28 replies to this topic

[billynomates666]

Aaaaargh
Woke up this morning to find that a dog/fox/JCB digger has dug the largest dianeter hole i've seen anything dig (about four foot diameter plus spoil) in a garden, and it happens to be in my bog garden.
There were plants and labels everywhere, the perpatrator must have felt the need to roll in the garden aswell as chewing the taller pitchers that wern't uprooted,
I have spent all morning trying to patch it up, but I now have loads and loads of depitchered plants, a random mix of labels that I cant affix to plant because they are now unrecognisable or missing completely and all my cobra seedlings are gone.
I am really really brassed off.
Steve

[Amar]

Oh god....an absolute nightmare. Holy F**...am really sorry for that mess.  

[rob158]

im sorry to hear that, it could have been a fox with a JCB digger   wot? you dont think thats the case  

[James O'Neill]

That's just maddening! I really feel for you.

[Flytyer]

Must have been heartbreaking, really sorry to hear about that  

[billynomates666]

Thanks all for the sympathy. I know its not really a thread but I needed to sound off to someone who would appreciate the enormity of the situation rather than someone who says 'so something dug a hole in your garden, so what'.
Anyway to rub salt into the wound, whatever it was returned last night and dug a thankfully much smaller hole (about 9 inches diameter) in the same patch of medium. I have now put garden canes into the bed at 45 degree angles interlaced with string and wire to put it off, not very attractive, but I hope effective.
Anyone got any suggestions (short of stopping up all night with a shotgun) on how to stop this sort of nuisance.
Steve

[James O'Neill]

First of all, find out what it is. Then you have a direction to go on how to stop it.

[Amar]

I have no idea if these really work..

http://rodentrepelle...c-dog-repeller/
http://ezinearticles...D...&id=4560181

Edited by Amar, 18 October 2010 - 12:47 PM.

[dchasselblad74]

Steve..I experienced this in my bogs outside...Early summer, I walk outside to throw out the garbage and my stomach twisted when I saw pots flipped over Leah Wilkerson pitchers broke and tilted over, Darlingtonia dug out of its pot, Hummers Hammerhead crushed by something literally sitting on it, Dro Filiformis dug out and chewed into pieces, several holes about 5-7 inch diam were dug all over...

Late summer...one evening, I look outside the back porch, to check my plants, and 5 big raccoons by my pond 1 big one right in the middle of one of my bogs...Man! I came out there with a left over construction wood and started hitting them over the head several times, all of them eventually ran off...probably the stupidest thing to do cause Im sure its illegal to hurt wild animals, second they're rabies carrirers and are very viscious...But Man I was so pissed!

To find out...my next door neighbor, an old lady, feeds more than a dozen raccoons every night, and when she doesn't feed them, that's when they go to the  "drivethrough", which is my backyard and order take away, which are my freakin plants...Then too, I've seen huge rats feeding along side these pesky racoons....Now it's war!!

Fortunately, only my Sarracenia Hummers Hammerhead suffered fatal..(died)

[billynomates666]

Thanks guys
James, I guess as the damage occurs only at night that it is probably a fox, though I cant be sure, i read that they dig in damp soil for leather jacket grubs and the like, or even to make a den. I will stay up tonight with a whisky or two, till either the cold or whiskey get too much for me and see if I can spot what it is, I shall also check the fences and close any small holes.

Amar thanks for the links I am investigating further, I have cats so it may prove problematic to use one of these in my own garden, although having said that they would soon learn to stay away from it, if it annoyed them wouldnt they.

Cheers
Steve

[James O'Neill]

If it is good old Vulpes, he shouldn't be too hard to keep out.

[Amar]

billynomates666, on 18th October 2010 - 14:07 PM, said:

Thanks guys
James, I guess as the damage occurs only at night that it is probably a fox, though I cant be sure, i read that they dig in damp soil for leather jacket grubs and the like, or even to make a den. I will stay up tonight with a whisky or two, till either the cold or whiskey get too much for me and see if I can spot what it is, I shall also check the fences and close any small holes.

Amar thanks for the links I am investigating further, I have cats so it may prove problematic to use one of these in my own garden, although having said that they would soon learn to stay away from it, if it annoyed them wouldnt they.

Cheers
Steve

Steve, I hope it will be a whisky, and not a whiskey. Big difference.  

[rob158]

you could try puting neting over it,

[dchasselblad74]

Amar, on 18th October 2010 - 14:45 PM, said:

Steve, I hope it will be a whisky, and not a whiskey. Big difference.  

Whisky is single malt? or whats the difference again amar....?

[Amar]

dchasselblad74, on 18th October 2010 - 15:14 PM, said:

Whisky is single malt? or whats the difference again amar....?

Whisky is the product made in Scotland (the only real whisky.. ) or in Canada.
Whiskey is the product made in USA and in Ireland.

Edited by Amar, 18 October 2010 - 14:15 PM.

[dchasselblad74]

Got it......

[billynomates666]

Hi Rob

Its an idea I could do that, but I prefer to keep netting, fences and that sort of thing away as much as possible as it does detract from 'natural' (well as natural as having a conglomeration of plants together in one place that wouldn't really exist in nature) look of the garden and indeed the plants themselves.

I'll see tonight hopefully what I'm up against and as James says, if its a fox I should be able to sort it, if not chicken wire netting or a fence (electric?) it is.

[dchasselblad74]

billynomates666, on 18th October 2010 - 15:22 PM, said:

Hi Rob

Its an idea I could do that, but I prefer to keep netting, fences and that sort of thing away as much as possible as it does detract from 'natural' (well as natural as having a conglomeration of plants together in one place that wouldn't really exist in nature) look of the garden and indeed the plants themselves.

I for one agree to this....I prefer the natural look..

[billynomates666]

Amar, on 18th October 2010 - 15:45 PM, said:

Steve, I hope it will be a whisky, and not a whiskey. Big difference.  

Ahhh Amar I'n not too partisan in my indulgence with amber fluid, whilst I appreciate the smokey, peaty single and double malts of Scotland I can still drink with a different, but equal admiration the thrice distilled Jamesons and Bushmills, after all the Scots did learn distillation I believe from the Irish.
Cheers
Steve

[Amar]

billynomates666, on 18th October 2010 - 16:12 PM, said:

Ahhh Amar I'n not too partisan in my indulgence with amber fluid, whilst I appreciate the smokey, peaty single and double malts of Scotland I can still drink with a different, but equal admiration the thrice distilled Jamesons and Bushmills, after all the Scots did learn distillation I believe from the Irish.
Cheers
Steve

Yes, they did perfect it.  

So, no Four Roses or Jack Daniels for you then? Good man.