Re: Mysterious Holes
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Mysterious Holes
- From: D* M* <d*@southconn.com>
- Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 09:12:17 -0700 (MST)
At 07:12 PM 2/10/97 -0700, you wrote:
>Dear Friends on the List,
> We were out checking our iris patch this afternoon and were stumped by
>some unusual holes. They are one half to three quarters inch in diameter
>and are as close as one inch apart. Can anyone tell us what these might
>be? Could we be experiencing moles or voles or insects? Thanks in advance
>for any help on this phenomenon.
> The Rochas
> srocha@pacbell.net
> 66degrees chance of rain in SanDiego
> Zone 9
I have had my own share of mysterious holes in my flower beds for the last
few years and most of mine seem to be the result of my friendly
neighborhood Brown Thrasher (a bird native to the U.S.) For at least an
entire year, I blamed everyone, from neighborhood dogs to squirrels to
extraterrestrials :), for digging unsightly holes (2-3 inches in diameter
and 4-5 inches deep) in my flower beds and spreading my mulch all over the
sidewalks and garden paths. Then while working in the garden one day I
actually spotted the culprit, the Brown Thrasher, making its way through
the flower beds, overturning mulch and digging large holes in its search
for delicious grubs, bugs, and worms. We probably have too many domestic
cats roaming my neighborhood to allow voles to get a foothold, anyway.:)
Once I found out who my dibbler was, I became much more forgiving and
tolerant of the disturbed mulch and soil. I'm hoping that the Thrasher
just loves those Japanese Beetle larvae! Whenever, I'm digging my flower
beds and find large white grubs, I thoughtfully place them on the ground
under the bird feeder for the Towhee, Thrush, and other ground foraging
birds. My birds really love me for it and repay the kindness all year by
eating their share of harmful insects in my garden. Speaking of the birds,
I need to go put out more sunflower seeds for my insect control force. :)
-Donald
Donald Mosser
Member of AIS, HIPS, SIGNA, SSI, SLI, SPCNI, and IRIS-L
dmosser@southconn.com
http://www.geocities.com/rainforest/5570
North Augusta, South Carolina, USA
On the South Carolina and Georgia Border
USDA Zone 7b-8
