Thanks to all who replied.  The damage first occurred in the nursery which is an 40 foot long by 8 foot wide strip at the the back of my 60 x 120 foot lot.  They dug out a big pot of crocus bulbs so I automatically thought chipmunks.  Then they got a few pots of Spanish Bluebells; again chipmunks for sure, but these are bulbs I don't care much about - I'd only potted them as an afterthought because they came out of a bed I was redoing.

 

But now it's big chunks of soil out of pots of Hosta, Rudbeckia, any random pot. They unpotted my new Epimediums!    There are no organic fertilizers in the pots, just Osmocote.  There can't be any scent drawing them to the pots. Bizarre.  I have 4 big tomato plants which haven't been touched. (I just ate a big red tomato for dinner! Yum!)

 

The corner of the newly made bed that got tossed does have some organic fertilizer.  I use Alfalfa, Rock Phospphate, Sul-po-mag, and yes, a little bit of blood meal, but this was all rototilled into the bed and I didn't take it to the corner.  I am finding other small holes, closer to tennis ball and sometimes golf ball size where some critter tested an area but moved on without going further, some even in the middle of paths.  No odd odors present indicating any specific creature.  I use only pine bark mulch, no cocoa.

 

I do have a small daylily bed next to the house that has been virtually destroyed by chipmunks which I plan to dig out next month and line with chicken wire.  So I know they're here and can cause problems.  But I didn't think they could/would go this bonkers.

 

I have had hawks here before but few and far between.  How do I attract them?  I've been here 25 years and we have only voles, mice, possum, raccoons, chipmunks, and squirrels as far as I have ever seen.  I didn't see a skunk but was told that's probably what I had the once.  I'd like to put the cats out, but I worry about them; they're rescues and haven't been here that long.

 

I don't know if you can tell much from these photos but in the first you can see the corner with soil just tossed everywhere.  My experience has been the chipmunks dig holes and tunnels; they don't rampage.  The second pic shows a smaller havoc.  None of this is true destruction; it just makes a royal mess.

 

Any other thoughts? Sprays? netting? fencing? hire a night watchman?

 

 

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5

----- Original Message -----

From: J*@aol.com

To: p*@hort.net

Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 1:25 PM

Subject: Re: varmints

And for those who don't know, cocoa hull mulch contains theobromine, the substance in chocolate which is so toxic to dogs. It smells like a Hershey chocolate factory for a week or so after being put down and would probably attract lots of animals.

 

Joanie Anderson

 

In a message dated 7/13/2011 1:06:30 P.M. Central Daylight Time, bethperennial@hotmail.com writes:

Donât know what critter... could even be a roaming dog IF you are using organic amendments that contain blood meal, fish emulsion, or other interesting âfoodâ... My dogs made quite a mess of some newly planted pots a few years ago when I added a granulated organic fertilizer at potting time...

 

Beth

Z5 northern MI

From: J*@aol.com

Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:50 AM

To: p*@hort.net

Subject: Re: varmints

 

Hi, Kitty:

 

Woodchuck (ground hogs) can do extreme damage but I'm not sure if they're nocturnal. They love vegies but I haven't had any mess much with perennial foliage. I would think raccoons, skunks and opossums could do any of the pot damage you described. Skunks generally leave a scent wherever they go and can set up housekeeping for a long time even with large dogs around. You may have more than one animal tearing things up.

 

Have you used any cocoa hull mulch or fish emulsion in the pots or bed?

 

I presume this new bed you describe is the same one that had you nearly prostrate after creating it a few weeks ago. Doesn't it just figure it would have to be that one?

 

Wish I could be of more help.

 

Joanie Anderson

 

 

 

In a message dated 7/13/2011 6:15:08 A.M. Central Daylight Time, kmrsy@comcast.net writes:

I've always had indoor-outdoor cats until now and attributed the lack of
garden destruction to them.
Now I have indoor cats that I worry about letting out for fear they mightn't
come back, get lost.

Recently something has been tearing up my nursery pots.  Digging holes and
sometimes completely removing the plants. This morning I found an entire
corner, about 3 sq feet, of a new bed all torn up.  And I noticed mud in the
water dish I leave for a stray cat that sometimes comes by.  That last item
I know could be raccoons.  But raccoons have never gotten into pots or tore
up beds.  I once had a skunk tear up some new plantings looking for grubs
but he moved on after only one night.  Whatever this is it is returning each
night for more destruction.

Any ideas?  What can I do that won't cost me an arm & a leg?

Kitty
neIN, Zone 5

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