my porch after all these years of living here with the pigeons. But like I said, I don't have other options in my wildlife. I'm sure if I didn't live along the el tracks and had grass and trees, I would feel differently about the creatures I cultivated...although I've come to appreciate the life style of pigeons... Tatezi . My biggest beef with them is that they and the squirrels have the irritating habit of making holes in one's roof. The pidgeons peck them right through solid 1 inch pine board. The squirrels are bright enough to pull the shingles off first. At any rate, I did not appreciate having either squirrels or pidgeons in my attic. Now, this was with two perfectly good trees, a sycamore with knots and a monstrous magnolia, to build nests in. I did not poison them......beyond that I will not go. :-). Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 In a message dated 5/2/2004 12:52:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tatezi@... writes: ....seems that removing the shingles first would be evidence of that. Wouldn't it though.......:-). Certainly, brighter than we would have preferred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 In a message dated 5/2/2004 12:52:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, tatezi@... writes: ....seems that removing the shingles first would be evidence of that. Wouldn't it though.......:-). Certainly, brighter than we would have preferred. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 2, 2004 Report Share Posted May 2, 2004 In a message dated 5/2/2004 2:13:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time, GWhel@... writes: I live in the Midwest. We have birds that return every year to have babies, which I enjoy a lot. My biggest problem is rabbits. I have a hundred and some perennials they love to chew on each Spring. I have a lot of labor and money invested and tend to get a little irritated a those furry creatures. I purchased a Havahart live trap last fall. I've transported 15 rabbits to a nice park and lake about 12 miles outside of town. As soon as I return home with the empty trap to reset it, there are three more rabbits in the back yard running off in a scamper. I've resorted this year for the first time putting poultry wire around the plants till they get some growth. It's wonderful seeing blooms and knowing they'll still be there tomorrow, but it looks tacky. I'd agree to plant a carrot garden just for the rabbits if they's agree to just eat out of their garden. Can't reason with them, though. Gene Quick suggestion. Plant alternating catnip and mint around your flowers. That will solve your problem. While the above are getting a little size on them, you can put tomato cages around them. That looks tacky, too, but they don't have to stay there long. One word of caution. Mint tends to take over after it gets going, so unless you like mint in your ice tea, or drink mint julips (:-), don't be afraid to thin it next year. Both are perrenials down here, but in the midwest, you may have to replant every year. This will not reduce the vole or mole population one whit. just netted the first drowned rat (vole) of the season. No love lost for those varmints, either. Anne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 HI.Please send your rabbits to Holland because here they become extinct,some virus,not mycimatosis but a very aggressive new virus,it kills them off within 24hrs.willem. Re: Pigeons I live in the Midwest. We have birds that return every year to have babies, which I enjoy a lot. My biggest problem is rabbits. I have a hundred and some perennials they love to chew on each Spring. I have a lot of labor and money invested and tend to get a little irritated a those furry creatures. I purchased a Havahart live trap last fall. I've transported 15 rabbits to a nice park and lake about 12 miles outside of town. As soon as I return home with the empty trap to reset it, there are three more rabbits in the back yard running off in a scamper. I've resorted this year for the first time putting poultry wire around the plants till they get some growth. It's wonderful seeing blooms and knowing they'll still be there tomorrow, but it looks tacky. I'd agree to plant a carrot garden just for the rabbits if they's agree to just eat out of their garden. Can't reason with them, though. Gene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 -----Original Message----- From: Tatezi [mailto:tatezi@...] Interesting how our wildlife affects our opinions of them depending where we live. I've stopped feeding the squirrels....the would dig up my pots continually in the spring and I'd have a terrible time getting my garden to survive. Tatezi- I have the same problem with squirrels digging up the potted plants, sprinkling a cheap brand of black pepper in the pots will take care of the problem. But you have to do it several times every year until the new batch of youngsters (and forgetful oldsters) learns that digging in the pots isn't very pleasant. gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 3, 2004 Report Share Posted May 3, 2004 -----Original Message----- From: GWhel@... [mailto:GWhel@...] My biggest problem is rabbits. I have a hundred and some perennials they love to chew on each Spring. Gene- Perhaps little garden of walking iris would satisfy them. They seem to love them and have wiped all mine out except for a couple of plants, and I used to have a whole bed of them! gail Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 Tatezi, Your comment about not knowing that pigeons lived out of the cities made me think of Leonard Cohen's book " Beautiful Losers " which we were passing around in the '60s (along with viruses). One of the things I remember is several descriptions of huge flocks of pigeons, maybe passenger pigeons, which are extinct now. They lived in the forests of this beautiful country before the Europeans moved in and cut them down. Native Americans included them in a diet of wild game! Maybe the cities are the reservations for the pigeons. Pam in Maine >From: AVansi7465@... >Reply-Hepatitis C >Hepatitis C >Subject: Re: Pigeons >Date: Sun, 2 May 2004 21:29:57 EDT > >In a message dated 5/2/2004 12:52:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >tatezi@... writes: >...seems that removing the shingles first would be evidence of that. >Wouldn't it though.......:-). Certainly, brighter than we would have >preferred. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 Tatezi, Your comment about not knowing that pigeons lived out of the cities made me think of Leonard Cohen's book " Beautiful Losers " which we were passing around in the '60s (along with viruses). One of the things I remember is several descriptions of huge flocks of pigeons, maybe passenger pigeons, which are extinct now. They lived in the forests of this beautiful country before the Europeans moved in and cut them down. Native Americans included them in a diet of wild game! Maybe the cities are the reservations for the pigeons. Pam in Maine >From: AVansi7465@... >Reply-Hepatitis C >Hepatitis C >Subject: Re: Pigeons >Date: Sun, 2 May 2004 21:29:57 EDT > >In a message dated 5/2/2004 12:52:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >tatezi@... writes: >...seems that removing the shingles first would be evidence of that. >Wouldn't it though.......:-). Certainly, brighter than we would have >preferred. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 Maybe cities are refuges for pigeons, but I sorta remember reading that it was the europeans who brought the rock dove (which is what a pigeon really is) to this country. I also remember in more recent times (but haven't heard of it recently through my animal protection organizations) that the Boy Scout organization would trap pigeons in city and every year would take them to PA (don't remember where in PA) and release them and have a pigeon shoot...and it was the kids who did the shooting. No one seems to care about the pigeons and it continues to baffle me. They were homing pigeons during the wars delivering messages to our side. And they can teach us much. They are survivors, they are excellent parents and mate for life, if you ever notice a bunch of pigeons sitting out on wires or edges of buildings they are always separated by enough space that they can turn around without invading their neighbor's space, etc. Oh well, humyns will not change...the general humyn species considers itself to be superior to all other creatures which is why we have so many extinct and endangered creatures. Tatezi, Your comment about not knowing that pigeons lived out of the cities made me think of Leonard Cohen's book " Beautiful Losers " which we were passing around in the '60s (along with viruses). One of the things I remember is several descriptions of huge flocks of pigeons, maybe passenger pigeons, which are extinct now. They lived in the forests of this beautiful country before the Europeans moved in and cut them down. Native Americans included them in a diet of wild game! Maybe the cities are the reservations for the pigeons. Pam in Maine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 Maybe cities are refuges for pigeons, but I sorta remember reading that it was the europeans who brought the rock dove (which is what a pigeon really is) to this country. I also remember in more recent times (but haven't heard of it recently through my animal protection organizations) that the Boy Scout organization would trap pigeons in city and every year would take them to PA (don't remember where in PA) and release them and have a pigeon shoot...and it was the kids who did the shooting. No one seems to care about the pigeons and it continues to baffle me. They were homing pigeons during the wars delivering messages to our side. And they can teach us much. They are survivors, they are excellent parents and mate for life, if you ever notice a bunch of pigeons sitting out on wires or edges of buildings they are always separated by enough space that they can turn around without invading their neighbor's space, etc. Oh well, humyns will not change...the general humyn species considers itself to be superior to all other creatures which is why we have so many extinct and endangered creatures. Tatezi, Your comment about not knowing that pigeons lived out of the cities made me think of Leonard Cohen's book " Beautiful Losers " which we were passing around in the '60s (along with viruses). One of the things I remember is several descriptions of huge flocks of pigeons, maybe passenger pigeons, which are extinct now. They lived in the forests of this beautiful country before the Europeans moved in and cut them down. Native Americans included them in a diet of wild game! Maybe the cities are the reservations for the pigeons. Pam in Maine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 YES>. pigeons live in the country.. LOL.. they love barns.. we had a barnful of them as i grew up... that and swallows and sparrows.. love farm life , i believe.. i want to study birds more in the after life.. He he.. when i have more time , i mean.. he he... Squirrels and rabbits here where i live now, in a city.. silly creatures.. where my folks live .. have beautiful deer that come into the backyard.. fox .. coyote... umm quail.. pheasant, etc... anyway.. i am a country gal ... like all the wildlife talk.. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 YES>. pigeons live in the country.. LOL.. they love barns.. we had a barnful of them as i grew up... that and swallows and sparrows.. love farm life , i believe.. i want to study birds more in the after life.. He he.. when i have more time , i mean.. he he... Squirrels and rabbits here where i live now, in a city.. silly creatures.. where my folks live .. have beautiful deer that come into the backyard.. fox .. coyote... umm quail.. pheasant, etc... anyway.. i am a country gal ... like all the wildlife talk.. Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 Hey , Gene, But the midwest is good.. right? .. would you ever consider moving.. what part of the midwest.. may i ask... curious, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 Hey , Gene, But the midwest is good.. right? .. would you ever consider moving.. what part of the midwest.. may i ask... curious, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 No no no.. pigeons .. are abundant in farming country too... i can testify .. to the ummm droppings.. in the barns.. LOL still laughing, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 5, 2004 Report Share Posted May 5, 2004 No no no.. pigeons .. are abundant in farming country too... i can testify .. to the ummm droppings.. in the barns.. LOL still laughing, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Speaking of barns (wow, my typeface is huge on my end even though it's set to 12 point...let me know how it comes through there because even your typing is huge...this happened once before and it ended up being a patch I'd downloaded from MS) Anyway, speaking of barns, did you know that a family of barn owls will eat approximate 1500 mice in a week. Thought that was an interesting tidbit...learned it when I attended some seminars with a wild bird sanctuary. And when they fly they are completely silent...they have little hairs like eyelashes on the edges of their wings to break the wind so there is no sound when they fly. They flew them in the room at this seminar and you couldn't hear a thing but felt the air move as they flew over your head. Just one of those probably worthless tidbits of info we sometimes store in our heads <g> Re: Pigeons No no no.. pigeons .. are abundant in farming country too... i can testify .. to the ummm droppings.. in the barns.. LOL still laughing, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 Speaking of barns (wow, my typeface is huge on my end even though it's set to 12 point...let me know how it comes through there because even your typing is huge...this happened once before and it ended up being a patch I'd downloaded from MS) Anyway, speaking of barns, did you know that a family of barn owls will eat approximate 1500 mice in a week. Thought that was an interesting tidbit...learned it when I attended some seminars with a wild bird sanctuary. And when they fly they are completely silent...they have little hairs like eyelashes on the edges of their wings to break the wind so there is no sound when they fly. They flew them in the room at this seminar and you couldn't hear a thing but felt the air move as they flew over your head. Just one of those probably worthless tidbits of info we sometimes store in our heads <g> Re: Pigeons No no no.. pigeons .. are abundant in farming country too... i can testify .. to the ummm droppings.. in the barns.. LOL still laughing, Dawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 WOW on the 1500 mice in a week!! hoo hoo hoo hoooooo ! ! I just LOVE owls! And yes -- they are remarkable (and highly accurate). I don't know they're accuracy rate, but I can bet it's almost 100% with what they're equipped with to hunt. You guys are just killing me (in a good good way) talking about birds, animals, cats, dogs, wildlife, etc. (I'm huge fan of all of them and in fact I consider them my " antidepressants " - lol - (I think as Dawn put it). The Barn owl, though (dummy ) doesn't " hoot " . lol. We have, among many other kinds of owls, the Barred owl here, and this time of year (mating season) they sound like a bunch of howling monkeys in a jungle talking back and forth. The sound (if one has never heard them " chime up " ) can sound scary. My Aunt came for a visit this Spring, and when she heard them " doing their thing " (they were just about right over our heads) her eyes got real big, her mouth dropped opened, and she exclaimed " what in the H*** is that! " . LOL -- Good way to begin my day (talking about wildlife). It's refreshing to get my mind off Hep C and its problems, so.... y'all excuse me if I get a bit " enthusiastic " over this OT (off topic). Hope everyone has good day. . In a message dated 5/6/2004 2:49:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, tatezi@... writes: > Speaking of barns (wow, my typeface is huge on my end even though it's set > to 12 point...let me know how it comes through there because even your typing > is huge...this happened once before and it ended up being a patch I'd > downloaded from MS) > > Anyway, speaking of barns, did you know that a family of barn owls will eat > approximate 1500 mice in a week. Thought that was an interesting > tidbit...learned it when I attended some seminars with a wild bird sanctuary. And when > they fly they are completely silent...they have little hairs like eyelashes on > the edges of their wings to break the wind so there is no sound when they > fly. They flew them in the room at this seminar and you couldn't hear a thing > but felt the air move as they flew over your head. > > Just one of those probably worthless tidbits of info we sometimes store in > our heads <g> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 WOW on the 1500 mice in a week!! hoo hoo hoo hoooooo ! ! I just LOVE owls! And yes -- they are remarkable (and highly accurate). I don't know they're accuracy rate, but I can bet it's almost 100% with what they're equipped with to hunt. You guys are just killing me (in a good good way) talking about birds, animals, cats, dogs, wildlife, etc. (I'm huge fan of all of them and in fact I consider them my " antidepressants " - lol - (I think as Dawn put it). The Barn owl, though (dummy ) doesn't " hoot " . lol. We have, among many other kinds of owls, the Barred owl here, and this time of year (mating season) they sound like a bunch of howling monkeys in a jungle talking back and forth. The sound (if one has never heard them " chime up " ) can sound scary. My Aunt came for a visit this Spring, and when she heard them " doing their thing " (they were just about right over our heads) her eyes got real big, her mouth dropped opened, and she exclaimed " what in the H*** is that! " . LOL -- Good way to begin my day (talking about wildlife). It's refreshing to get my mind off Hep C and its problems, so.... y'all excuse me if I get a bit " enthusiastic " over this OT (off topic). Hope everyone has good day. . In a message dated 5/6/2004 2:49:08 AM Eastern Standard Time, tatezi@... writes: > Speaking of barns (wow, my typeface is huge on my end even though it's set > to 12 point...let me know how it comes through there because even your typing > is huge...this happened once before and it ended up being a patch I'd > downloaded from MS) > > Anyway, speaking of barns, did you know that a family of barn owls will eat > approximate 1500 mice in a week. Thought that was an interesting > tidbit...learned it when I attended some seminars with a wild bird sanctuary. And when > they fly they are completely silent...they have little hairs like eyelashes on > the edges of their wings to break the wind so there is no sound when they > fly. They flew them in the room at this seminar and you couldn't hear a thing > but felt the air move as they flew over your head. > > Just one of those probably worthless tidbits of info we sometimes store in > our heads <g> > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 6, 2004 Report Share Posted May 6, 2004 I think they make a sound that's more of a screech ...... not like the " hoo hoo hoo " of a great horned or barred owl. And thoroughbreds? I grew up with horses, and finally -- (my love for them was so intense), I went to KY when I was 17 and worked as an exercise rider. Up at 3 a.m., off by 7 a.m. lol. Hard hard work. Worked at The Kentucky Horse Park and Keenland, too. I miss " My Old Kentucky Home " . Smarty is a good-looking horse, and I hope we have a triple crown winner this year. It's about time! In a message dated 5/6/2004 6:14:01 PM Eastern Standard Time, tatezi@... writes: > And barn owls eyes can rotate almost a full 360 degrees which accounts for > it's accuracy. I learned some wonderful things at the wild bird sanctuary > sessions. I didn't know that the barn own didn't hoot though. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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