by Winding Pathways | Jul 14, 2014 | Flowers/Grasses, Nature, Weeds
Common Ragweed
Late summer is the dreaded hay fever season! Ragweed is the prime culprit.
Two species of ragweed account for most of the misery. Both are annuals that reseed each year. The seeds only need a bit of bare ground to sprout. They are not fussy, thriving in nearly any type of soil.
True to its name, Common (sometimes called Eastern) Ragweed can be found nearly anywhere people live, especially cities. It can be a prostate plant hugging the ground or sidewalk edge or grow to two or three feet tall on the edge of a yard. Giant (sometimes called Western) Ragweed is less common in suburban and urban areas and can grow to upwards of eight feet tall. It’s abundant on the edge of farm fields where it often forms large thickets. In urban areas Giant Ragweed is most likely found in industrial areas and along railroad tracks. Despite their names either species can be found nearly anywhere in North America, where they are a native plant. Unfortunately ragweed has been introduced to Japan.
Giant Ragweed
Ragweed causes human suffering because in late summer plants produce green flowers that release millions of pollen grains to the wind. Allergic people react after breathing in the tiny grains, which can blow for miles from the parent plant.
Goldenrods are frequently blamed for causing hay fever because of an unfortunate coincidence. They bloom during hay fever season. Goldenrod flowers are a bright yellow, designed to attract pollinating insects. They do not release pollen into the air and are unjustly blamed for causing human misery.
Despite causing hay fever, ragweeds have ecological value. They are a pioneer weed that quickly becomes established on bare soil. Roots hold the soil, preventing erosion. Within a few years ragweeds usually vacate the spot as more stable perennials move it. Ragweed seeds are devoured by many bird species such as quail.
As a general rule any plant that produces unshowey flowers is a wind pollinator that could cause human allergies. This includes many grass and tree species as well as ragweed. In contrast plants that produce colorful showy flowers are normally insect pollinated and don’t cause sneezing.
by Winding Pathways | Jul 14, 2014 | Bugs, Nature, Pests
Many people believe that long cold winters freeze ticks to death so abundance of these pests will be lower the following summer. That isn’t always the case. Plenty of ticks survived the frigid 2013/2014 winter and have appeared on pets, wildlife, and people the following spring and summer.
Ticks are more than mere pests. They can carry serious diseases. Several species are common in any given part of the country. Most are larger species that are about the size of a pencil eraser. Less easy to spot are tiny deer ticks that can carry the debilitating Lyme Disease. Sometimes they are so small that people are bitten without even realizing it.
The recreational, inspirational, and exercise benefits of being outdoors are immense, and no one should stay inside for fear of ticks, but everyone should take precautions to reduce odds of being bitten by a tick and catching a nasty disease.
Ticks are arachnids. They have eight legs, rather than an insect’s six. Fortunately, insect repellents also repel ticks, and some special sprays are designed to kill them. Repellents are generally safe to apply to the skin but don’t last long. Tick killing sprays are meant to be applied to clothing, not skin, and tend to remain effective through a few washings. We use a combination of both when outside in areas where we suspect ticks lurk.
After spending time outdoors everyone should conduct a tick check on their body. Although commonly believed, ticks do not drop down on people from overhead branches. They normally cling to a plant and simply step onto a person, dog, or wild animal when it brushes by. Usually a tick will walk around on a person, sometimes for hours, before biting. Ticks found walking on a body pose no health hazard and can be plucked off and flushed down the toilet. Only those ticks that have penetrated the skin pose a health hazard. If a dug in tick is found on the body it’s a good idea to consult a medical authority and follow the advice given.
by Winding Pathways | Jul 14, 2014 | (Sub)Urban Homesteading, Chickens, Garden/Yard, Mammals, Nature, Pests
The charming but pesky chipmunk is an amazing forager and storer of food.
Wildlife sometime create yard mischief. Raccoons, possums, and skunks tip over trash cans in the middle of the night. Chipmunks tunnel under walls, moles heap mounds of dirt. And woodchucks and cottontails raid the garden.
Damage, or perceived damage, often infuriates homeowners. Woodchucks have the uncanny ability to harvest lettuce the day before it is to be picked for an evening salad, and raccoons raid the sweet corn patch the moment ears are ripe. Moles hump up hills of dirt that lawnmowers hit, and skunks mine into the sod for grubs. What’s a homeowner to do?
WHY WILDLIFE CAUSE PROBLEMS
There’s no mystery to it. Wild animals are attracted to yards because they are comfortable places to live or find food. All living creatures need food, shelter and water to live. Yards frequently offer these basic needs all in proximity. Create a beautiful diverse yard and wildlife will enjoy it as much as people. In most cases people love seeing most species of wildlife in their yards, but often agree that they are best enjoyed in moderation.
THREE STEPS TO CONTROL GARDEN WILDLIFE DAMAGE
There are three ways to effectively overcome, or at least minimize, wildlife damage.
Homeowners differ in their strategy on how they weigh the benefits versus problems of wildlife in the yard.
Strategy One: Tolerate damage and enjoy wildlife.
It’s a state of mind that may require attitude adjustment. How important is a perfect lawn or head of cabbage, versus watching a cottontail mom peacefully nurse her babies on the edge of the law? How valuable is the beauty and inspiration gained from seeing chipmunks pack their cheeks with seeds and scamper across the yard versus the tunnels they make in retaining walls? For many people having beautiful and interesting wildlife out the window far outweighs damage they may cause.
We had a friend who grew a tiny garden with a few lettuce plants, a short row of string beans, and one hill of summer squash. When a cottontail devoured them she was incensed and declared war on bunnies. She bought traps but never managed to catch them. She built a fence but the lettuce thieves found their way under it. Her stress level rose as plants disappeared.
We suggested she might rely on simple arithmetic to solve her problem.
“Instead of spending about a hundred bucks on fencing and traps, wouldn’t it be simpler and cheaper to just buy lettuce, squash, and beans at the farmer’s market”, we asked her. She agreed. It took some mental adjustment, but now she buys locally grown vegetables and enjoys watching the cottontails that she once hated.
SOMETIMES IT’S BEST TO JUST IGNORE MINOR DAMAGE AND ENJOY WILDLIFE.
Strategy two. Preventing damage in the first place.
The saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” holds true for wildlife damage. In most cases homeowners can both enjoy wildlife and prevent or greatly reduce damage critters might do. Some simple ways to anticipate and reduce conflict include:
Fencing: Craft fences sturdy enough to keep rabbits and woodchucks out of the garden. Cottontails, for example can jump a long ways horizontally but not high vertically. An inexpensive 18 “ tall temporary fence of chicken wire will keep them out of the garden. Woodchucks are more challenging, as they are expert diggers and climbers. A garden fence needs to extend below the ground to keep them out and needs to be at least three or four feet tall. Watch for more fencing specifics in future editions of Winding Pathways website.
Securing: Store trash cans inside the garage with the door closed to keep raccoons from tipping it over. Better yet, compost food scraps and don’t put anything in the can that will interest wildlife. Composting turns waste into a wonderful resource that improves the soil. Don’t let the trash man cart it away. Some people who prefer not to add meat scraps to the compost bin, feed them to a small flock of chickens or simply put them on the edge of the yard in the evening for the raccoons to devour. No more tipping over the trash can.
PREVENTION IS A KEY
Strategy three: Killing the offending animal.
Often people resort first to killing an animal. However killing a few woodchucks, raccoons, moles, or chipmunks will not solve damage problems. These animals are in the yard because they find perfect conditions there to live. Remove a few and others will move in. Keep killing and you’ve created a wildlife death trap.
Sometimes it is necessary to kill an animal. Upcoming issues of Winding Pathways will feature tips on how to eliminate problem animals.
by Winding Pathways | Jul 14, 2014 | Children/Play, Nature, Wonderment
Kids love huts. Often they’ll spend hours scouring the neighborhood for enough sticks to build one and spend hours inside a hut’s comfortable embrace reading, texting, or just enjoying its privacy.
Temporary huts are easy for a child and parent to build and take down. They are a sure way to encourage kids to spend more time outdoors. Our two children enjoyed many types of huts over the years. Here are some simple hut making suggestions:
A LEAN TO: Making a Lean to is as simple as it sounds. Simply gather sticks three or four feet long and lean them at an angle against a wall, tree, fence or even picnic table. The hut won’t be water tight and will have lots of gaps between sticks, but kids love them. When it’s time to take the hut down the sticks make outstanding wood for a simple backyard camp fire.
A TARP TENT: Hardware stores sell blue or green tarps for a few bucks. Buy one at least six by eight feet. Stretch a rope about three feet above the ground horizontally between two trees, yard furniture, a fence or anything else convenient. Drape the tarp over the rope. Tie short pieces of rope to the corner grommets and pull the tarp until it forms a triangle. Tie the rope off to a bush, fence or yard chair. Anything handy will do. If there’s nothing convenient drive a section of stick into the ground and tie the tent to this peg. That’s it. The hut is ready.
A tarp tent will even shed rain, so kids can enjoy being outdoors during showers.
Even the tarp isn’t absolutely necessary. An old blanket or sheet will work fine but they are harder to attach to the ropes and won’t shed rain. A grommet substitute is to put a small stone an inch in from the corner, shape the fabric around it, and tie it off with a short section of rope. This end of the rope will hold the fabric. The other is attached to a peg or something in the yard.
A CARDBOARD BOX. A big cardboard box also makes a great, if very temporary, hut. Just use a knife to cut a door in the side. Kids play for hours in these make shift structures.
by Winding Pathways | Jul 14, 2014 | Birds, Nature
September is the best time of year to observe one of nature’s most amazing animals. It’s hummer month!
Although several hummingbird species live in the southwest, only the Ruby Throated lives in eastern North America. It is the tiniest of our birds and only reaches three inches long. Hummers nest in suburban trees but aren’t frequently seen in the summer. By early fall local young hummingbirds have fledged and birds that summered in northern states and Canada are passing through on their way south.
Hummingbirds have an amazingly ability to hover as they sip nectar. They prefer tubular flowers, and the best way to attract this bird to a yard is to cultivate a wide array of colorful late summer and fall blooms. Our family loves watching hummers hover near columbine blooms out the kitchen window. They also check out Obedient plant and Crown of Thorns among other domesticated blooms.
Hummingbirds readily sip sugar water from a wide variety of hummingbird feeders on the market. So, putting a feeder outside a kitchen window is likely to attract this tiny bird for your enjoyment. Adding red food coloring is not necessary.
Many people worry that artificially feeding hummingbirds will cause them to linger in Iowa where they may be caught by cold weather. Fortunately, their migration instinct is powerful, and all hummingbirds leave the north before cold weather arrives.
By early October hummers have caught a ride on a strong north wind and are well on their way south. Now is a good time to replace hummingbird feeders with seed feeders for winter birds.
by Winding Pathways | Jul 14, 2014 | Birds, Nature, Pests
Few Americans have heard of Nicholas Pike, even though the result of his work is visible in almost every yard throughout the world.
In 1852 Pike traveled to England for the Brooklyn Institute, purchased sparrows and had them shipped back to New York City. Fifty were released near the Narrows and they soon multiplied to become one of the most numerous birds in North America. They were later introduced to Australia and are common where people live all over the world.
English Sparrows thrive near people. They are at home from the gritty pavement of big cities to the barnyards of most farms. English sparrows live around people and can be found at nearly every bird feeder. They love to dine on pizza crusts and other food debris left in city parks. About the only place they don’t do well is in large prairies and big woodlands where people haven’t modified the land.
Although sparrows are amazingly numerous today, in the late 1800’s they were even more common. Before the advent of cars, cities and towns were crowded with work horses. Sparrows found an abundant food source picking grain from manure and feed hoppers. When autos replaced horses this food source disappeared and sparrow densities dropped.
Many bird lovers hate sparrows for good reason. Messy and noisy, they crowd out native birds and aren’t very colorful. But like most humans they are prolific immigrants from abroad that found a home here and prospered.
