I mowed the Eaton Rapids orchard yesterday. Short grass makes it easier for predators to hunt mice and voles.
All of the baits I placed out were eaten, so I do have lots of rodents. I need to replenish the sets.
The tall, pale-tan grass you see between the trees is primarily Giant Foxtail (Setaria faberi) which is grown as grain (millet) in some places. The birds love it but it is also quite a wind-fall for mice and voles.
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| A quince bush that has not dropped its leaves. |
Gooseberry twigs
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| Ribes cynosbati, presumed to be very resistant to browsing by deer |
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| Hybrid gooseberry, also resistant to deer. Whitetail Deer are like 9 month-old humans and puppies, they explore the world by putting things in their mouths. |
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| Tixia, a "European" gooseberry. Resistance to deer browsing is unknown. |
So you're putting poison out for the rodents but cutting the grass for the predators? Ya' know that stuff kills the predators when they eat the poisoned rodent.
ReplyDeleteLife is messy.
DeleteThe poison is to knock back the rodent population before the snow flies. The biggest loser will be possum which are carrion eaters and they will find dead mice even if they are out of sight. The only risk to raptors is for the brief period when a woozy mouse might go staggering out into the open.
Canines and coons are a bit like possum while felines are more like raptors.