Some of the BEST pest controllers you can have in your yard are reptiles. Yes, those things that might slither past your feet on the patio are REALLY GOOD for the garden. Lizards, skinks, toads and snakes are all reptiles, animals that are cold-blooded, breathe with lungs, and have dry, scaly skin. One of the …
Fall is a busy time for tree squirrels as they comb their environment for food to store for the winter. While they can be fun to watch, they can also be a real nuisance for bird feeders and the garden in general. They feed on a variety of fruits, nuts, and other crops and plants, …
Or chewing marks on the trunk of your fruit tree? Could be voles. These little rodents, also known as meadow mice, can inflict some serious damage. They have a compact, heavy body, stubby legs, a short-furred tail, small eyes, and partially hidden ears. Their long, coarse fur is blackish brown to grayish brown. When fully …
In the early morning hours, you may see a striking work of art stretching across a doorway or between plants – an orb weaver spider web. Their elaborate, sticky, wheel-shaped webs, measuring up to two feet in diameter, are recreated daily. They eat their web and build a new one! The web extends the spider’s …
Ticks are insects that attach to you or your pets and have the potential to transmit diseases once they start feeding. They cannot jump or fly, but often climb grasses and shrubs in order to come in contact with people or animals walking by. Reduce the ticks in your yard by keeping leaf litter, tall …
Yellowjacket wasps prey on other insects and scavenge on human food and garbage. Yellowjackets defend their nests, as do other social wasps and bees, but are more likely to sting if disturbed while foraging. Learn how to distinguish between yellowjackets, wasps and look-alikes. Stings generally cause pain and short-term injury, but some people suffer severe …
You’ve been carefully tending your tomatoes dreaming of the day that you’ll be able to pick that plump red globe and savor the fruit. But alas, when you go to pick it, you see a big chunk missing, like someone took a bite out of it while on the vine. There are a few possibilities, …
Bats. Their mere mention evokes visions of silent, blood-sucking creatures that haunt the night skies or so the scary movies would have us believe. Centuries of superstition and misinformation have landed the furry, winged mammals with the undeserved reputation of nighttime villain. T’aint so. Overall, bats provide positive benefits to the environment – consuming huge …
Shy and misunderstood, bats are a benefit to the gardener Read More »
Hot, dry and dusty are pretty typical outdoor conditions for this time of year. The last rains were months ago; late summer and early fall often features toasty daytime temperatures with low relative humidity. Most people, plants and animals don’t prefer it, but it’s ideal for pesky spider mites. More than 200 different plant species, …
The pocket gopher is named for the external, fur-lined check pouches the little pests use to carry food to their storage area. These thick-bodied rodents range from six – twelve inches long and have small eyes and ears set back far on the head. Their exposed chisel-like teeth (that grow continuously nine to fourteen inches …
