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