Who Doesn't Like the Water Wiggler and Who Loves Eating My Plants, Who is Digging Holes?
I have a morning routine! I get up and turn on the warmer burner on the stove and pour water in my Bunn Coffee Maker for Hubby's coffee. Then it's out on the deck to check the bird feeders and the water. This morning I looked out and noticed the grape jelly was gone, so I grabbed it from the refrigerator and a spoon, then out on the deck. I filled the little dishes with some jelly. I noticed the sunflower seed level was pretty low and thought I had better bring some up to the feeder. I don't fill it to the top anymore as it's the heaviest bird feeder ever. It is cool looking but the weight, with it completely full, bends the hook it's on and the squirrel already has added extra weight to it!
The Water Wiggler has been on the deck in my heated birdbath for many years. The raccoon, evidently, doesn't like it at all. Not only has the wiggler been pushed out of the birdbath and broken, but this morning, I found the wiggler pushed to the side of the birdbath. I looked and the center piece, that runs by battery, and wiggles the water, was missing. I looked around, and there it was, laying on the deck floor. I picked it up and noticed that one of the little rubber discs, on that part, was missing. Did the raccoon pick it up and decide to eat the little black rubber disc? He removed that whole wiggler part. Why? It just so happens, I had a couple of spare parts, so I had a new wiggler in the drawer. I put it on, so, you will be able to see what it's supposed to look like!
I have one of those cameras to take pictures at night with motion. I have to find it and see if I can find out what visits. We have put the camera out before with no results. We gave up on it! Time to try it again!
Not only problems with the raccoon. How about the deer? I had some lovely Autumn Joy Sedum! Good Grief, they were chewed down to practically nothing! Then my potatoes were trimmed. No leaves left so the stalks died. I dug up the potatoes. I probably would have had some fine ones if the plant hadn't been destroyed. The deer are now working on the tomatoes. I at least got to pick one! The next one was removed, from the plant, had teeth marks and then dropped into the neighboring planter. Guess they just like leaves and stems. My neighbor has had the same problem with them eating her hosta. So far, knock on wood, they have left my tiny hosta plants alone! They are kind of hidden.
Oh, then I find a lovely hole, maybe made by a mole, right near the newly planted Squaw Weed plant. It's a native and I was hoping it would spread around the telephone pole. If the mole digs tunnels under it, they may not survive. Moles don't eat the plants but tunneling under can push them up and out. You won't notice and the plant dies. Have had it happen many times. In fact just this year, was watching the vinca I planted and the begonia and they didn't look well in one spot. Yep, a tunnel under them, pushed them out and they were slowly dying. I re-set them in the ground! Hopefully, they make it, so far so good.
These are my tales of woe this fine morning. I hope your plants are fairing better then mine!
The heavy bird feeder The Water Wiggler (zipper effect is what was taken off and one of those black rubber things missing.
The Autumn Joy Sedum chewed up- one of two plants
Looks big but largest is this one
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