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  • From: Keith Johnson <keithdj@mindspring.com>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [permaculture] PERMACULTURE & RODENTS
  • Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 14:45:51 -0400

Laurence,
Here in Indiana (and much of the south east US) we have, in addition to mice, chipmunks, shrews, and moles, the vole...a sort of short-tailed mouse...which eats the roots of most plants. All of their burrowing and chewing behaviors around woody perennials are reduced by heavily planting narcissus and daffodil within the driplines. All of them are helpful in improving drainage in our heavy clay soils. The shrews are predators on the rest of them. We definitely need more snakes and we're improving their habitat with rocks and brush piles/berms and water features. The steadily growing populations of frogs and toads encourages snakes. Haven't seen rats but I have no doubt that they are around. Cats abound in our neighborhood (we don't have any) but they don't seem to have much effect on rodent numbers. Chipmunks also consume a wide range of garden fruits and veggies.

Another strategy we employ is to plant our woody species with as much coarse gravel around their roots as possible. Many rodents don't like to dig through this material as it tears up their paws, especially if something like pumice is used. The principle gravel available in this region is limestone which cannot be used around blueberries and other acid-loving species.

I haven't seen them nesting in mulch yet.
Keith

Laurence Gaffney wrote:
As the Fruit & Nut Trees we have planted as part of the Implementation of a
Permaculture Design start to commence producing we are finding that Rodents
(mice/rats) have increased their numbers significantly.

Most of the Nuts ( particularly Macadamia & Pistachio) are taken by them
before we get to them. Most of the fruit they seem to like too though we still
get some.
Vegetables also (particularly Pumpkins) are on their menu too.

They seem to like making homes in mulch. We have been told that we have a Snake deficiency; perhaps even an Eagle deficiency also. (We do have both)
We do not have a cat and are not all that keen on getting one
.
The proportion of produce going to Rodents is currently probably about 50/50
but is trending rapidly in their favour.
It is a question of Balance I guess.

Any thoughts out their on:-
1. The role of Rodents in the Permaculture System.
2. Assessment of Ecological Balance.
3. Mitigation.

Laurence Gaffney
Coolish Temperate Australia
--
Keith Johnson
"Be fruitful and mulch apply."
Permaculture Activist Magazine
PO Box 5516, Bloomington, IN 47408
(812) 335-0383
http://www.permacultureactivist.net
Impeachment: It's not just for blowjobs anymore.
Switch to Solar Power the Easy Way
http://www.jointhesolution.com/KeithJ-SunPower
http://www.PowUr.com/KeithJ-SunPower
Blog: http://kjpermaculture.blogspot.com/
also Patterns for Abundance Design & Consulting
http://www.permacultureactivist.net/design/Designconsult.html
also Association for Regenerative Culture
also APPLE-Bloomington (Alliance for a Post-Petroleum Local Economy) It's a
small world after oil.
http://www.relocalize.net/groups/applebloomington
also Bloomington Permaculture Guild




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