meow.

also
too whit too whoo
and
hissssss

Cats go in the not workable category and we have owls and snakes. The rodents like the garden better than owls and snakes do....although I have found a rattlesnake while pulling up spent plants.

We have cats and a few snakes (I'd rather not have, but as long as I don't see them, OK). We also had a dog that took care of ANYTHING that came into the gardens that weren't allowed. He was a wonderful gardener, picked his own Roma tomatoes as pay. He couldn't figure out how to get the zucchinis of the plants tho. He's been gone for about 3-4 years now, and all the critters know it. We didn't train him, he just followed us and watched us 'cuss' the critters. Evidently he picked up on it and went from there. He was a very smart Pit bull/Wolf mix, but very gentle with almost everyone as long as I know. He didn't like my sister.

Marla

What is it they use Hedge Apples for - is it rodents or roaches? There are quite a few old "solutions" but I suspect that they are somewhat less effective than the modern poisons. Your not applying it to the field but setting up bait stations so there is probably some provision in the OMRI about it (they probably want you to live trap them and release them in a safe, protected area).

Tom

I heard Hedge Apples are for spiders, didn't work for me, neither roaches.

Traps and a couple of good mousers has taken care of my 5 year rat/vole/mouse problem. The dog also gets a few critters as well but he does better with larger pests such as coons and turkeys (we have had dogs in the past that were great mousers, both large and medium sized canines). maybe a rat terrier would be the solution.

Rat poisoning will do great harm to the hawks, owls, snakes and other predators that are eating your vermin

Traps in covered boxes work very well. Oh and the trick for traps is to age new ones so they no longer smell like humans-take new traps out of the package and toss them outdoors to weather for 4 to 6 weeks and than they are good to go.

My dog is a good hunter but goes after gophers and does more damage than the gophers do by digging up too many plants. I don't want another dog yet. Small dogs could end up being the hunted by coyotes.

A really good live trap sounds good.I am o.k. with gopher traps and use a few of the "black boxes" everyday. I have messed with other traps for mice and rats end up spending too much time hunting and wanting a better option. The live trap for squirrels did wonders. In a few weeks ...no more squirrels.

The feed store sells a live trap for mice but it looks chintzy ....could be that is works fine and lasts a long time. Today is my market day so I'll ask what other locals are doing...

I also plant much more than I could ever harvest, so a few disappearing isn't TOO bad.

I'm totally organic and believe strongly in putting God's creatures to work for me. The dogs are fabulous rodenators and often present me with a few presents each spring, with or without the heads. Sometimes if they catch one while I'm outside with them, in order to prove which is the better mouse catcher, they'll pull the poor thing apart until each has a section to present to me...

bless their hearts.

I also have a cat. Let me rephrase that, there is a cat who has me as his human who is an awesome rodenator. I've seen him going after mice in the middle of the night, vanquishing them from the surroundings of our property.

Rats don't actually 'exist' here but they will often make the mistake of coming her to 'try' to get to some of the fruits or veg from the garden. It rarely works out in their best interest for long. Between the dogs in the back and the cat in the front...it's a losing battle and they are all caught before summer begins - if they don't get the message ahead of time that it's not worth the effort.

Then there are the o'possums. Yes, I do employ them as well. I enable them to eat just a bit of the cat's kibble and in return they eat every roving, slimy creature who has no place in my garden. As a result, I've not seen a snail or slug for years. Oh sure, every so often they come over from the neighbor's yard, which is also where I suspect the rodents live most of the time, but it's never for long. And yes, in early spring I lose several oranges, peaches, strawberries, nectarines and golden raspberries each year but that's the higher price for being organic - I simply am forced to share a bit of the harvest but never too much as the dogs don't allow the o'possums much flexibility. And the o'possums learn quickly when their brethren don't return home after a night of stealing oranges from my garden.

Julie

Follow-up time.
Dreading the onslaught from rats again and still being against using poison, I sprung for a "ratinator" live trap. I had my doubts, but it caught 3 rats the first night and in two nights got one that passes through my kids tree fort on the way to the garden. This is better than it has ever been for solving this problem. I am going to buy two or three more traps and try to really clean up rats while they are hungry and before tomato and pepper season, which is when they just killed me last year. Also cleaning up all harborage that can be cleaned up. I think there is hope....and about 100 to go.

We killed a lot last year at the end of summer by dumping five gallon buckets of water down old gopher holes and when the rat popped up my dog got it or a shovel did.

One thing I know is, that after the rats are gone mice will move in.....gotta plan for that.

Hopefully we will find less rattlesnakes in the bush beans as a result of getting rid of their prey.