Community Issues
Wildlife Management
All suburban communities are challenged to strike a balance between homeowners' rights and the humane treatment of the abundant wildlife that multiplies unchecked without natural predators. AGWG's proximity to golf courses, parks, the stream and the Merrifields pond exacerbates the problem for us.
While some homeowners object to efforts aimed at reducing wildlife populations, others are equally intent on protecting their property from the material and esthetic damage inflicted by foraging deer, geese, and other wildlife, such as the enormous flock of vultures that took up residence on Gayfields and Merrifields two years ago.
This section will explore options for maintaining harmony between residents and our furry and winged friends. Submit articles to Admin@agwgcivicassociation.org and include the source and publication date of your information (e.g., personal experience, government agency, academic institution, etc.).
Chemical Deer Repellents
University of Maryland's Cooperative Extension Service offers this advice on their website, www.hgic.umd.edu.Where deer are feeding on garden and landscape plants, you may need to use several approaches for control. Apply repellents such as "deer-Away," "Hinder" or "Ro-Pel" to vulnerable plants. Small deodorant soap bars have been used with some success. Rotate the use of repellents if deer pressure is heavy. See Publications for Sale Bulletin 354 Managing Deer Damage in MD.
Minimize Deer Damage by "Changing It Up"
Kathe McBeth, member of the Gaywood Garden Club, offers a strategy to protect your trees, shrubs and perennials from foraging deer.An organic fertilizer called "Milorganite" can be found in pelletized form in bags near the lawn fertilizer in Home Depot or Lowes. It is the cheapest form of deer protection I've come across, as it is around $12 for a 40 lb bag. I have extensive gardens, and 1/2 to one bag does my entire 1 acre yard.
There are no deer proofing instructions on the bag, but I use a large scoop and sprinkle the Milorganite over and around my shrubs and plants and trees. (If there is a deluge of rain you will need to replace it.) Then 4 weeks later I switch to another alternative, maybe a deer proofing spray, and hit my most tempting plants.
Then at week 6-8 (from the start of the program) I put down the Milorganite again. I alternate throughout the summer between the Milorganite and other spray types so the deer are hit with a new offensive odor every month and do not become conditioned to a particular smell. I cover the overly tempting plants (like garden phlox) with fine black bird nettng to keep the deer off them (they just cannot resist these, no matter what). I walk the yard every few days and check my plants, pull the bird netting up and fluff it so the flowers aren't sticking out, and see if the deer have hit anything.
My damage has been to a minimum the past few years using this method. I've also noticed they don't like things moved around in the yard, like a birdbath or sculpture or scarecrow. The solution seems to be change, no matter what!
Squirrels: Beat'em or Join'em?
Wild Birds Forever presents two approaches to living with squirrels.Let's face it. If you have squirrels in your area, chances are they will assume EVERYTHING you put out is for them. It is a conspiracy of nature! They don't know the difference between your so called bird feeder and the squirrel feeder you want them to use. Bottom line is they will choose to feed where their favorite food is or on the feeder that is most comfortable for their chubby little butts!! Squirrels can be cute and fun to watch until they dominate or even destroy one of your bird feeders! Don't despair and don't lose sleep over these tree rats! Here's some tips on living with these mischievous critters. You have two choices; you can beat 'em or join 'em:
YOU CAN JOIN 'EM
We prefer to join 'em. Research has shown that squirrels are very territorial. When fed continuously away from your bird feeders, they will mark the area as their own and protect it from other squirrels entering the area. A good motto to keep in mind is: A WELL FED SQUIRREL IS A HAPPY SQUIRREL!! Their favorite foods are whole raw peanuts, sunflower seed or whole or cracked corn. In that order! Don't expect them to eat that corn if you have some plump peanuts or sunflowers lying around! Throw these favorite foods into a hanging platform feeder (platform feeders give them plenty of room to sit!) or a specialized squirrel feeder. We would also recommend a great booklet called Enjoying Squirrels More (Or Less)!
OR YOU'RE A FIGHTER, AND WANT TO BEAT 'EM!
You can beat squirrels at their own game, but you need to know a few game rules:
- Squirrels can jump great distances. They can jump 5 to 6 feet straight up from the ground, or from any surrounding surface like a tree or house. Just think how far they can jump if they have a running start!
- Squirrels are problem solvers. You may think you have them beat, but they will work on beating you! Keep in mind you may have to adjust things a little in the beginning. It may take several attempts at getting it right so don't despair at first!
Now that we have those preliminaries out of the way, let's get to work! If you want to keep them off of your existing feeders, you HAVE TO GET THEM OUT OF THEIR REACH! We know this is easier said then done, but you have to make sure they cannot climb, jump or hop onto your feeders in anyway. We always suggest putting 10 feet of air around your feeder. Make sure the feeder is at least 10 feet away from any tree, bush, fence, surface, etc. If this is not possible, try a squirrel baffle. Squirrel baffles are very effective when they are used properly. These devices are smooth cylindrical devices or domes that make it difficult for a squirrel to climb onto your feeder. Squirrel baffles can be hung over your feeder, or mounted on a pole or post under your feeder. But remember! You may have to adjust the positioning at first to really keep the squirrels out!
We've also heard that squirrels are not fond of safflower seed. Try switching to safflower in your bird feeder. There are bird seed and food additives available containing hot pepper. The hot pepper will not bother your birds, but the squirrels don't seem to be too fond of the hot stuff!
How to Overcome Squirrel Problems in the Garden
This advice comes from the Editors of Reader's Digest.Squirrels are canny and resourceful animals. They can run along a taut wire stretched between poles to reach a dangling feeder. They have been seen pulling up hanging feeders with their fore paws while clinging to a limb with their hind feet. They are able to reach inside and open locked doors (a trait that they share with raccoons). They do back flips that carry them around saucerlike guards, dive with unerring accuracy to block the closing doors of baffle feeders before their weight is sensed, and eat seed while a spinning feeder spins. Several squirrels will band together and cooperate, carrying away heavy feed sacks and feeders.
Squirrels and birds coexist only with difficulty. You may see them eating together, with a squirrel on one side of a feeder and birds on the other, but in this case, appearances are misleading. Squirrels eat both eggs and the young of many bird species. When they can grab them, they'll eat the adult birds, too. Some estimates suggest that a single red squirrel may kill between 150 and 250 birds each year.
We may simultaneously admire squirrels for their ingenuity and despise them for outwitting us. However we feel, they're capable of wreaking havoc on a bird garden, its feeders and its bird houses. Squirrels can break into feeders and turn nesting shelves and birdhouses into dens for themselves and their young. They readily chew through plastic and wooden parts with their strong sharp teeth. Stop them by applying metal sheathing around the entrance holes, sides and roofs of your feeders and birdhouses.
If you conclude that, since beating them seems impossible, you may as well give in and feed them, consider this cautionary note: where they have a reliable source of food—as is found in your bird garden—squirrels will take up residence. They may appropriate your attic, garage or shed for their nests. Many homes have burned down or been damaged when squirrels and other rodents ate through electrical and telephone wires, shorting them out. Squirrels also carry fleas and ticks, parasites that host such troubling diseases as bubonic plague and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Prevent squirrels from entering your structures by caulking and blocking or covering all exterior entry holes with hardware cloth guards. Use quarter-inch (6-mm) mesh cloth to exclude rodents from vents leading to attics, basements, crawl spaces and soffits.
Nuisance Geese a Health Hazard, According to CDC
In 2006 Gayfields homeowners may have noticed their neighbors within a block of the pond on Merrifields Drive taking measures to encourage our burgeoning Canada Goose population to relocate to a more rural area. An adult goose consumes as much as four pounds of turf grass daily according to local representatives of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and deposits between one and three pounds of droppings per day on the lawns, driveways, and walkways of homeowners closest to the pond and in favored grazing areas on Merrifields Drive and Morningmist. This concentration of droppings in a small area creates conditions that encourage disease, viruses, bacterial infections, and parasites to thrive, including: Cryptosporidiosis, Giardiasis, Salmonella, E.coli, Influenza A. Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, and Chlamydia ( see research findings posted on Centers for Disease Control Website), all extremely worrisome to homeowners with children, visiting grandkids, pets, or those fearing contamination of their well water.Neighbors lacking a fence or resident dog report that their yards had become largely unusable as a result of goose damage, and that the stench of the droppings in the summertime was unbearable. While the Migratory Bird Treaty Act makes it unlawful to kill, sell, hunt, purchase, or possess geese, or to disturb nests or eggs, both state and local authorities sanction a wide range of hazing techniques to encourage non-migratory geese to relocate, including scaring devices (reflective balloons or tape, effigies, lawn sprinklers, noisemakers), and harassment with hoses, lasers, dogs, and remote control devices. Homeowners are asked not to feed the geese out of consideration for their neighbors closest to the pond. Anyone concerned with the appropriateness of techniques being employed by their neighbors should contact the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Nuisance Wildlife Hotline at 1-877-463-6497 (toll free) or the Montgomery County Animal Services Division, which is charged with protecting the public from nuisance animals (240-773-5925).