North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Barry Nichols <bnichols@ecotechinc.com>]

Cats are indiscriminate predators that kill millions of non-target animals in 
the US each year alone.  These include the overwhelming majority on an 
orchard that are highly beneficial.  I would not trade those species who help 
keep pest populations in check just in the hopes of targeting a couple of 
other species.  I can do the same by encouraging day and night-hunting 
raptors without the same amount of collateral damage.  Nest boxes, roosts, 
and a rethinking of orchard maintenance/planning would go a long way towards 
enabling/assisting those animals which are already present and not disruptive 
of the system around your orchards.