What the....... ??? ANGRY!!!

Discussion in 'Flower Gardening' started by Ronni, Oct 22, 2016.

  1. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Look at this!! LOOK AT THIS MESS! :eek:

    I have no idea what's happening, but some...THING is digging into all my container plants on the back porch at Ed's house. What the hell??? :mad:

    We managed to get through the entire Spring, and the Summer, with zero problems...didn't even know there COULD be this kind of a problem! And then suddenly, from one night to the next, some critter decided that my porch plants were just the perfect thing to dig into and make huge messes with.

    Ed suggested it was maybe squirrels burying their nuts and such. I've dug around in the dirt, but I can't find anything buried. And it doesn't look like they're actually eating any of the plants, or roots, that they've unearthed. They're just.....digging!

    Thinking back, I noticed a few signs of the digging earlier on....just occasional disturbances of the dirt which I ignored, just didn't really pay attention to as any kind of actual problem. But it's really ramped up this last week.

    I am SO annoyed! :mad:

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    What do I do??? How do I stop this from happening?
     
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  2. toni

    toni Mistress of Garden Junque Staff Member Moderator Plants Contributor

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    I am with Ed, that looks like squirrels have been looking for nuts. Not necessarily burying them, they apparently do not remember where they put them (other wise I would not have to pull up dozens of baby trees each Spring) and they dig in any dirt they can find in hopes of finding a nut one of the other squirrels planted.

    There are some squirrel repelant sprays you might have luck with it sprayed around the pots and maybe on the soil surface.

    Could also be possums, they root around in dirt looking for grubs and they don't care if the dirt is in the ground or in pots.
    See if your city animal shelter loans out traps, set one out baited with a can of cat food and see if you catch something during the night. Animal control will usually come pick up what you catch and release it away from town.
     
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  3. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Were these pots all sitting on the ground ? Or were some on a table or such ?
     
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  4. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    That first pic on the ground, 2nd pic on a chair, third pic on the coffee table and last pic on a small bookshelf that we use as a plant stand.

    I remember some years ago, living with my best friend, and she had a huge problem with deer eating her plants..huge hostas nibbled down to nubs, other plants eaten fully away. She used moth balls....jsut sprinkled them around, and that completely solved the problem. Would doing something like that deter these little sh.... er, critters?
     
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  5. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Well,, I do not think it would be possums,, while they can climb, they would need a step stool to get to the table top. They can not jump or climb on anything slick. If you have a cloth on the table top they might though. Now squirrels can go anywhere they want. And this time of year they are busier than usual. I would try the moth balls,,Can`t hurt and they do work sometimes. Are there large trees close to the house ? You might want to check and make sure there is no where they can get into the attic or crawl space.
     
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  6. 2ofus

    2ofus Hardy Maple

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    Oh, your poor flowers! That is a heck of a mess and I hope they didn't damage your flowers too much with all the digging and you can fill in the holes.
     
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  7. LIcenter

    LIcenter In Flower

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    I'm gonna say squirrels also. This time of year I see them everyday rooting around in my pots. All my pots are annuals, so it really never upset me. Now all those little holes in my lawn? I count to ten, cause what are you gonna do. As long as they stay out of my house, and not chew through my roof like last year, all's fare in the nature world.
     
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  8. Cayuga Morning

    Cayuga Morning Strong Ash Plants Contributor

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    Hi Ronnie, I'll second third or fourth squirrels. They can be little devils! Every time I plant a new plant, they sure enough upend it in their quest for ???? who knows what. During the growing season I have just assumed they were curious. I think they smell turned over soil & want to check out what is there.

    Good luck with your plants. Glad they did not eat them. Dried blood works & is more environmentally friendly. I think mothballs are actually surprisingly strong insecticides controlled by the EPA.
     
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  9. purpleinopp

    purpleinopp Young Pine Plants Contributor

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    You can use toothpicks or plastic forks (stuck in the dirt handle-first with the tines sticking up,) pine cones, bits of thorny rose bushes, whatever you have handy that would make it too uncomfortable for little critter feet to step into & find a place to dig in pots.
     
  10. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Well, before I read the additional replies, I went and got some mothballs and sprinkled them around in the pots. Apparently, so far so good! Ed says that he hasn't seen any squirrels, or dirt on the ground, since I did that....though he insists it's more the fact that he commanded the cat, Serena, to stand guard, and he says she's been doing a masterful job!

    image.jpeg

    She's a sweet cat. Pretty too. Here's a better shot.
    image.jpeg
     
  11. Philip Nulty

    Philip Nulty Strong Ash

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    Oh Boy,..what a mess,..strange that i have the same problem over here this week,..in my case i know its Blackbirds and Thrushes because thankfully there are no Squirrel's about in the locality.
     
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  12. Ronni

    Ronni Hardy Maple

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    Well, when I went over to Ed's last night, all the pots, save one, were intact. Don't know what the appeal is to the one, they all had mothballs sprinkled in them.

    So I took this suggestion, and planted some forks! :D Let's see what happens now!
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  13. purpleinopp

    purpleinopp Young Pine Plants Contributor

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    Looks forking safe now! LOL! Please investigate moth balls. They are quite toxic.
     
  14. mart

    mart Strong Ash

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    Let me know if they grow !
     
  15. LIcenter

    LIcenter In Flower

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    A true gardener,even planted them right side up. :p
     
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