…with the porcupine who is trying to demolish our garage. We have tried peaceful, low-tech strategies, to wit:
1. Wrapping the garage post in hardware cloth. He has chewed holes through this, and inflicted major damage.
2. Purchasing and baiting (with yummy salted apple slices) a humane trap, which he has ignored.
3. Threading sprigs of mint through the hardware cloth. This disconcerted him for a couple of nights, but then he returned with a vengeance.
Now my ingenious spouse has rigged up a motion detector that will turn on a radio in the house whenever something or someone approaches the garage. He has oiled and loaded a gun that hasn\’t been used since he killed a pheasant in 1977. Tonight we will watch and wait, and tomorrow I will let you know the outcome.
On a more idyllic note, the baby wrens must have hatched, since there are now two birds rushing in and out of the wren house with tidbits. They (the parents) are so tiny, and they work so hard. And instead of saving precious energy, they twitter every time they perch on the nearby gutter. I wish I could set out some comfort food for them: grits or oatmeal or something. But wrens like a challenge, and the food they bring home has to be wild-caught, and just the right size.
9 Responses
You lead an interesting life close to nature :). I don't remember the last time we were at war with an animal, pest or otherwise.
I am at war with carpenter bees which are attacking my one year old cedar weaving shed! Ack. Am resorting to heavy duty measures tomorrow also.
Viva el cazador del puerco espin. Buen tiro y buena suerte!!
i am loving the porky war! i'm not even sure who i'm rooting for!
We always try diplomacy first, but this time it didn't work.
Oh dear, jaimie, just don't breathe the fumes. Good luck.
We've had major carpenter bees for several years and nothing has deterred them. My friend says to soak rags in rubbing alcohol and stuff it in the holes. Will try this next spring.
And the outcome was? Your readers wait with baited breathe .
I should have mentioned that the porcupine doesn't come every night–or we'd have no garage left at all–so he skipped last night. I'll let you know the minute something happens.