Just as a side matter, what do you think snakes eat besides gardeners? shp Matthew Mattus wrote: > My first posting after joining, and I've been reading this group for a year > now. But THANK GOD I CAN ADMIT THAT WE HAVE A RAT PROBLEM TOO! > > I live in Worcester Massachusetts, and my collection of Camellia's from > Nuccio's, about 20 potted trees, too have been abused by rats and squirrels. > My elderly father, who keeps an apt above the car garages, feeds the birds > obsessively. So we find seed spread around the greenhouses, on benches, on > cut wood that we stack for the firesplaces, everywhere. > > One day, we noticed that we first had many squirrels, but now closer > inspection also told us that many of these we're big brown rats too, eating > with the squirrels. They are buddies. > > I assume that they first came to our place since we had poultry in the > barns. But now that the chickens are all gone, the rats have come closer. I > too noticed that since we breed Irish terriers, well known ratters, that we > never saw any until now, since the dogs are now off at shows in California > for the fall. No wonder out little Margaret zips out back whenever she > can...to hunt! > > The rats have posed a big problem now for us, since, although they stay out > of the greenhouses since they are made of steel and stone, with high > foundations to keep snakes out (my own silly phobia! don't ask!) The rats do > dig through the potted plants out side for the summer, and now come quite > close to the porches of the house. We have stopped feeding the birds except > at select station, that have elaborate squirrel protection designed, but > getting rid of them is still aproblem, since we don't want to use poison. > > The rats have eaten 5 of our biggest Amorphophallus konjac, including two > A. titanum. > > Mice have been a problem in the cold frames, I once counted 14 under one > board. I lost all of our hardy common bulbs last year (tulips, etc, > ornamentals for forcing and gifts) but the mice stay out of the big > greenhouse since it is pretty sealed off. Good thing, since the Nerine > sarniensis collection and cyrtanthus, clivia and South African bulbs are > kept safe. > > This year we are constructing a new Alpine house, and since I designed it to > have louver windows at bench height all around, I am concerned for the > frit's and primulas inside. We'll see. Since we are loading it up for the > autumn today. > > Anyway, now I am not embarrased to admit this little problem with nature. > Rat's don't necessarily mean that you have trash, it just means that they > are finding food and shelter. > > Greetings from Central Massachusetts! > > Matt Mattus > Worcester, Massachusetts USA > USDA Zone 5 > > _______________________________________________ > pbs mailing list > pbs@lists.ibiblio.org > http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php