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I'm very annoyed
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Posted by goldhills via Gympie, Qld (My Page) on Mon, Mar 20, 06 at 22:50
| My chooks will be getting sick of eating pumpkins soon. So far they have had at least 6 large ones. This has been the best pumpkin crop I've had for years, the vines are still flowering and growing strongly, and no powdery mildew but something is eating the pumpkins. Most of the pumpkins are nearly ready for picking, I have actually been using the riper ones, but over the last couple of weeks I've been finding large holes eaten out and the fruit rotten. I suspect rats. I've also lost some gourds and luffas as well the same way. It is so disappointing as I was hoping to have enough to last us until next year but the way it's going I won't. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: I'm very annoyed
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- Posted by popi NSW Aust (My Page) on
Tue, Mar 21, 06 at 1:22
| Hi Goldhills Do you cook the pumpkin before you give it to Miss Chook ? Cant think of a native animal that would chew into a pumpkin skin. Could be rats, I had that problem when I had chooks. Popi |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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- Posted by liatris FraserCoast,Qld (My Page) on
Tue, Mar 21, 06 at 16:01
| Oh, GH, how disappointing for you! It does sound a lot like rats - there's no way to fence the pumpkin patch temporarily is there? |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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| maybe possums - our local possums seem to like anything that grows fruit |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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| Would the puppies go on critter watch? |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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- Posted by dnnaa Illawarra NSW (My Page) on
Tue, Mar 21, 06 at 20:19
| Couldn't be yowies. They don't eat pumpkins. They throw them at passing cars instead. Good shots too. You should see 'em go for Mr Whippy vans 'round my place. I think its that music - sends 'em balistic. |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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| Popi, no I don't cook the pumpkins, by the time I find them they are usually half rotten & smelly - no way they're coming in the house to be cooked :) I'm fairly sure it's rats as the pumpkins look like they have gnaw marks around the hole. Pam, the area the pumpkins are in would be awkward to fence, it is in the house yard which is fenced. I don't know how you would stop rats with a fence anyway, probably have to make a little wire cage for each pumpkin fruit but that could be difficult with the ones hanging from the fence. Possums were my next choice but it looks more like rat damage. Rose, I think it happens at night when the dogs are locked up. I should leave one of them out as she is a good ratter but she is also an escape artist and would probably jump the fence (or eat her way through if she was desperate) and spend all night down at the dam (she loves water). dnaa, can you send up a yowie or 2 for rat patrol, we don't have Mr Whippy vans around here so they won't be distracted? Actually my cat's name is Yowie but only because that's what one of my kids used to call all cats - Meowie then shortened to Yowie. |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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- Posted by wfike 8, Atlanta, Ga. (My Page) on
Mon, Apr 10, 06 at 10:14
| I am in the US and I have the same problem with my watermelons and punkins. I found them being attacked one day by crows. They peck a small hole and keep making it bigger and bigger. It will be 4 or 5 in. in just a few hours. Hang a dead crow by his wing in the area of the patch if they are your problem and they will not come back. |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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| Would it be worth baiting the rats? Rat baits these days are generally not toxic to other animals, unless they get a really big dose. I think they are based on blood thinners and work because of a peculiarity of the rats' system that cause them to bleed internally when their blood is thin. It might thin the population down and at least reduce the damage to your garden. We've put them out in the shed and the cats have never eaten any of the baits, but i don't know about puppies. You could test them I suppose. |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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Warfarin is not a rat specific poison hilljill. It reduces clotting in all warm blooded animals, including humans. It causes bleeding in rats, and if your dog or cat eats dead rats or accesses the poison they can die quite rapidly by bleeding internally. You don't often know it is happening until it's too late. Dogs are notorious for eating anything and everything. Cats are a lot fussier, but they may be eating the dead rats and the clotting ability of their blood cells may gradually be decreasing.
I would not recommend anyone try putting it out to see if their dogs eat it.
Incidentally warfarin is used in humans medicinally to thin the blood in very low doses. |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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- Posted by louise5 hunter valley n (My Page) on
Tue, Apr 11, 06 at 5:55
I've heard an old farmers rodent bait that is safe for dogs, cats etc ---- DEB potato flakes - the idea is to place the dry potato flakes in a small dish, the rodents are attracted to it, eat it and then they get thirsty and the potato flakes swell up. Because of the size difference it doesn't affect cats, dogs if they eat it. Also if a cat eats a mouse that has eaten the bait - it gets its meat and potatoes in one meal === Only joking. The farmers who told me about it reckons that it's the only good use for Deb potato.
Good Luck Louise5 |
RE: I'm very annoyed
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- Posted by popi NSW Aust (My Page) on
Tue, Apr 11, 06 at 22:41
| My neighbour bought a rat trap, and used it in his vege garden. He caught a huge rat. Might be a good idea to have a go with a trap, if you dont want to use poison. The Deb story sounds good ! |
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