North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Thomas Olenio <tolenio@sentex.net>]

Hi,

What are the skunk/possum favors; eating worms (bad), eating grubs (good)?

Then there is the exercise I get bending at the waist and cleaning up each
plant every moring.  I cannot decide if that is good or bad...   3^)

Quite frankly my mulch is wearing thin from the constant movement and I
need to replenish it.

Regards,
Tom

--
Thomas Olenio
Ontario, Hardiness Zone 6a

On Thu, 20 Jul 2000, Kieran or Donna wrote:

> It's probably skunk or possum, which would be doing you a favor.  Or
> squirrel or chipmunk, maybe not doing you any favors.  If in the deep south,
> possibly armadillo, and they tend to get carried away.  Donna
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Thomas Olenio" <tolenio@sentex.net>
> To: <nafex@egroups.com>
> Sent: Thursday, July 20, 2000 9:00 AM
> Subject: [nafex] Nocturnal Diggers?
> 
> 
> >
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I do have a question for you, but doubt whether it has to do with ribes
> > directly.
> >
> > I put in ribes this spring, filling the holes with 50% rotted silage, and
> > mulched them in with 3" of clean straw, and then capped that with some
> > cedar mulch (some only got cedar mulch).
> >
> > With all the rain this season they have done very well.
> >
> > The problem is that some animal is now pawing through the mulch 2 1/2
> > months later, pulling it away from the plants during the night.  As the
> > plants are starting to sucker, I do not want the suckers destroyed.  The
> > pawing looks like very delicate work, and not something as clumsy as a
> > dog's digging.
> >
> > I am in a sub division, but close enough to fields, wooded areas, and a
> > river to hit them with a good stones toss.  So this could be varmit
> > trouble, or could it be a cat?
> >
> > Any ideas on animals that like to paw through mulch?  What would they be
> > looking for?  It does not disturb the soil, just moves the mulch away from
> > the plant.
> >
> > Moth balls are not an effective detterent.
> >
> > I have noted that those only mulched with cedar are not pawed, but those
> > with a straw mulch covered with cedar are.  I have alos noted it is
> > primarily the black currants which get pawed.
> >
> > Since I have a dog, this varmit/pest is not bothered by the scent of a dog
> > in the area, and gets through our casual fencing that keeps the dog in
> > the yard.
> >
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > Small planting of;
> >     Crandall - black currant
> >     Red Lake - red currant
> >     Pixwell - gooseberry
> >     Un-named Red Currant
> >     Un-named Jostaberry
> >
> > Regards, (and thanks in advance)
> > Tom
> > --
> > Thomas Olenio
> > Ontario, Hardiness Zone 6a
> >
> >
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> 
> 
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