Critters That Lurk In The Garden

 

            Hi everybody and welcome! If you have not done so already, now would be a great time to get your yard hurricane proofed to get ready for the extremely busy season ahead. Now is the time to get your trees pruned back, make a plan on what you are going to take inside and what you might want to leave outside but secure with rope or other material and don’t forget some of the bulk heavy items like grills and fountains. They should also be brought indoors or secured close to the house. With a few common sense actions, you can help save your valuable outdoor belongings.

            Squirrels and raccoons can be a common sight in most gardens. These cute but sometimes mischievous critters can be fun to watch but they can also be a menace if you keep your trash outdoors.

            The common raccoon is the all too familiar masked bandit that can be found throughout most of the United States. Raccoons can be found almost anywhere water and food is located and their range extends almost anywhere in the United States. These furry mammals are about the size of a medium sized dog and as the mask implies, they love to borrow stuff from your yard. Like man, raccoons have five toes and it uses the whole sole of their feet to walk, just like us. Their hands are remarkably agile and they can perform many of the same tasks as we do like opening a zipper or even removing a shoestring from a shoe.

            Raccoons are survivors and warriors. They can live and adjust when their woods are cut down for development or they will adapt if you fill in their favorite watering hole. These cute creatures love garbage cans and will almost without a doubt get your trash before the trash man does. Your best defense is to keep your trash in the garage or build a special locking (and I mean locking) structure to store the cans in.

            One of the most enjoyable sights to see is a family of newborn raccoons playing in your yard. These cute fuzzy balls are just like kids in the fact that they want to touch and explore everything. The raccoon mates once a season and can produce a litter of anywhere from 2 to 7 cubs in a litter. The male raccoon only stays around about a week and then he is off to find another mate. The female raises the litter and if you watch the behavior, you will soon see that they are actually very good mothers.

            Raccoons have a life expectancy of about 5 years in the wild and can live as long as twenty years in captivity. Many people rescue orphaned baby raccoons and keep them as pets until they are able to be again released into the wild.

            Squirrels are another common sight in most yards throughout Florida. This animal is very special in that it has well adapted to being around man. They can live on both natural foods and handouts. Feeding these cute creatures is an enjoyable pastime for many people while others curse their presence because they love to raid your bird feeder. The best defense is to feed the squirrels separately while also purchasing a squirrel-proof bird feeder.

            What makes these fuzzy animals so famous is their ability to put the most trained gymnast to shame. This animal can amaze and entertain us with its ability to walk the tightrope and jump from tree to tree with amazing accuracy and agility. They are very smart creatures as they usually figure out how to override the mechanism of most squirrel proof bird feeders over a period of time.

            The squirrels diet is varied and can include anything from nuts (their favorite) all the way to pizza. These amazing creatures have adapted well to our own eating habits.

            The most common death for a squirrel is not predators or old age; it’s being hit by a car. If a squirrel survives his first year he will probably live about another 5 years before he dies. Squirrels in captivity can live as long as twenty years.

            That’s all for this week and I hope you found the content both entertaining and informative. I hope to see you here again next week for more garden tips and information.