My war with Rodents, Rabbits and Nevada Wildlife (Part 2)

On Monday, I wrote about the rodent determined to get into my garden. I am still not sure what it was, but I have an idea--the Golden Mantle Ground Squirrel (shown above).  Unlike its counterpart, the chipmunk, it doesn’t have any facial stripes.  It is an industrious critter, capable of digging burrows up to 98 feet in length.  Which is probably why the rodent under my deck had the ability to go around everything I put in its path!

Not only did it dig, but the squirrel also disseminated my bed of onions.  They dug every single one out of the ground.  The crop was gone, almost as if one of my neighbors came over and pulled them from their moorings! One day they were there, the next they were gone and the few remaining plants the animals didn’t get the first time, they stole the next!

 
The second problem has been ongoing. This year I installed irrigation in my garden which proved to be a great investment for the high-desert plain I live in.  Surrounding my garden, I have several pine trees, which I water via my garden’s irrigation.  Thanks to thirsty rodents, I have found the lines chewed through, sprinkling areas I did not intend to water. One such piece of quarter inch tubing about eighteen inches in length had over 30 (yes—I said 30) holes in it from the thirsty animals.
How about you?  Do you have a rodent story? I have a feeling the stories of my rodent wars will make an ongoing appearance in my blog.

2 comments:

  1. We live in Golden Valley Az and we have the little squirrels also. And everyone thinks they are a chipmunk. No they are destroyers of all plant, vegetation and anything green and edible. We also have the quails out here and of course the rabbits and jackrabbits. I had my whole veggie garden wiped out. It is now in containers. The squirrels now have decided making tunnels in the yard is the thing to do. Not with the dogs out there...It really does get somewhat heartbreaking but you live and learn how to deal with them little critters. Good Luck

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  2. You've stated my problems perfectly!!!! The fence has helped, but they still find their way in. Ugh!

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