Saturday Gardening Thread: You brought visitors, deer? [KT]

Andy sent in a suggestion for a thread on deer resistant gardening. Timely. There are news reports about a new tick-borne disease. In addition to Lyme disease. More deer, more ticks, more disease especially this year, in the Northeast. Be prepared to inspect your dogs and your loved ones for ticks after visiting areas frequented by deer.

We have discussed some deer-resistant plants. Deer-resistance may be regional and relative, except in the case of the most poisonous plants. We have also discussed ways to keep deer out of the garden, like bird netting, prison-style fences and predator urine. What has worked for you?

Create a deer-resistant garden

This reminds me that I forgot to mention last week that Valerian and Red Valerian (Keys of Heaven) are both noted for deer-resistance.

The Morton Arboretum in Illinois has a nice list of deer-resistant trees, shrubs, perennials and herbs. Many of them are native plants.

Prairie Coreopsis for the Garden

Illiniwek's problem with deer eating his plants sent me looking into some natives that might work out near, but not necessarily on his pond. Lance-leaf Coreopsis is a tough plant, noted for drought resistance, deer resistance and rabbit resistance. It blooms in late spring and summer. Butterflies visit the flowers and birds enjoy the seeds. You can buy seed by the pound if you are establishing a really big meadow.

Sterntaler is a compact garden selection with bronze markings at the base of the petals. It is reputed to do well in full sun at pond-side, as well as in drier locations. But it blooms earlier than Illiniwek's pondside plants. It is robust and long-blooming if dead-headed.

C. lanceolata, native form and 'Sterntaler'

Large-flowered Coreopsis is similar. It is also common in Illinois. There are several garden selections and hybrids of this species on the market. With more under development. Nice summary at the link. C. verticellata is one of the toughest and most drought-tolerant kinds despite its delicate appearance. C. rosea adds pink to hybrids. It needs more water.

Annual Coreopsis (C. tinctoria) has a long bloom season. I like the ones with dark eyes. It is also known as Golden Tickseed or Calliopsis. Takes drought.

Here's a page from a wholesale nursery that gives you some idea of what's new in Coreopsis breeding, including both annuals and perennials. There are self-cleaning annuals, new verticellata hybrids in yellow, rose, red or bicolors and hardy perennials in a wide range of colors.

Photos from The Horde

A while ago, Kindltot sent in photos of blossoms from two trees (sometimes shrubs) that may need some protection from hungry deer. The first is Pacific Dogwood, which is reportedly bitter enough to deter deer unless they are really hungry. Nice against evergreen trees.

Dogwoods vary in their deer-resistance. Red Twig Dogwood (think "Winter Interest") has a reputation for deer resistance.

The second of Kindltot's photos is of a feral crabapple. Lovely. Apples of all kinds need protection from deer. On a family campout at Capitol Reef National Monument, the local (rather small) deer came into the pioneer orchards (left in the monument for historical reasons) at dawn and dusk. Branches on the apple trees started above deer level. Some people would bend branches down so the deer could browse on them, but risked being butted if they stopped.

Gardens of The Horde

Here in the San Joaquin Valley, we have had unusually cool weather following a couple of days above the century mark. It's in the 60s now. Weird. Flooding has started in Yosemite National Park. Hope the cool weather keeps flooding from extending to the Valley.

Anything interesting going on in your garden?

Tomorrow is Mothers Day

Sending Mom flowers? Helping a kid pick flowers out of the garden for Mom?

Thought about making Mom some honeysuckle ice cream? It would be a labor of love. BignJames posted a recipe on last Sunday's Food Thread. "Honeysuckle is nearly bloomed out here, so I missed my chance this year. I'm determined to make it next year....it's mabe the most....delicate?...thing I've ever tasted."

Sounds fantastic. I was surprised to learn that Honeysuckle Ice Cream is a thing. There is also Honeysuckle Sorbet. Could be rewards for tearing out invasive Japanese Honeysuckle, which is the kind used for these delicacies.

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at g mail dot com

Include your nic unless you want to be a lurker.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 12:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 First?

Posted by: Swodog at May 13, 2017 12:25 PM (am2jy)

2 peppermint?

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:25 PM (WTSFk)

3 Turning them into tasty snacks works in our neck of the woods

Posted by: Swodog at May 13, 2017 12:26 PM (am2jy)

4 winchester?

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:29 PM (WTSFk)

5 uzi?

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:29 PM (WTSFk)

6 In Fl, Fish and Wildlife will issue depredation tags if they are working your garden over AND you have clear shooting lanes.

Posted by: Swodog at May 13, 2017 12:30 PM (am2jy)

7 rpg?

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:31 PM (WTSFk)

8 Any thoughts on keeping deer out of the peppers and tomatoes? I've tried "deer scram" but that only works until the rain washes it away. A small fence to keep the deer out would likely keep me out as well since I can be incredibly lazy when it gets over 100F.

Posted by: gingeroni at May 13, 2017 12:32 PM (GIqnq)

9 patriot sam?

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:32 PM (WTSFk)

10 Cursed be the ground for our sake. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for us. For out of the ground we were taken, for the dust we are...and to the dust we shall return.

Posted by: Insomniac, Lord Hurlingbone, Earl of Melancholy at May 13, 2017 12:33 PM (0mRoj)

11 I hate ticks. Saw a big fat one in a neighbor's yard last week. But it was not a deer tick. Fortunately.

Ticks and mosquitos are two critters I could do without in the world.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:34 PM (qahv/)

12 Hunting season does a good job of keeping deer out of one's garden.

Posted by: jim at May 13, 2017 12:34 PM (gjGvH)

13 Any suggestions on how to stop deer standing on their hind legs leaning their head into the birdfeeder and slurping out the sunflower seeds? They keep wrecking the feeder. It's on top of a 5 foot pole with a squirrel baffle.

Posted by: DaveA at May 13, 2017 12:35 PM (FhXTo)

14 Put the bird feeder higher up?

Posted by: jim at May 13, 2017 12:36 PM (gjGvH)

15 gingeroni at May 13, 2017 12:32 PM

A small fence wouldn't keep deer out anyway. Hope somebody has an idea for you.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:36 PM (qahv/)

16 dyk dept.: did you know that the duke and duchess of devonshire regularly join their household staff on litter pick-up at chatsworth? yes. that's them in their barbours picking up tin cans and wrappers.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:37 PM (WTSFk)

17 DaveA at May 13, 2017 12:35 PM

That's a new one on me. Not surprising that they like bird feeders, though.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:39 PM (qahv/)

18
I hate those f'ing deer. Anyway, my wife read that they need a 3 sq foot place to jump from and land. So in our fenced veggie garden I have various pots, windmills, etc and although they get in the yard, they have not ever jumped into that garden. As for the open yard space we have resigned ourselves to deer resistant flowers. I have never found any of the consumer products to work on those bastards.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at May 13, 2017 12:40 PM (ODxAs)

19 musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:37 PM

Just like regular folks taking care of the yard. Heh.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:41 PM (qahv/)

20 Living in the city deters most deer, but not all. Having Hmong neighbors takes care of the rest. They are not known for letting good protein walk past unharvested.

As fer ticks, I live very close to ground zero for tick-borne disease. And I managed to camp in ground zero a few years back, and got Lyme, and perhaps another. It was not pleasant for a couple of weeks.

Posted by: Gordon at May 13, 2017 12:43 PM (wtd2Z)

21 Guy Mohawk at May 13, 2017 12:40 PM

Great information. How tall is the fence around your veggie garden?

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:43 PM (qahv/)

22 I have never found any of the consumer products to work on those bastards.
Posted by: Guy Mohawk at May 13, 2017 12:40 PM (ODxAs)

Remington 700.

Posted by: Insomniac, Lord Hurlingbone, Earl of Melancholy at May 13, 2017 12:44 PM (0mRoj)

23 I really like coreopsis. Take a look at the links on hybrid forms. I was surprised at what is now available. I haven't seen some of those out in the marketplace.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:45 PM (qahv/)

24 19: yup. they also have a heckuva garden and farm they've turned into a profitable produce market.

i don't know what they do about deer, tho.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at May 13, 2017 12:46 PM (WTSFk)

25 I have friends who live in the wooded part of Eden Prairie, MN. There's probably at least a hundred deer living in there. One night we're on his deck, and hear a crunching sound. 30 feet away a doe is munching apples off his tree. She got her fill, and sauntered past us, giving us a "how're you doin'" look. They can only garden on the elevated deck.

Posted by: Gordon at May 13, 2017 12:47 PM (wtd2Z)

26 Gordon at May 13, 2017 12:43 PM

Gordon, were you able to recognize and treat the Lyme right away?

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:48 PM (qahv/)

27 We started out about 20 mammoth sunflowers in a pan. Sprouts are now about 4 inches high so we're transferring them out to the garden today. Son has really taken an interest in growing things and is out planting his habaneros right now

Posted by: Duke Lowell at May 13, 2017 12:51 PM (kTF2Z)

28 Tiger poop. Get it from the zoo. I knew somebody that gave it away. Deer don't know what it is but it gives them the heebie jeebies. Works for dogs too.

Posted by: The Great Whites at May 13, 2017 12:54 PM (YRHbj)

29 Tulips have faded, Irises are in full bloom. Dogwood and clematis montana are fully flowered.

Peonies about to open. Roses maybe by next weekend.

Wednesday and Thursday were sunny and mid-80s, but yesterday only up to 50 and Rained All Day...

Still haven't "put in" veggies. I feel so lazy. Got tomatoes and peppers in pots but they seem ok there for now. Got to get a truckload of compost for the main garden before planting out there.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 12:55 PM (5muuD)

30 ***removes pearly whites sock***

Posted by: Dave at Buffalo Roam at May 13, 2017 12:57 PM (YRHbj)

Posted by: irongrampa at May 13, 2017 12:59 PM (S/hVx)

32 We have field fencing tied to T-stakes to keep our dogs in. The large deer hop right over it and the tiny ones push their way under it.

So we got tent stakes to pin the fence to the ground wherever needed. Fallen and pruned branches, etc. get dropped over to be against the outside of the fence to make it harder for them.

But a bottle rocket shot over their head is fun, too.

Posted by: OldDominionMom at May 13, 2017 01:00 PM (GzDYP)

33
.30-06 is the ultimate deer repellent.

Plus you get food and gloves.

Posted by: irongrampa at May 13, 2017 01:01 PM (S/hVx)

34 Paintball gun with Law Enforcement type Ghost Chili Pepper Balls.

And that spike in the photo needs to be processed into jerky, stat.

That's an old deer, and it's never going to be anything but a genetically inferior spike. A good game manager shouldn't allow spikes to live or breed. Those aren't good genes to pass along.

But they're plenty good enough to make jerky and chili cuts from.

Jim
Sunk New Dawn
Galveston, TX

Posted by: Jim at May 13, 2017 01:01 PM (v5iqM)

35 Duke Lowell at May 13, 2017 12:51 PM

Sounds great. Those big sunflowers are impressive when they get tall. Require protection from birds when the seeds start to mature if you plan to harvest them.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:02 PM (qahv/)

36 Crossbow.

Posted by: Fritz at May 13, 2017 01:04 PM (TNQMS)

37 >>As fer ticks, I live very close to ground zero for tick-borne disease. And I managed to camp in ground zero a few years back, and got Lyme, and perhaps another. It was not pleasant for a couple of weeks.

I also live in ground zero for Lyme Disease and am literally surrounded by deer. No hunting is allowed, of course, because that would make sense so our deer population has really gotten out of hand.

I live next to conservation land so it's not uncommon to wake up to a deer (or 6) walking through my yard and chomping on various plants. I really wouldn't care if it weren't for the ticks.

Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 01:04 PM (/tuJf)

38 Six year old grandson is spending the day (and night) with us. He is going to make a hanging basket this afternoon for Mother's Day with his choice of flowers from the flats of annuals I bought this week. Lots of colors and types to choose from for a little guy. He's going to want to cram more in than the basket will hold. He is going to be proud and his mom will happy.

Posted by: cfo mom at May 13, 2017 01:07 PM (RfzVr)

39 Posted by: cfo mom at May 13, 2017 01:07 PM (RfzVr)

That is so sweet!

Posted by: OldDominionMom at May 13, 2017 01:10 PM (GzDYP)

40 We have also discussed ways to keep deer out of the garden, like bird netting, prison-style fences and predator urine. What has worked for you?

Coyote urine was successful for me for a short period. Getting rid of any plants that they're attracted to helps, also.

There was a bear around last summer for a while that kept them at bay.

But it's so damn unpredictable.

As to deer ticks that carry Lyme disease? We have the micro-midget size in my area. Look at the period at the end of this sentence for size. <-

It's the mice bringing that size tick into your house you have to be *really, really* worried about.

Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:10 PM (HTdUD)

41 We've had herds of up to 15 deer walk thru our yard and we are in the middle of a city

Posted by: NCKate at May 13, 2017 01:11 PM (KDsfS)

42 Question about tomatoes:

The smartest guy I know recently told me that I should pinch off the first few blooms from my tomato plants.
He says that they'll only set a certain number of fruit, based on those blooms...

Should I do this? I haven't bothered growing 'maters in years (EVERYBODY grows too many), but I don't recall ever having a problem of 'too few' tomatoes.

Also, I noticed this morning that my eggplants are throwing blossom's already!

Posted by: Bourbon Cowboy at May 13, 2017 01:13 PM (o/Ar3)

43

Deer are bordering out of control here, open winters, plus light natural predation and low hunting pressure have allowed more than the area can handle.

Posted by: irongrampa at May 13, 2017 01:15 PM (S/hVx)

44 More awesome ideas. Thanks KT.

I have a tiller for my tractor now, may try tilling up a small section and raking in an ounce or two of those lance-leaf coreopsis. 20,000 seeds per ounce for only $5. If they get a jump on the weeds maybe they would dominate.

Had seven inches of rain over four days last week of April, so am just getting back out now ... still a little too wet.

The red twig dogwood looks real cool. I think I planted three, one may still be surviving in the fenced in part across the pond. You jarred my memory when I saw "red twig" in your post, which would indeed look cool in winter, especially with some snow.

I raised that fence (it is on 8' posts) and put a strand of barbed wire across the bottom so they don't squeeze under. I saw one of my aspen is still alive as well. A patch of red in winter would be nifty, with a little aspen grove behind, as in your picture (well, your pic may be birch).

Posted by: illiniwek at May 13, 2017 01:20 PM (TmCOq)

45 Posted by: Bourbon Cowboy at May 13, 2017 01:13 PM

Interesting. I've never heard that particular theory before.

Usually, though, I'll pinch blooms off tomatoes if they're blooming at transplant-time-- so they'll put energy into root formation instead of fruit production.

Eggplant, yum. And they have pretty flowers, too!

Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 01:21 PM (5muuD)

46 The deer just want a better life! We need an open gardens policy, not fences! Haven't any of you people watched Bambi??? How can you be so heartless?

Posted by: ¡Jeb! at May 13, 2017 01:22 PM (vRcUp)

47 I always wondered if Frontline works on humans. On permethrin.

Posted by: Kindltot at May 13, 2017 01:22 PM (mkDpn)

48 Wife's tried about everything on the deer. The new floral entry this year is alliums. They're quite striking but the jury is still out on effectiveness.

Also, a new deer deterrent purchased this year was deer tape barrier sytem. It's tied or staked around the beds and is coated with some type of deer repellent. Jury is out on this one too.

Posted by: olddog in mo at May 13, 2017 01:23 PM (nb9vI)

49
The government, always inventing bullshit ideas on how to save consumers money, couldn't possibly look at the cost of identifying and treating Lyme disease and say, 'Maybe we could save some dollars by cutting the deer herd in half?'

Yes, I've had it, Twice.

After the second time I went full metrosexual. It helps to increase skin sensitivity. You have feel them and get them off you fast, the new issue they're carrying has a 15 minute window.

Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:23 PM (HTdUD)

50 I use Deer Stop spray, which absolutely works, BUT....you have to reapply after a rain, and the damned varmints will stand in a deluge and eat something they really like, so it is no longer worth the effort and expense for me. It was set to be an amazing year with all the rain we've had, and I was so excited to see everything in bloom for the garden party we're having after our vow renewals ceremony next month.

2 acres of flowers gone over night last week. Mostly perennials, so I'll get another chance later this year, but all my lilies gone this year, hundreds and hundreds.

A 15 foot fence would probably do the trick ,too, but I am not fencing 12 acres.

12 gauge and double ought'd be best, but as mad as I am, I couldn't do it peresonally.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:25 PM (p5Y9F)

51 Does anyone know how to get rid of chipmunks? They cause our pavers to sink. It's been a real pain-in-the-ass. Thanks in advance.

Posted by: Nan at May 13, 2017 01:30 PM (/SOYR)

52 JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 12:55 PM

Loved your C. montana photo in the comments last week.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:31 PM (qahv/)

53 Posted by: olddog in mo at May 13, 2017 01:23 PM (nb9vI)

I have one allium left out of dozens. That's what convinced me to give up.

Alliums, for gods sake. Fucking onions when all is said and done, and they mowed 'em down overnight.

I do not begrudge any creature sustenance; I have possums and skunks up on the deck in the middle of the night polishing off cat food, and I don't run them off, especially this time of year when they're probably feeding babies. Had it been a brutal winter, I'd have shrugged off my flowers, and counted it as a good deed.

But we had patches of green grass all winter; we had one frost. The damned things crossed 6 acres of grass to get to my flowers.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:32 PM (p5Y9F)

54 OldDominionMom at May 13, 2017 01:00 PM

Ingenuity!

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:32 PM (qahv/)

55 There are motion activated sprinklers for deer or other pests, and some say they work well on deer or smaller nuisances.

Posted by: illiniwek at May 13, 2017 01:33 PM (TmCOq)

56 Posted by: olddog in mo at May 13, 2017 01:23 PM (nb9vI)

Meant to add that I'm in north central Arkansas, if that helps; I assume you're in MO?

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:33 PM (p5Y9F)

57
Something else I've done is rigged, for utility (not beauty), an outdoor shower. About a hundred feet of hose sitting on sidewalk gets really warm in the sunshine. Copper pipe, shower head, simple control, and hose.

Wash often outside to wash any ticks off right away.

I actually had a neighbor at the jersey shore die of rocky mountain spotted fever, so my awareness level is pretty high.

Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:34 PM (HTdUD)

58 Want to know how desperate and pathetic the MSM is to continue pushing the "climate change" meme?

The SF Chronicle today published an article with the juvenile Buzzfeed clickbait headline "Why NASA's latest photo of Alaska is freaking people out":

http://www.sfgate.com/national/article/ Why-NASA-s-latest-photo-of-Alaska-is-freaking-4612565.php

But the idiotic headline is not the main problem.

The main problem is that the article, upon close inspection, is dated

"Friday, June 21, 2013"!!

So, what they're doing is, lacking any current actual new-news articles promoting the Global Warming hysteria, they simply republish old articles -- in the case FOUR years old -- which have long since been debunked.

And guess what? It works! Because not a single commenter (from today) seems to have noticed that the article they're commenting on is four years old! And that not a single "fact" in the article remain relevant, true, or proven. Actually, the opposite -- more recent developments debunked everything claimed in the article.

I smell desperation.

Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 01:34 PM (DQ4Fv)

59 Unless you have children or pets larking about, hotwire is a beautiful thing. Just sayin'.

Posted by: Fritz at May 13, 2017 01:35 PM (TNQMS)

60 Sugar snap peas have hit the 12-14 inch point and seem to have stopped growing. Is that possible?

Posted by: Weasel at May 13, 2017 01:35 PM (Sfs6o)

61 Posted by: cfo mom at May 13, 2017 01:07 PM (RfzVr)

Oh, how precious! Such an awesome idea. Be sure and get lots of pictures!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:36 PM (p5Y9F)

62 E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:10 PM

I had forgotten about those mini-ticks. And I imagine that the same conditions that increase deer populations are likely to increase rodent populations.

Maybe we can feature a rodent discussion soon.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:36 PM (qahv/)

63 ....Sugar snap peas have hit the 12-14 inch point...
---------
I'm referring to the vines, of course. No peas yet.

Posted by: Weasel at May 13, 2017 01:38 PM (Sfs6o)

64 Bourbon Cowboy at May 13, 2017 01:13 PM

Picking the first blooms off a determinate plant could mean that you wouldn't get ANY tomatoes.

The only reasons I can think of to pick the first blossoms off an indeterminate plant are:

1. Tomatoes are too low on the plant and will get ruined by sitting on damp ground.

2. Plant has early blight or something and tomatoes will be inferior to later ones.

Maybe someone else can think of another reason.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:41 PM (qahv/)

65 Posted by: Guy Mohawk at May 13, 2017 12:40 PM (ODxAs)

They won't jump when they can't see where they're landing, or know they'll have a sure-footed landing, but that makes it even more cost prohibitive to fence.

If I just had a small veg patch, I'd build me a little cage out of posts and chicken or hog wire. In other words, it'd have a roof of the wire, too.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:41 PM (p5Y9F)

66 Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:33 PM

Yes, I'm in SE MO.

Posted by: olddog in mo at May 13, 2017 01:43 PM (nb9vI)

67 Afternoon all. Off to work in a bit.

So is there gonna be a thread below the gardening thread to serve our Saturday open thread needs, or is that the Richard Branson thread?

Posted by: Country Boy at May 13, 2017 01:45 PM (Jcg9Q)

68 The roof will have the added benefit of keeping the damn birds off your berries, too.

Not to mention the squirrels, terrapins and snapping turtles.

Of course, you'll have to bury a floor of the wire to keep the gawt damned groundhogs out.

Lord have mercy.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:45 PM (p5Y9F)

69 On deer in the yard: My Dad's place has a small creek along the backyard with open field on the other side of it. Lots of tall grass and wild blackberry over there, and crabapple, cherry, grape in his yard... Deer Heaven.

My Hell. Dad's in his 80s, can't do the yard work. He loves the deer (as do I, because Critters!)

But he calls me all the time for this and that yard work, and I'm very careful (even spray first, when I can) but it's time-consuming to do the tick-check after every venture down there, then stressful to wonder if I missed any.

Last week, I convinced him to "call somebody" to do the weedeating down by that creek. So, he actually DID! Shock! (Oh, but he told the guy to "Just leave it all there, my daughter will clean it up later." Why does daddy hate me?)

Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 01:46 PM (5muuD)

70 illiniwek at May 13, 2017 01:20 PM

Some of the coreopsis hybrids will bloom the first year. There's a big single one that does. Plus dwarf doubles.

Don't know about the species. You might also add some of the annual kind (Calliopsis). I think they're fun.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:46 PM (qahv/)

71 Posted by: olddog in mo at May 13, 2017 01:43 PM (nb9vI)

How many times have you told me that?

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:47 PM (p5Y9F)

72 Maybe we can feature a rodent discussion soon.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:36 PM (qahv/)

That would be good. I have a lot of ideas because I'm in a really hot zone of mice, ticks, and deer.

We had a guest last summer who walked a hundred feet from his car to our deck on cement walkway. About a half hour later he said to his wife, what is this? Something on his neck. A tiny little deer tick.

They must drop from the trees or something.

Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:48 PM (HTdUD)

73 Bourbon Cowboy at May 13, 2017 01:13 PM

JQ Flyover's reason for picking off tomato blossoms is the most common one. Better to plant them out before they blossom. Sometimes moving to a bigger container will keep them from blossoming if weather isn't cooperating.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:49 PM (qahv/)

74 Posted by: irongrampa at May 13, 2017 01:01 PM (S/hVx)

Do you make the gloves?? I need a new a pair of rose gauntlets and I'd be thrilled to have a pair made by you!

And of course I'd pay you for your time and materials.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:51 PM (p5Y9F)

75
Sorry KT, left for awhile. My garden fence is only about 4 ft.

There is little jumping space from 2 sides, and the other sides I have planter boxes, etc inside so they can't land, and it is a good size garden about 24 by 16 feet.

Posted by: Guy Mohawk at May 13, 2017 01:52 PM (ODxAs)

76 Kindltot at May 13, 2017 01:22 PM

I don't think I would use Frontline on humans. Or even the more "natural" pesticides. There is also the issue of resistance.

They could both be used on bedding for camping and stuff like that, I would think.

Repellents are probably better for human use.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:52 PM (qahv/)

77 72 Maybe we can feature a rodent discussion soon.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:36 PM (qahv/)

That would be good. I have a lot of ideas because I'm in a really hot zone of mice, ticks, and deer.

We had a guest last summer who walked a hundred feet from his car to our deck on cement walkway. About a half hour later he said to his wife, what is this? Something on his neck. A tiny little deer tick.

They must drop from the trees or something.
Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:48 PM (HTdUD)

Trees, any pile of things, just about anyplace moist will do. We don't have that many trees in our yard but it was trashed thoroughly when we bought it (which is how we got it cheap) and anytime I clean up piles of debris I come back with ticks. Having dogs makes this worse because they nose around in piles of wood and construction material.

Posted by: joncelli, Longbow Afficianado and Phalangist at May 13, 2017 01:54 PM (RD7QR)

78 E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:23 PM

Dang. 15 minutes for virus transmission from a tick!

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:55 PM (qahv/)

79 Better to plant them out before they blossom

Every year, I promise to do exactly this.

Every year, The Force w*rks against me to prevent my doing exactly this.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 01:56 PM (5muuD)

80 Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:25 PM

Terrible about the predation, especially in the case of the lilies. Especially since it happened so fast.

Sounds like you have a nice event planned, though.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:58 PM (qahv/)

81 I don't think I would use Frontline on humans.

Oh hell no, they tell you to wash your hands thoroughly after applying it to your pets.

Plus, it works via hair and I doubt the amount of human hair on the body is thick enough to get sufficient amounts of the medicine enough to deter ticks work.

I quit using it on my cats because the fucking ticks just got all over the scant hair along their lips or the bare skin on their wee behinds, and it upset me to see that.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 01:58 PM (p5Y9F)

82 Posted by: Nan at May 13, 2017 01:30 PM (/SOYR)

Cut lengths of 2" PVC pipe about 1' long. Bait the middle with peanut butter mixed with rat poison. Lay the lengths along the foundation. The chipmunks can get the bait, but dogs can't.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at May 13, 2017 01:59 PM (rF0hx)

83 Toronto cops shot a bear today. I haven't seen a full report so I don't know yet if it was a black bear. Paws up! Don't shoot!

Posted by: andycanuck at May 13, 2017 02:00 PM (nlbfN)

84 Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:58 PM (qahv/)

Ah, thanks. I was only having a garden party because the flowers were obviously going to be so stunning; we'll just have the reception at a restaurant now. Not worth suffering in the humidity without the flowers!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:02 PM (p5Y9F)

85 Dang. 15 minutes for virus transmission from a tick!

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 01:55 PM (qahv/)

Nasty stuff. Only one case in my state so far. Seems to prefer colder regions. So far...

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem studies in Millbrook as part of a paper published in the journal Parasites and Vectors found that black legged ticks can infect people with deer tick virus and Powassan encephalitis.

The virus can cause central nervous system disruption, encephalitis and meningitis.

There is a 10-15 percent fatality rate in reported cases.

Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 02:03 PM (HTdUD)

86 zombie at May 13, 2017 01:34 PM

Wow. People really need to learn to pay attention to what the press is pushing. Worries me that people are so incurious. What does it take before the crap meter goes off for the average person?

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:03 PM (qahv/)

87 72
We had a guest last summer who walked a hundred feet from his car to our deck on cement walkway. About a half hour later he said to his wife, what is this? Something on his neck. A tiny little deer tick.

They must drop from the trees or something.
Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:48 PM (HTdUD)

Alexthechick is right about Outside. Nothing good can come from going there.

Posted by: rickl at May 13, 2017 02:04 PM (sdi6R)

88 Country Boy at May 13, 2017 01:45 PM

The Branson thread is the open thread.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:05 PM (qahv/)

89 Posted by: E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:48 PM (HTdUD)

Clumps of leaves are notorious for housing ticks, and chiggers, too.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:05 PM (p5Y9F)

90 Oh, and I apologize for my potty mouth.... I keep forgetting this isn't the ONT!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:06 PM (p5Y9F)

91 Weasel at May 13, 2017 01:35 PM

Yes, it's possible. Did the weather turn hot? If it stays hot, you may have to eat the leaves instead of waiting for peas.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:06 PM (qahv/)

92 I had Lyme disease, and it was super easy to diagnose because of the bullseye that appeared on my tummy.

but after reading the story about the tick falling from a tree, how can we determine if one of them landed on our head?

I have a lot of hair.

Posted by: kallisto at May 13, 2017 02:07 PM (kD8Fh)

93 I'm about a hundred miles northeast of Fresno and the Spring weather has been brutally inconsistent. The wind is blowing colder than a witches tit today.

I've given up on early planting some veggies after replacing eggplants and cukes TWICE!

However the asparagus and artichokes are still cropping along nicely, so there's that.

Posted by: Shanks for the memory at May 13, 2017 02:08 PM (TdCQk)

94 The chipmunks can get the bait, but dogs can't.
Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at May 13, 2017 01:59 PM (rF0hx)c

BUT BUT BUT... a cat or dog who catches the not-quite-dead-yet chippy, or who eats or even plays with the remains will be poisoned, too.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:09 PM (p5Y9F)

95 E Depluribus Unum at May 13, 2017 01:48 PM

Wow. Rodent discussion in the wings.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:10 PM (qahv/)

96 JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 01:46 PM

Your Daddy doesn't hate you. He is just too proud of you.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:11 PM (qahv/)

97 Guy Mohawk at May 13, 2017 01:52 PM

Thanks for the details.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:12 PM (qahv/)

98 I don't pinch blooms from my tomatoes but I am a dedicated sucker plucker. If you pinch off new shoots that come out of the fork on the larger branches and stems, the plant puts energy into fruit production instead of foliage growth. I heard about it on an NPR gardening show and have found it to be true. Only thing I ever learned from NPR.

Posted by: huerfano at May 13, 2017 02:12 PM (TO4Og)

99 I had a recent teeth cleaning, and the woman who did it said she had contracted Mammalian Meat Allergy from a Lone Star tick bite. She already has a gluten allergy and can't each chicken (I forget why).

Basically she survives on fish and leaves. She's lost a fair amount of weight, though, and looks great.

Posted by: pep at May 13, 2017 02:13 PM (LAe3v)

100 Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:11 PM

Heh. Thanks for that.

(Also, thank God for DEET.)

Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 02:15 PM (5muuD)

101 We had a guest last summer who walked a hundred feet from his car to our deck on cement walkway. About a half hour later he said to his wife, what is this? Something on his neck. A tiny little deer tick.

They must drop from the trees or something.
Posted by: E Depluribus Unum

Oh, yes, it's a famous thing about deer ticks that they drop from trees. That is how "Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever" gets transmitted - by deer ticks dropping from trees onto people.

But how do the ticks "know" when to drop?

Well, incredibly, they have infrared sensors, and hang off low branches (usually in the cooling part of the day, like dusk), and wait for a heat-signal to pass underneath -- which 99% of the time will be a deer. Drop -- grab onto fur.

But every rare now and then a hapless human hiker will be the source of the heat signal. Drop - grab onto clothing. Climb to skin, insert proboscis - -boom, you've got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Lyme Disease.

Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 02:15 PM (DQ4Fv)

102 Yes, it's possible. Did the weather turn hot? If it stays hot, you may have to eat the leaves instead of waiting for peas.
Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:06 PM (qahv/)
--------------
Hmmmmmm..... No, not really hot. Mid Atlantic so more wet than anything. My cucumbers and bell peppers aren't doing much either. It's a conspiracy!!

Posted by: Weasel at May 13, 2017 02:16 PM (Sfs6o)

103 102 Yes, it's possible. Did the weather turn hot? If it stays hot, you may have to eat the leaves instead of waiting for peas.
Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:06 PM (qahv/)
--------------
Hmmmmmm..... No, not really hot. Mid Atlantic so more wet than anything. My cucumbers and bell peppers aren't doing much either. It's a conspiracy!!
Posted by: Weasel at May 13, 2017 02:16 PM (Sfs6o)

Incessant rain here in SEPA, and cool as well. When it finally heats up and dries out it's going to take me days to finally tame the grass and trim back the bushes.

Posted by: joncelli, Longbow Afficianado and Phalangist at May 13, 2017 02:17 PM (RD7QR)

104 92 I had Lyme disease, and it was super easy to diagnose because of the bullseye that appeared on my tummy.

but after reading the story about the tick falling from a tree, how can we determine if one of them landed on our head?

I have a lot of hair.
Posted by: kallisto

If you have Lyme, you got it from a tick, and the tick got on your by dropping. Guaranteed.

How can you tell while it's happening? Very difficult -- they are tiny.

The tick is much more likely to land on your shoulders or clothing. Only perfect aim will let it land on your head/hair.

Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 02:19 PM (DQ4Fv)

105 Harbor Freight's Mothers Day Gifts are an interesting assortment:

Headlamp with a swivel lens
Split leather gloves
Microfiber cleaning cloths

So does this mean Mom is supposed to get to work on the garden and windows, or is someone else supposed to USE those gifts to please Mom?

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:19 PM (qahv/)

106 Cut lengths of 2" PVC pipe about 1' long. Bait the middle with peanut butter mixed with rat poison. Lay the lengths along the foundation. The chipmunks can get the bait, but dogs can't.

NOOO! There are many carrion or opportunistic eaters in the food chain, raccoons, possums, foxes, hawks and owls too. Also cats and dogs will often eat a dead critter.

Set live traps, dispatch them and dispose of the carcasses.

Posted by: Shanks for the memory at May 13, 2017 02:20 PM (TdCQk)

107 Predator urine-based spray works like a champ. We never have an issue - except when you are spraying it and it is windy! Nasty smelling stuff!

Posted by: Brad at May 13, 2017 02:21 PM (3DUq5)

108 We have a lot of deer around here, and elk (Colorado Mountains). One hundred years ago there were few deer and no elk, due to too much hunting pressure.

Now, with 10 times the human population, there a plenty of both, plus a plethora of moose. Game management works.

As for ticks, yeah, they're here too. We change clothes in the garage when we come in from hiking.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:23 PM (3myMJ)

109 Shanks for the memory at May 13, 2017 02:08 PM

The wind has been something lately, for sure.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:24 PM (qahv/)

110 If you pinch off new shoots that come out of the fork on the larger
branches and stems, the plant puts energy into fruit production instead
of foliage growth.

Totally true! Container grown plants respond well, and even look better this way.

Also, if you're so inclined, those shoots (if large enough) can be rooted in a glass of water to make more of your favorite tomato plants.

Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 02:24 PM (5muuD)

111 If you were not all out of touch with nature, you could just talk to the deer, the chipmunks and the mice, and they would obey you.

Posted by: Elizabeth Warren at May 13, 2017 02:24 PM (vRcUp)

112 111 If you were not all out of touch with nature, you could just talk to the deer, the chipmunks and the mice, and they would obey you.
Posted by: Elizabeth Warren at May 13, 2017 02:24 PM (vRcUp)

Meh. She keeps trying to fricassee us.

Posted by: Prairie crabs at May 13, 2017 02:26 PM (RD7QR)

113 Another beautiful gardening thread, KT - thank you. I love that Red Twig Dogwood - I've never seen it before.

Deer and ticks - oh boy, we've got both in spades around here. Lyme is very prevalent here too, and it's to the point where if you find a tick on you that has stuck its head in, the doctor will phone in an antibiotic prescription for you the minute you call them. It's not an ideal solution, but I've seen some devastating effects from Lyme from some of our friends. I mean really devastating. Luckily, no one in my family has had it, but my dad is on antibiotics right now because of a tick bite.

The only thing we can do around here is to call a pest control service and pay whatever they ask to treat for ticks year-round. That's what we do, and I have to say we haven't found a tick on anyone in several years.

Yes, they can drop from trees, but they can also crawl up your leg from the grass. Our neighbor used to mow the grass wearing shorts and he would always find ticks in his leg hair afterwards.

Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 02:26 PM (sBOL1)

114 huerfano at May 13, 2017 02:12 PM

Taking suckers off indeterminate tomatoes is a great way to go if you are training the plant to a stake.

In very hot summer climates, it is probably best to grow them in a cage (or something similar) and let the suckers go to produce shade for the fruits.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:27 PM (qahv/)

115 111 If you were not all out of touch with nature, you could just talk to the deer, the chipmunks and the mice, and they would obey you.
Posted by: Elizabeth Warren at May 13, 2017 02:24 PM (vRcUp)

We could also ask the deer ticks not to drop on us.

Posted by: rickl at May 13, 2017 02:28 PM (sdi6R)

116 Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 02:15 PM

I had no idea about the ticks from trees thing. Thanks.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:30 PM (qahv/)

117 The Merewife is redoing her fence around a flower type garden now. She has wooden frames with roll-up covers for her veggie boxes. Since it can frost any night here, she rolls down the covers in the evening and opens them in the mornings. The deer tend to come at or after dusk. Rain and sunlight filters through the covers.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:30 PM (3myMJ)

118 I will be spending a lot of next week rolling around in the grass on a rifle range in North Carolina. I'll dose myself with OFF! and Cutters w/ DEET just to be sure.

Posted by: Weasel at May 13, 2017 02:31 PM (Sfs6o)

119 Also, with regard to deer-proof plants, there really are none, as you all probably know. My son worked at a plant nursery for several years and they were all trained to tell people that there area deer-resistant plants, but that's no guarantee because deer will eat ANYTHING if they are hungry.

i have to keep my annuals in pots close to the house. I found this out the hard way one year when I had a couple of big planters filled with gorgeous flowers, along the path to our front door. One day I was going to my car and out of the corner of my eye I noticed something different. I turned to look at the planter and the dang deer had mowed the flowers right down. It was a deer salad bar.

The flowers grew back, and the deer ate them again. Next year I dragged the planters closer to the house.

Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 02:31 PM (sBOL1)

120 The flowers grew back, and the deer ate them again. Next year I dragged the planters closer to the house.
Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 02:31 PM (sBOL1)

They will come right up on my decks, front and back. When we aren't outside of course. You can hear them clomping across...

If we forget to bring in the flat bird feeder they will come in the evening. When you go out to take it down, they'll run about 25 feet, stop and glare at you as you remove it.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:35 PM (3myMJ)

121 119- which nursery bluebell? Merrifield is my favorite in these parts, but Meadows is definitely on the list as well.

We have one doe who likes to visit the yard. She stalks my daughter when she walks to school-kid walks to school with this crazy doe a few steps behind her. One day she brought her fawns to meet her. Kid was a little spooked by it all.

As for a garden?? Ha. My garden is this doe's private all you can eat buffet. I decided to just embrace this, and feed her well.

Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:36 PM (V+V48)

122 Apparently the berry seasons have been good the last few years as we haven't had bear problems.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM (3myMJ)

123 Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:30 PM

I need to tell my relatives in the high desert about that. They have frost danger most of the year, too. And deer. Thanks.

Interesting how a cover can prevent frost even if it lets sun and rain through.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM (qahv/)

124 Thanks OldDominionMom and Tammy al-Thor.

I thought it was fun to let him make his own basket instead of just buying one. We went for a walk before we started planting and he knows all the neighbors. ("That's Kay's house, that's where Esther's mom lives, that's Mr John's, etc.) We got to Mrs Sweeney's and he asked "Can we make a basket for Mrs. Sweeney? She is sad because Mr. Sweeney died and we could make her happy."

So we did and will take it over tomorrow. It's so great when they are little and sweet. I dread him becoming a sullen teenager.

Posted by: cfo mom at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM (RfzVr)

125 Wow, Meremortal, that's amazing! The front porch and back deck are the only places the deer won't go here, so I grow some herbs and a few flowers on the deck, and have hanging pots on the front porch, and that's it.

We've had foxes on our deck, but they quickly get bored and leave. I sure hope the deer don't figure out how to get up there.

Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 02:38 PM (sBOL1)

126 We have ticks out the wazoo here, but no Lyme disease thus far. Like armadillos and road runners, though, it's probably just a matter of time.

I don't care about ticks, it's the ~~fuc~~ freakin' chiggers that terrify me. They eat me alive. Thank God they have a limited season or I'd never put a foot outdoors.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:39 PM (p5Y9F)

127 Moki, Merrifield is by far the best. But Meadows is a mile away, so that's where he worked!

I had a friend whose mom worked for Merrifield for years and years. She would test out new items for them in her beautiful home garden. One year she invited us over with our kids in the spring to see everything in bloom. It was amazing. Now that I think of it, I wonder how she kept the deer away?

Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 02:40 PM (sBOL1)

128 Posted by: cfo mom at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM (RfzVr)

Oh my stars, what an absolute little darling! I doubt teenage-ness will change him much.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:41 PM (p5Y9F)

129 moki at May 13, 2017 02:36 PM

That doe following your daughter sounds kinda sweet, even if she eats your plants.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:42 PM (qahv/)

130 This is when I again have to remember the upside of the evil imported fire ants. They eat ticks. On granny's Hill Country ranch, we would get covered with ticks when I was a kid, but that's something my kid has never had to face. He's been stung by the ants, but I'll take that anyday over disgusting, disease carrying parasites. It's bad enough that we have babies being born with small heads in S TX due to Zika, and there are other tropical diseases arriving here too.

There are tons of deer there in the Hill Country, and long ago granny and her daughters just made it a practice to high fence large envelopes around the houses so the flowers and veggies can grow.

My friends who did some wonderful landscaping over the years around their Hill Country house were devastated when the teenage son left the yard gate open before returning to the city. The three pet Longhorns got in there and ruined almost everything. What made it worse was that there'd been a bunch of rain so the pretty bossies were able to even destroy the walkways and some rock work. I couldn't help laughing a little bit at the mental image of those steers going to town on that yard.

Posted by: stace at May 13, 2017 02:42 PM (zy+gb)

131 cfo mom at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM

What an observant kid. I love that story.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:44 PM (qahv/)

132
That doe following your daughter sounds kinda sweet, even if she eats your plants.
Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:42 PM (qahv/)

I consider it protection money. The doe obviously has thought about this, and has come up with a racket to protect my kid in exchange for tasty, available hostas and vegetables.

Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:45 PM (V+V48)

133 ... and trim back the bushes.
Phrasing!

Posted by: andycanuck at May 13, 2017 02:48 PM (nlbfN)

134
Ticks falling from trees? Um... No!

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns
/tick-myths-and-facts

Posted by: Spun and Murky at May 13, 2017 02:48 PM (4DCSq)

135 Usually, though, I'll pinch blooms off tomatoes if they're blooming at transplant-time-- so they'll put energy into root formation instead of fruit production...
Posted by: JQ Flyover at May 13, 2017 01:21

I usually pinch off all but a couple of the blossoms on the first few clusters. I think it makes the first few tomatoes bigger and earlier, but no idea where I got that from or if it's true.

Also behind here, tho finally got the potatoes in here this week. Peas, lettuce, beets and onions are doing fine. Old pumpkin and cucumber seed has yet to show signs of life.

It's been cool and very wet till the last few days. Either that's the problem or the seed is too old. At least I got it out of the box that is full of old seed!

Posted by: Farmer at May 13, 2017 02:48 PM (4bBUU)

136 Apparently the berry seasons have been good the last few years as we haven't had bear problems.
Maybe your local cops have been shooting them all?

Posted by: andycanuck at May 13, 2017 02:50 PM (nlbfN)

137 128 Posted by: cfo mom at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM (RfzVr)

Oh my stars, what an absolute little darling! I doubt teenage-ness will change him much.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:41 PM (p5Y9F)

The power of Hormones compels you!

Posted by: lizardbrain - now with extra class at May 13, 2017 02:50 PM (EXDjY)

138 Oh hell yes, they come right up on the deck now and then.

And they eat anything regardless of how hungry they are; as I said uptop, I don't begrudge any of God's creatures food in rough times. I'd feed Charles Manson if he were starving.

But all my flowers when it's been green as Ireland for months and miles around? Eeeergh.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:51 PM (p5Y9F)

139 Farmer at May 13, 2017 02:48 PM

Pinching out some blossoms (or small fruits) from a cluster will indeed give you larger tomatoes. May not always apply in the case of cherry tomatoes.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:53 PM (qahv/)

140
I had no idea about the ticks from trees thing. Thanks.
Posted by: KT

It's actually a semi-controversial and disputed theory.

If you research it, some sites definitely say they do drop or "quest" from trees or twigs above, e.g.:

http://archive.boston.com/business/articles/2009/06/01/ how_do_ticks_get_onto_people/

But other sites say that "dropping" is a myth and that ticks always crawl up, e.g.:

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/tick-myths-and-facts

Because one can find countless examples of all "facts" on the Internet, it becomes a game of assessing each source's "credibility" factor.

The "real" answer is sort of a compromise: What ticks do is a unique behavior called "questing":

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns/tick-myths-and-facts

"Questing" involves hanging off a branch or twig or plant with forelegs extended, and then when the tick's infrared sensors and/or carbon dioxide sensors detect a warm-blooded animal is brushing against its extended legs, it grabs on.

The thing is, this "questing" can just as easily happen at head or neck-level as at ankle level, so it is basically equivalent to "dropping" onto you, except it's closer to "grabbing" onto you.

Since it's almost impossible to witness this happening live in nature, it's still a "theory" as to whether ticks always "grab" or also sometimes "drop" -- no proof either way.

But countless anecdotes from people finding certain kinds of ticks on the head/neck/shoulders area, as opposed to lower down, support the theory that they are coming from above, and debunk the "experts"' answer that they always climb up from the ground. It could be that they are "questing" at about five or six feet off the ground, in the hopes of reaching a deer head.

Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 02:53 PM (DQ4Fv)

141 moki!!!!!!!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:53 PM (p5Y9F)

142 We have ticks out the wazoo here, ...
That must make post-hike cleanup uncomfortable!

Posted by: andycanuck at May 13, 2017 02:54 PM (nlbfN)

143 141 moki!!!!!!!
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:53 PM (p5Y9F)

{{{Tammy}}} how are you sugar?

Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:55 PM (V+V48)

144 There is some sort of bug that can sense your.... what is it that we breathe out? Not carbon monoxide, but something like that.

Maybe that's the chiggers. Although they mainly get around your feet and ankles so probably not.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:55 PM (p5Y9F)

145 134
Ticks falling from trees? Um... No!

http://www.prevention.com/health/health-concerns
/tick-myths-and-facts
Posted by: Spun and Murky

See comment #140.

Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 02:56 PM (DQ4Fv)

146 Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:55 PM (V+V4

Right back at you! And I am fine, thank you....yourself?

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:56 PM (p5Y9F)

147 "Apparently the berry seasons have been good the last few years as we haven't had bear problems.
Maybe your local cops have been shooting them all?"

Heh, maybe during hunting season but otherwise people here won't call in a problem bear to Parks and Wildlife.

The bear will get tagged and relocated, but if it comes back or causes trouble somewhere else it will be put down. So people just watch and keep their garbage inside, etc.

Bear survey was done in a small 4 mile-long drainage behind my house. They tagged 14 bears.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:56 PM (3myMJ)

148 bluebell, that garden sounds like a magical place. I would love to do that, just once, in my life. But I am not blessed with a good green thumb. I am, apparently, blessed with a enough of one to feed local fauna.

Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:56 PM (V+V48)

149 Tammy, I am finally feeling good, for the first time in a long time. I am savoring it!

Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:57 PM (V+V48)

150
Interesting how a cover can prevent frost even if it lets sun and rain through.
Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 02:37 PM (qahv/)

Yeah, those are great. White material. You can spray a water hose right through it.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 02:58 PM (3myMJ)

151 I had a guinea fowl wander into my yard last year. Only thing I can think of is he took the conservation land beltway from the farm about a mile away cause they do like to free range.

Thing was a tick eating machine but louder than a beast from hell. I think he met his demise one night as I heard some ungodly screeching coming from the conservation land, we've got coyotes, foxes and even a fisher cat or two in the area.

I miss the tick patrol but I can't say I miss the screeching at 5 am.

Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 03:00 PM (/tuJf)

152 Basically she survives on fish and leaves. She's lost a fair amount of weight, though, and looks great.
Posted by: pep at May 13, 2017 02:13

Kinda a tough way to get the GAINZZZ!

Posted by: Farmer at May 13, 2017 03:01 PM (4bBUU)

153 There is some sort of bug that can sense your.... [carbon dioxide]
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:55 PM (p5Y9F)

Mo-Skeeters. That season starts here soon, last about 10 weeks.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:02 PM (3myMJ)

154 My cucumbers and bell peppers aren't doing much either. It's a conspiracy!!
Posted by: Weasel at May 13, 2017 02:16

I heard it's Trump colluding w/ the Russkies!

Posted by: Farmer at May 13, 2017 03:03 PM (4bBUU)

155 I'd be surprised if something as small as a tick could climb way up in a tree, but it seems to be something that happens up North, and there is no accounting for anything Yankees get up to.

I mostly get ticks when I have been in the tall grass.

And the ~~mother fuc~~ dat-gum chiggers are in the tall grass when it's overcast and dewy.

Guineas and chickens will keep ticks and chiggers down, but we have cats, and plus I hate having fowl droppings every where.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:04 PM (p5Y9F)

156 But all my flowers when it's been green as Ireland for months and miles around? Eeeergh.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 02:51 PM (p5Y9F)

They love cared-for plants, they are just a bit more lush. Think of it as a compliment.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:04 PM (3myMJ)

157 Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:02 PM (3myMJ)

Thankfully we don't have a skeeter problem here. We get the odd one, but it's not a problem like it is in some areas.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:07 PM (p5Y9F)

158 We have ticks out the wazoo here, ...
That must make post-hike cleanup uncomfortable!
Posted by: andycanuck at May 13, 2017 02:54 PM (nlbfN)

Eels.

Use the eels.

Posted by: hogmartin at May 13, 2017 03:07 PM (8nWyX)

159 155 I'd be surprised if something as small as a tick could climb way up in a tree
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at

By the same token, it would be equally unlikely/difficult for a tick to climb all the way up a human body, then.

But somehow, they often get onto people's heads or necks. So they're climbing six feet up something, somehow.

It would seem to be much easier to climb up a stationary and consistent-surfaced tree or bush than in in-motion inconsistent-surfaced clothed human.

Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 03:08 PM (DQ4Fv)

160 I mostly get ticks when I have been in the tall grass.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:04 PM (p5Y9F)

Me, too. If I find a tick after playing ball with our dogs, it's time to mow the grass.

Posted by: OldDominionMom at May 13, 2017 03:08 PM (GzDYP)

161 Posted by: moki at May 13, 2017 02:57 PM (V+V4

I'm so glad!!!!!! I know I keep asking, but I love hearing that reply!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:08 PM (p5Y9F)

162 >>I'd be surprised if something as small as a tick could climb way up in a tree, but it seems to be something that happens up North, and there is no accounting for anything Yankees get up to.

A few years back, I took a trip up the Amazon. Part of the trip was a hike through the Amazon with a guide.

We stopped to rest at one point to wait for the rest of the group to catch up and I put my hand out to lean against a tree and the guide started yelling at me to move my hand. A couple ants were making a bee line for my hand and the ants down there laugh at fire ants. Those things will flip ya, flip ya for real.

They were a bit bigger than your average tick but they climbed those trees like monkeys and would fall on you if you weren't careful.

Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 03:10 PM (/tuJf)

163 Some people put up a "bat house" on their property, and I should think about that.

Bats do more to fight disease by eating skeeters than mankind's medicine and spraying have ever done. Wind farms kill them by the thousands, so if you are near one, you will have more skeeters.

A bat will eat 60 or more skeeters an hour when feeding.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:12 PM (3myMJ)

164
Deer (and rabbits and armadillos) are bad on gardens here, but the deer are much more a traffic hazard. Just ask my wife's F-150.

Now, the wild pig population is exploding here. I saw a big, dead one on the side of the road a few days ago. The next day at dusk, the missus almost hit one. She just saw another one on the side of the road coming back from town! All were in the 200+ pound range.

That's just great since I work at night!

Posted by: Spun and Murky at May 13, 2017 03:13 PM (4DCSq)

165 "I put my hand out to lean against a tree"

When hiking a rainforest in Costa Rica we were warned not to pull on the vines hanging from the trees.

Tree snakes. Very poisonous they said.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:14 PM (3myMJ)

166 Posted by: zombie at May 13, 2017 03:08 PM (DQ4Fv)

I think the hair helps skooch them along. Seems to me that the wind and bark and such would make it a hard row to hoe for such a tiny little critter, but as you say, they sure as hell get up on all sorts of things somehow.

I generally find them on Thor between his waist and shoulders (he's 6'5, so that's a climb, but he's pretty hairy!), and usually after he's been mowing. Go figure that one. I suppose they could get flung up on him as he's riding?!

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:14 PM (p5Y9F)

167 >>When hiking a rainforest in Costa Rica we were warned not to pull on the vines hanging from the trees.

>>Tree snakes. Very poisonous they said.

Yea, the pre-hike lecture was kind of a buzzkill. The guy went over all the many varied things on the ground, in the trees and in the water that wanted to kill you. Spent the whole hike with my head on a swivel, particular after the ant thing.

Saw a spider the size of a softball and I swear the bastard was squinting at me.

Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 03:17 PM (/tuJf)

168 I've watched ticks climb up my leg or a wall, they can motor right along. Where I hike (high mountain desert, 8,000 feet) they like the sage.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:17 PM (3myMJ)

169 Yea, the pre-hike lecture was kind of a buzzkill. The guy went over all the many varied things on the ground, in the trees and in the water that wanted to kill you. Spent the whole hike with my head on a swivel, particular after the ant thing.

Saw a spider the size of a softball and I swear the bastard was squinting at me.
Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 03:17 PM (/tuJf)
-------

And am I to assume you did this voluntarily?

Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 03:18 PM (sBOL1)

170 Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:12 PM (3myMJ)

Oh, you know, we do have a ton of bats around here, lots of caves in the area. I love to sit out at dusk and watch them come out.

Also plenty of birds; my uncle builds lots of Martin (?!) houses. Dang it, I can't think of anything today. Small dark birds, they eat skeeters, too, I think.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:18 PM (p5Y9F)

171 Have cinnamon basil, 4 Anaheim, 2 yellow bell,and a red sweet pepper plants in. Never had cinnamon basil before always sweet basil. Still need more plants; cucumbers, tomatoes, beans and whatever else. The mystery plants from compost I have a feeling are spaghetti squash but planted 1 of 4 and hoping it dies if it is.

Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 03:19 PM (Ot7+c)

172 I make the deer pay for their snacks by making them into snacks.

Posted by: jdavid at May 13, 2017 03:19 PM (9oCwD)

173
"Yea, the pre-hike lecture was kind of a buzzkill."

The occasional invisible but very audible rustling in the leaves was...disconcerting.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:19 PM (3myMJ)

174
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:18 PM (p5Y9F)

Yes, Martins. We've got the hummingbirds in now until mid-August, they are a blast.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:21 PM (3myMJ)

175 Tree snakes. Very poisonous they said.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:14 PM (3myMJ)

Asps. Very dangerous.

You go first.

Posted by: Sallah at May 13, 2017 03:21 PM (8nWyX)

176 Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 03:10 PM (/tuJf)

Oh yea, ants get up in the trees here, too. But they're built way different than a tick.

You see black snakes in the trees now and then, but they mainly are after eggs and don't linger.

I have heard that cottonmouths (or is it copperheads?) will cluster in trees overhanging water, but I have not seen that personally. Thank God.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:22 PM (p5Y9F)

177 Posted by: Sallah at May 13, 2017 03:21 PM (8nWyX)

A couple adventure hikers who came through had a horrific story about carrying a girl through the jungle at night for hours to get to a medical facility. She had been bitten by a bad snake, leg was ballooned up and she screamed the whole way. She did make it though.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:24 PM (3myMJ)

178 >>And am I to assume you did this voluntarily?

Oh hell yes. It was amazing.

Our hotel was built entirely out of local wood. And when I say entirely I mean entirely. It was a series of wooden buildings built on stilts connected by raised wooden walkways.

During the dry season, the hotel is about 15-20 feet above the ground but at the end of the rainy season the river overflows and the water is only a foot or so below the walkways and bottoms of the buildings. It is also covered with monkeys who are natural thieves.

Where else can you fish for piranha and swim with pink dolphins during the day and go crocodile hunting (camera only) with flashlight in a small boat at night? I'd go back in a second.

Posted by: JackStraw at May 13, 2017 03:24 PM (/tuJf)

179 Cottonmouths love water.

Copperheads like porches for some reason.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:25 PM (3myMJ)

180 Honey, you can keep that fucking jungle business. It's bad enough here in Dixie as far as heat, humidity and vermin; I damn sure do not need to be prowling around anything worse.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:25 PM (p5Y9F)

181 Copperheads like porches for some reason.
Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:25 PM (3myMJ)
--------

Porches, yes. And garages. Ask me how I know.

Posted by: bluebell at May 13, 2017 03:26 PM (sBOL1)

182
Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:25 PM (3myMJ)

We got a nest of 'em down at the back of the property. I told my uncle, but not Thor, who is extremely snake phobic.

And my uncle says he's seen two cottonmouths so far down at the pond. He's been down twice to shoot 'em but he never sees 'em when he's armed.

I am a live and let live kinda girl as a rule, but now that we have kittehs, I can't have poisonous snakes around, I just can't.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:32 PM (p5Y9F)

183 Helping freind put of anti deer fence around a garden, 52 x 24 feet. Claymore mines might be easier

Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 03:33 PM (Ot7+c)

184 I saw a coachwhip last year, gorgeous creature. And so fast!

Thankfully not poisonous, I'd hate to have it killed.

Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:33 PM (p5Y9F)

185 We find way too many copperheads for my comfort here. In the leaves. In the pool. In the blackberry patch. In the basement!

I've told this story before, but we used deer "fencing" that is really nylon mesh with 1/2" or so openings for the veggie garden once. For about one month.

We renamed it "Snake Trap." One of our pups got bitten by an ensnared copperhead. I guess if you pull it up off of the ground, snakes would slither right under, but so would rabbits, chipmunks, mice, etc.

Posted by: OldDominionMom at May 13, 2017 03:48 PM (GzDYP)

186 Give me a Rattler any day over a Copperhead, and Cottonmouths are the worst.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:56 PM (3myMJ)

187 I found a snake in the lobby of my workplace two weeks ago. It was a cute lil' thing, only a foot long and as thick as a cigarette. It was tan in color.

At the time I thought that poisonous snakes were brightly colored, but I have since been disabused of that notion. So I nonchalantly picked the snake up and released it outside. Either it was nonpoisonous, or else I was lucky, since I didn't get bitten.

Posted by: rickl at May 13, 2017 03:56 PM (sdi6R)

188 A border of solid tin 6 inches high at the bottom of your fence works great for that kind of stuff. Some people paint it green for appearances.

Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:59 PM (3myMJ)

189 182 I am a live and let live kinda girl as a rule, but now that we have kittehs, I can't have poisonous snakes around, I just can't.
Posted by: Tammy al-Thor at May 13, 2017 03:32 PM (p5Y9

Daddy was the same. But if the critter was hanging around the creek or anywhere else we frequented, it was toast. Timber rattlers are extra scary, the way the bastards blend in so well.

Posted by: bebe's boobs destroy at May 13, 2017 04:03 PM (hscyr)

190 Pennsylvania has Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths, Water moccasins, luckily I don't have them here. That I know.

Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 04:10 PM (Ot7+c)

191 190 Pennsylvania has Rattlesnakes, Cottonmouths, Water moccasins, luckily I don't have them here. That I know.
Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 04:10 PM (Ot7+c)

Yeah, well I've worked in the same building for 20 years and never saw a snake in the lobby. Until I did.

Posted by: rickl at May 13, 2017 04:15 PM (sdi6R)

192 landscape plants rated by deer resistance:

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/deerresistance/

Posted by: timberdoodle at May 13, 2017 04:23 PM (qN7TO)

193 I have seen non poisonous snakes in my yard so I guess its possible

Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 04:36 PM (Ot7+c)

194 163 Some people put up a "bat house" on their property, and I should think about that.

Bats do more to fight disease by eating skeeters than mankind's medicine and spraying have ever done. Wind farms kill them by the thousands, so if you are near one, you will have more skeeters.

A bat will eat 60 or more skeeters an hour when feeding.
Posted by: Meremortal, with mirth metal. at May 13, 2017 03:12 PM (3myMJ)

I like bats. I have a bat house. They like the shutters on the house better. They have hit me in the head when I go outside early.

The worst story I heard was bats in a cave, my friend was little and opened his mouth to scream and a bat flew in his mouth. No thank you.

There was one inside my sprinkler box about a month ago. It took a second to register what I was seeing. I thought it was a mouse. I screamed when it flew out. The electrician laughed.

Posted by: CaliGirl at May 13, 2017 04:59 PM (Ri/rl)

195 A busy week in Idaho's Treasure Valley - who needs a gym when you've got 2 acres?

We planted 4 new early-variety blueberry bushes last Sunday (Earliblue and Duke). I transplanted 12 starts out of our first strawberry bed (Allstar, I think) to start our new strawberry bed. And we tucked in 2 replacement 'Jersey Knight' asparagus crowns to replace 2 that didn't come up last year. (Some of them haven't come up yet, this year - we have to wait and see whether they gave up the ghost this past winter.)

My chives continue to take over the world... I divided the huge clump I had into 16 smaller clumps (which went in with the new blueberries), I potted some for a friend, and threw some away. I have baby parsleys and thyme in the first blueberry bed (Blueray and Bluecrop), so I've been moving those starts around to give them a chance to spread as an understory.

Husband rented a tiller, so he could till up an area of "lawn" that was quite scrabbly - he did the corn bed as a bonus (so we didn't have to dig that again by hand). We'll seed the grass area soon.

New things go in constantly at this season - today, I planted some corn, some green bush beans, some cantaloupe, zucchini, butternut squash, and sugar pumpkin seeds. We also transplanted some out-of-bounds red raspberry canes to continue our new row.

First harvest! - yesterday we ate a salad made entirely out of our own lettuce, spinach, and radishes.

Apples, crabapples, and tulips have had all their flowers blown away. The Johnny Jump-ups by the back shed are gorgeous, and today I found all the iris transplants we put on the south side of the house last year, have turned into a glorious purple show! I'll have to try to get good close-up photos of the iris flowers; maybe someone can help me identify their type for certain. I just know that they're not standard Bearded Iris.

While we were out back working earlier today, we flushed a pair of California Quail that had been hiding in the original raspberry patch. We'd always wanted quail at our CA house but didn't have them - now we do, in Idaho. Seeing them always makes us smile.

Posted by: Pat* at May 13, 2017 05:01 PM (qC1ju)

196 Skip at May 13, 2017 03:19 PM

Your plants sound great. Sometimes people call "Thai basil" cinnamon basil. There is also a more cinnamon-y cinnamon basil that was sent up on the space shuttle to grow on the International Space Station.

There is also a "holy basil" that is for fragrance rather than cooking.

If you are a fan of sweet basil, you might also get a plant of it for Italian dishes and so forth.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 05:19 PM (qahv/)

197 timberdoodle at May 13, 2017 04:23 PM

Thanks for the list.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 05:26 PM (qahv/)

198 Posted by: bebe's boobs destroy at May 13, 2017 04:03 PM

Snakes and kittehs:

Here, the gopher snakes like to pretend that they are rattlers. They get in strike pose and flatten their heads to look triangular. They can really look like one of the local rattler species.

Once panicked by the kittehs playing with a baby gopher snake in the driveway. Managed to catch it an transfer it to a vacant lot. Can'r remember how I did it now.

I was prepared to kill it if it had been a rattler.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 05:32 PM (qahv/)

199 CaliGirl at May 13, 2017 04:59 PM

We have bats here, too. I don't know where they go during the day.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 05:35 PM (qahv/)

200 Pat* at May 13, 2017 05:01 PM

Great things going in in your garden, as usual. Love that you got your first salad. And the quail!

There were quail in the back yard of a house I rented once with room mates. So fun.

Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 05:39 PM (qahv/)

201 15 gingeroni at May 13, 2017 12:32 PM

A small fence wouldn't keep deer out anyway. Hope somebody has an idea for you.
Posted by: KT at May 13, 2017 12:36 PM (qahv/)

It's a small area so even a short fence would keep them from jumping in. It just has to be tall enough that they can't lean in for a bite.

Posted by: gingeroni at May 13, 2017 06:28 PM (GIqnq)

202 I have seen deer, including one with only 3 legs vault over a 4 foot fence.

Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 07:03 PM (Ot7+c)

203 Bats hole up in abandoned buildings or barns in urban areas, caves if you have them.

Posted by: Skip at May 13, 2017 07:05 PM (Ot7+c)

204
Sheesh! Not a nood for 3, countem' three new threads!!!!

Posted by: Spun and Murky at May 13, 2017 07:34 PM (4DCSq)

205 We put in some deer motion sensors that shot water when activated. Can hook them in tandem to your hose.

Posted by: S.Lynn at May 13, 2017 11:23 PM (/qtm3)

206 My barber saves her clients hair clipping for me and I stuff old socks with the hair and place them where I don't want the deer to go. Deer do not like the smell of human hair and it has worked on our mini kibbutz over the past several years. We also use coyote urine granules. Pisser several years back when twenty five of our heirloom tomato plants got ravaged by deer during the hottest part of August.

Posted by: Sherpa_K2 at May 14, 2017 12:17 AM (TUhW5)

207 Sherpa_K2 at May 14, 2017 12:17 AM

Thanks for the report on hair in socks. I had forgotten about that deterrent.

Posted by: KT at May 14, 2017 10:03 AM (qahv/)

208 A fenced backyard with a very large dog inside the fence seems to work well.

Posted by: PMP at May 15, 2017 03:27 PM (K5g5u)

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