TOPIC: Efforts to save seed producing bed plants...

Hope the mice hit your trap before the squirrels and chipmunks do!

FYI: a \"box\" (remember the old wedge shaped boxes?) A toddler could eat a whole box and not have any ill affects.
I'm not sure how much the little envelopes or the green bars contain.

5prong...

Just a thought on the deer issues. I've used a battery operated electric fense with good results. But, I was thinking, if you didn't want to do that, or didn't want to spend as much money, you might just use electric fence wire without the electric part. Get some 1/2\" rebar for stakes, and some light gauge wire. Just plant the stakes every 20 feet or so, and run the wire at about 10\" intervals around the posts. If you get them about five feet high, most deer will just go around rather than bother with them.

Thanks for the input Brad. Your idea reminded me of another idea that I read somewhere about running strands of monofilament fishing line like what you described at about 10 inch intervals up to about 5 or 6 feet high. I don't know how this would work on a large scale, but am inclined to think that it may work on a small scale area like I'm talking about. I knew that some would get browsed, and actually tried to plant them near some type of obstacle such as lay downs or between a few saplings etc. I have some other large plants that are doing good, but I had 3 of the 6 largest planted between an old fallen log and a wild gooseberry bush. If those plants weren't so tall they would probably have been ok. It wouldn't bother me near as much if they weren't the big ones. In fact I've had several other smaller plants browsed and it really doesn't concern me at all. They will be back next year, and those smaller ones don't yield many berries.

I had some turkeys come through early in the spring and scratch the tops off a few plants too. I'm not sure if those ones will send a top up next spring, but I do think that they have a decent chance of growing a top at some point.

We got some good rain last night... and I checked that bucket trap this morning and had nothing in it but a bug, and a little more water.

I was just sure there would be a berry eater or two floating in the water this morning.

Oh well... just the first night. I will check it again in a day or two.

TNhunter

POC wrote:

FYI: a \"box\" (remember the old wedge shaped boxes?) A toddler could eat a whole box and not have any ill affects.
I'm not sure how much the little envelopes or the green bars contain.

POC, I don't know if you were responding to my comment about the squirrels and chipmunks, or not, but I meant that comment for TNHunter and his bucket trap. Not concerned that it would harm them, I was just thinking more along the lines that the \"bigger\" rodents might clean off all the bait before the mice get around to checking it out.

As far as your \"tube traps,\" I doubt that much more than the mice will even be able to get into those. Maybe a chipmunk, but they'd probably be eating your berries, anyways!

No kchacha, just general information.
And you're right, he might need to put a tunnel on the board to keep the larger rodents out.

Castle, I'd say electric fence wire would be the better way to go and if you have plenty of trees use some stand offs for the wire.

I've had success with life size dummies using pants and a sweat shirt, stuffing them with leaves, then making shoulders with a 4 inch pole, and a vertical stick to tie to and jabbed down into the body. Leave enough sticking up to place a milk jug upside down for the head and staple a cap or hat on top. Swing it from a limb so the wind can rotate it and I'll swear at a distance it looks real. You can also tone the jug down a little with some flat paint. Maybe a rag for hair.
It has been effective for about 100 feet distance. Don't laugh but even urinate on it when you can.

rootman

Good idea about using those standoffs...you would be able to put in a gate...and make the fence as high as you like that way.

Another aspect I remember reading, is that deer have trouble with depth perception..so a fence only four feet tall....laying at a 45 degree angle messes with their heads.

I always found a folded up piece of aluminum foil with peanut butter smashed between and hung over the top hot wire worked well 8)