Re: RE: Cult-Critters

Hi all,

The Wood Rats, Pocket Gopher's, and Rabbits pretty much leave my Iris
tubers alone, but they do nibble at new leaves in the spring.  My only
other serious warm-blooded yard pest is Deer, and they don't bother the
Iris at all.  Some years, usually about February and March, Range
Catterpillars (a kind of Wooly Bear) will strip my Iris to the ground.
They seem to leave the young flower stalks alone though, and only
occasionally snip one off.

Pocket Gophers dig my Iris up regularly, but I think they are after the
Hyacinth and Tulip bulbs that are in the ground undernieth them.  They
never seem to actually hurt the Iris, they just bury them in big piles of
dirt and leave tunnels all around and under them (sometimes the Iris are
left "hanging" in the tunnels).   I always manage to get the Gopher, but
only after it make a big mess, and there's always another one to take its
place.  The Rabbits are a pain, and I can't do much about them.  I'm on a
serious exclusion campaign, but with little success so far.   The Rats tear
my Cacti to shreds, but aren't worth mentioning for Iris.  They are easy to
catch too, but there are always three more for every one I get.

Gardening is always a battle, but well worth the effort.

Dave

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