Thanks, t-bred! For the past week or so I have been avoiding this particular forum due to people's attitude of "kill what eats my plant" I have at least 400 orchids, all outside - phals including- and I feed my backyard squirrels. They, squirrels, gets into pots now and then, looking for food - price I pay for growing so many outdoors ...but nothing to cause a rage. Squirrels by far prefer the feeder to the pots...

Olya

Boy, I have no idea what made me think of this right now, but I did.

I've often wondered what it would be like to go through life with a very limited understanding of the concept of humor, wit or playful sarcasm?

I just have no idea where that thought came from. How odd.

OK, back to watching Big Brother.............

Aachen, I truly appreciate your great wisdom regarding orchids, but to quote yourself "You know, if you don't like a thread or don't find it interesting or up to your moral standards, don't look at it. You do have that option. Name calling and pointing fingers at others on this forum is not going to win you points in anyones book." And by the way, my NRA membership is reserved for more formidable foes than squirrels.

2 years ago, a feral cat with a couple kittens started hanging around my house.I have never had cats and I am allergic to them, but I felt sorry.I began feeding them a few times a week. They trusted me and felt safe here. Last week, I found "Momma" laying on my deck full of buckshot. I thought she was gone but our vet was able to save her(and spay her too)My point being, what means nothing to some may be important to others. WE are the caretakers.

T-bred,

Thanks for your comments. I couldn't take the life of another creature willingly. However, you'd have no way to know this by my "final solution" post. It was in fun, including my comments about enjoying the idea of a fisher dragging a dead squirrel around.

(This philosophy doesn't apply to what I eat from the grocery store.)

The written word can be a bummer. If you'd heard me reading the post, you'd have known right away I was teasing - all that Southern drama thing.

My opinion is that we humans are encroaching on the squirrels' territory by living in the middle of it. With orchids, we're trying to make something thrive that couldn't survive here otherwise, so it's an artificial set-up, unlike w/ the squirrels.

For example - This spring, when we discovered a nest of baby bunnies against the side of the garage, we asked the neighbors to keep their dogs inside for 2 weeks. When neighbors saw a snapping turtle laying her eggs in their back yard, I gave them chicken wire to protect the nest from their small dogs.

The most I can hope for is to respect the squirrels, the orchids, and the other life forms around the place. (Dandelions and those stickery weeds are in another category, esp. since we use no chemicals on the lawn because of the environment, including the dogs.)

My sister traps the numerous feral cats in her neighborhood and takes them to be spayed or neutered, releasing them back to their wild ways. Quite the financial commitment. She doesn't even like cats. Evidently, nothing can be done about the elderly woman "collector" in the neighborhood who does no spaying or neutering and can't afford to feed all of "her" cats, so there's a neverending supply of fertile, feral cats.

If a squirrel got in the attic, I'd look for ways to lock it out, rather than harm or kill it.

So, my apologies for not making it clear that I was being facetious and tapping into the humerous bondedness of some Forum members regarding squirrels. Maybe some people are serious, but if squirrels get to my orchids, I figure it's because I didn't protect the orchids well enough.

Whitecat8

And we ate wild animals that we shot, including squirrels out in the woods - not the ones that were used to people. Nothing was killed for fun.

Any better?

WC8

T-bred,

I guess you don't kill flies, mosquitoes or other bugs either? Why just stop the killing with the cute furry ones? If you do kill bugs and such, you sir or madam could be considered a hypocrite.

As far as the feral cat, by feeding it repeatedly you did something to keep it hanging around, what did you do to make sure it did not destroy other people's property? You should blame yourself about the feral cat getting shot.

BTW: How do you know squirrels were here before orchids?

Bob

Jeez...

"Aachen, I truly appreciate your great wisdom regarding orchids, but to quote yourself "You know, if you don't like a thread or don't find it interesting or up to your moral standards, don't look at it. You do have that option. Name calling and pointing fingers at others on this forum is not going to win you points in anyones book." And by the way, my NRA membership is reserved for more formidable foes than squirrels."

But I WAS interested in the thread. That's why I took a look. As far as my comment goes, if you only want to hear from people who agree with you, then mention that in your thread. I also wasn't offended by your post and certainly didn't have any moral objection to it except the NRA membership thing. That's too big of a topic to go into at this point.

As far as shooting and killing critters goes, I have done neither in my life. My Dad was really big on hunting, but I never had an interest in it. I'd go with him, but only for the company and because I liked being out in the county just to observe everything around me. Oh yes, my Dad just didn't hunt for the heck of it. We ate everything he shot - squirrels, deer, bear, rabbit, raccoons.

Yes, I hate squirrels and wish then terrible things in my mind and in what I write. Would I ever kill one? No. Just writing these crazy things seems to take care of any ill will I have against them. That's what you're missing. It's talk - only talk - silly fun - nothing else.

I won't even touch the feral cat thing. I will say, I certainly don't appreciate all the cat sh^& I find buried everywhere in my yard and garden. Then there's the whole issue of what they're doing to our native bird population. Like I said, I won't even go there.

Thanks for the comment about my orchid knowledge. You really give me too much credit. I'm still a newbie to the whole scene compared to many other folks out here, but I certainly have learned a lot from them.

K

Difference of opinions for sure...I guess we should all accept the fact the ONLY thing that a lot of us have in common here is interest in orchids. Nothing else to discuss here, so I suggest the case is closed :)

Olya, who is also into Agnosticism, feral-cat-rescue, and squirel-and-possum-and-other-wildlife-rehabbing

I agree with t-bred...too many times we have to try to kill nature in order to enjoy our domination over it. That's why I gave up spraying my rose bushes for Jap. beetles. I have the only sure fire, organic way to get rid of them -- I pick them off and step on them!! Chipmunks and rabbits have to eat too and as far as I am concerned, this is their land, so I put them where they can't reach. We dont have squirrels yet in the area, so I can't sympathetize with you. In the end, I just try to live with nature instead of controlling it. (Except with jap. beetles, they are foreign and dezerve an nasty death!!)

I really appreciate everyones thoughts on the issue and see more common ground than I previously envisioned. Although I have no interest myself,I have no problem with hunting for sustenance.The natural world has enough difficulty surviving without people trying to manipulate it for their convenience. As for feral cats,I know it was off subject but I figured for a quarter a day, maybe a few sonbirds would live? More dying from west-nile than feral cats.Spray for mosquitoes, kill the honey bee population.Such a fine line to walk. Not a nature-nut,just would like my someday-grandkids to know what a squirrel(or a honey bee ect...)looks like. Now I'll be quiet and watch my orchids grow. :)

It seems to me that one should keep in mind that most of the squirrel-human interactions that get mentioned here, are NOT taking place in a natural setting. They're not happening in the verdant forests where the happy, healthy squirrels cavort as they should. They're happening in cities. It is one great big human nest. It is far too late to turn this city into the squirrel haven it should be. We're here, we have houses and gardens and landscaping and utility wires that should be protected. It's really no different than climbing a tree and reaching your hand into a squirrels nest to steal their bedding and eat their...uhh...acorns. Chances are, the squirrel would bite you and kill you if it could, to protect its territory. I don't see a big difference.

Moreover, the populations of squirrels in cities get way out of control with people feeding them all the time and there being hardly any natural predators. Please consider that the deer population was out of control in Yellowstone until the wolves were brought back. Now that there is a check in place, the aspen seedlings are growing again, where before they were being eaten by the deer. Balance. The squirrels are out of control, in places they should not be. (but they are REALLY cute, i admit)
-MB

I cannot grow anything without fencing because of deer. They are our large, cute squirrels. Bambi loves orchids, both buds and leaves. Bambi loves everything I grow. All our shrubs look like a madman, with a hedge clipper, went wild.

Too many deer, too many squirrels. I blame it all on 'global warming.'

Good discussion. MB, in MN, we've let people kill more or fewer deer, depending on the health of the population. A couple of winters, it was agonizing because they didn't have enough food to get them through, and many died. Natural, yes, but still painful to know they were suffering. The next year, hunters were allowed to kill more.

Jane, they don't bother anything right around here, but friends have been willing to try anything in any catalog to keep them from eating their vegetables and flowers and stripping bark off trees.

Same w/ too many Canadian Geese. Ooof. The poop can get so bad you slip and fall, the same as ice. Plus, they can cause a plane to crash by getting sucked into the engine, and there are loads of geese around the airport. Frequently, geese in the Twin Cities get rounded up and shipped off to other parts of the country. We keep making more.

It's a not-so-peaceful coexistence, esp. given there are more squirrels, geese, and deer than there might be if people weren't around to upset the balance.

And Kevin, our 3 cats stay indoors except for adventures on the 2nd story deck, where dirt in the potted plants is protected by chicken wire to keep the cats from contributing fertilizer.

Back to worrying if my orchids are going to rot in the cool, humid weather and neverending rain.

Whitecat8

This thread is getting more and more personal - it sure does belong to conversations side, but since it is here, I will go on.

Jane, sorry to hear about your problems with deer (no, really). Could this have something to do with deer having nowhere to go for food, as people extend their habitat further and further? Hummm...As you seem to be very (un)fortunate to live near an area that still has wildlife, I say you have options:
1. Move to a city with tons of concrete...not much wildlife there...seriously. Before you know it, zoos will be oh so excited over a baby deer born in captivity and have dozens of vets running around with itÂ.
2. Put a big sign for deer to read: "Zis* is human land. Deer watch out or else" - I bet the hungry deer will understand, stop targeting your juicy plants, and go back to whatever leftover forest it has, to look for food. Worth the try....

As for the global warming...Well, issue too personal to even start on here...On Florida Gardening, there was an interesting thread on it:
GW

Balance and the people helping out...I do not know if I will agree with it. We destroy the balance by destroying habitats, driving away natural predators, and then get into this rage over too many squirrels and rats. Too many of them - sure....Too many people and not enough forest? I will let you decide.

Touchy topics, and no way you can have a peaceful thread discussing these "non-orchid" items. How are we expected to find middle ground if, for example, I do not agree with approximately 62 million people on major issues such as gay rights and global warming...And you think we can talk it out about squirrels...Ich dont sink so*

Having said all of that, please understand that some of you find things funny that might actually be offensive to others...There is funny, and then there is funny

Ahh, hell with it...I am off to watering orchids. Now that is fun.

Olya

* - misspelled intentionally

I lived most of my life in the big city and love concrete! I also love wildlife, flowers, etc. I frankly think deer, wild turkeys, foxes and coyotes are fairing better living in populated areas as they are reproducing and surviving in record numbers. Deer are having 2 litters per year vs. one just a few years ago. Lots to eat,mild winters, few predators except the automobile. Turkeys are showing up in parks in NYC as are coyotes and even black bears.

I've lived here 30 years and only in the last 5 years have turkeys and coyotes appeared in increasing numbers. Turkeys were here in small numbers. This past Spring, a bunch of monster turkeys walked across my driveway with 19 chicks and almost took my head off.

Winters have become milder, people plant more desirable plants which provide better food. Hunting has been outlawed (except bow/arrow). Over-population of wildlife is not only due to loss of habitat, but also to their increased ability to survive and reproduce.

I agree with most of what you said but also share the comedy expressed by the other posters. Lighten up...

Jane