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dan_staley

Now it is Mr Fox Not Reading the Labels.

Was out front this morning surveying the new planting area for bunny munching, and I noticed two of my Penstemon 'Husker Red' were all of a sudden very floppy and flattened. I bent down and soil is not dry, no obvious bugs, no chewing...heeeeeyyyy! Fox scat! Ding-dang fox was rolling, marking his territory! WTH?!?

Sigh...

Gonna be an expensive bed at this rate. Good thing some of this bed is from seed. What's the PowerBall jackpot...

Dan

Comments (15)

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    12 years ago

    Sounds like you need to get some literacy programs going in your neighborhood, Dan! LOL!

    I can't believe all the wildlife problems you're having this year! For the fox problem, I bet if you stuck a bunch of 12" bamboo (cooking) skewers halfway into the soil around the new plants---pointy side UP, it would deter the fox until the plants got big enough to take care of themselves.

    On the other hand-----it seems to me that foxes would be a pretty good deterrent to illiterate bunnies!

    If I had to pick between the two, I'd definitely pick the foxes! Foxes would at least be an "intermittent" problem, while the bunnies will be inclined to be permanent residents as long as there's something to chow down on--or until the neighbors come up with a tastier buffet table!

    ;-)
    Skybird

  • digit
    12 years ago

    Cornell University

    I'm not sure how good they smell, tho'!

    digitS'

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    I'm sure if I do punji sticks, I'll get sued as a couple clueless neighbors don't pay attention (or don't care) where their dog walks. Nonetheless, most of the lvs and stalks are popping back up. We must have the snow-in-summer under the 'Husker Red' in that spot. Must.

    Dan

  • Skybird - z5, Denver, Colorado
    12 years ago

    Well, when uninvited animals come onto my property, it's their problem to deal with whatever they might find here! I could go into a whole long rant about uncontrolled "pets," a/k/a irresponsible owners! I spend the whole summer picking up animal poop (mostly cat) off of my front lawn! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

    I'm not surprised your Penstemon is perking back up. A smashing might make it pretty unhappy for a while, but wouldn't too likely do it in. Now an illiterate bunny eating the crown out of it might be a different story! I'm kinda surprised the bunnies don't like the purple greens!

    I don't get the part about the snow-in-summer, Dan! Is it bunny resistant? Fox resistant??? I've never run into a Fox Resistant list! LOL! What's up with the Cerastium? Ah-ha! Just found the site below! It IS on a bunny resistant list! But the way that stuff spreads, aren't you afraid it'll wind up "overtaking" the pretty foliage on your 'Husker Red'?

    The site below indicates some Slug Resistant plants! Never seen that before! Maybe there IS a Fox Resistant list---somewhere!

    Skybird

    Here is a link that might be useful: Wascally Wabbits!

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Our snow-in-summer in the new bed and elsewhere in front is mostly from seed, Skybird, with a couple early-season deals from HD to test bunny resistance. Some of the seed-grown is unnibbled, some nibbled. Some of the purchased plants nibbled, some unnibbled. No pattern. The oldest from the nursery several years ago never eaten.

    Anyway, the s-i-s is the ground cover for part of the old treelawn, and I have the 'Husker Red' growing up through it in one spot for the red over gray contrast - it is OK if it takes over, as the rest of the area can be fought over with thyme and I don't mind if they mingle.

    The 8-y.o. and I went out there to analyze the scat and see if there were any bugs. Quite the expedition.

    Dan

  • dsieber
    12 years ago

    Have you tried wolf urine?

  • david52 Zone 6
    12 years ago

    They've turned on the irrigation here, and last night, I set the water in my Scots Pine / Green Ash / lotsa bushes border for the first irrigation of the season. I've tried to manage this border to have a heavy mulch of pine needles, leaf fall, and what ever else I can add, and now its a good 6" thick, choking out most weeds.

    Anywho, I went out this morning, and the whole layer of mulch where the water had soaked the ground had been tossed around by some animal after some kind of bug - I'm guessing night crawlers? Anyway, what looked like hoof prints, with all the mulch pushed to one side, done by the critters' nose. No idea what it was.

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    No idea what it was.

    Elk/deer and fungus/roots?

    Nonetheless, Mr Fox's scat seems to be an effective deterrent to the marauding bunnies. He did do a number on one of my Penstemon though, not sure of the trade-off outcome yet...

    Dan

  • david52 Zone 6
    12 years ago

    I thought deer, then saw the tracks under some major branches that were only a foot off the ground, can't find any tracks.

    I'm thinkin' alien worm snarfers from Venus. Or the resident feral cat.

  • digit
    12 years ago

    Javelina?

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Puma!

    Dan

  • david52 Zone 6
    12 years ago

    Ok, out there checking again this morning, and a mallard duck flew off.

    There is a very small, one-foot across, open irrigation ditch full of cat tails right across the road, like 20 feet away.

    Which further explains why, 3 years ago, my daughter photographed a mallard duck and ducklings crossing the road by the gate.

    So maybe, the mamma duck is doing this.

  • Dan _Staley (5b Sunset 2B AHS 7)
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Looking for protein.

    Dan

  • billie_ladybug
    12 years ago

    Nesting??

    As far as the fox, I am reading this thinking of the woman who swallowed the fly, oh my! How about if we just skip the others and go right to the horse, of course.

    As far as neighbors critters, I'm guessing my solution won't be allowed in the cities, sorry.

    Billie

  • david52 Zone 6
    12 years ago

    I'm not so sure now that its the duck, because I see the same mulch disruption now everywhere, with the same hoof-like pushing the mulch aside. And there is a distinct 'eau de skunk' odor about.