skip to main content

New Jersey Gardening

chipmunk die-off?

15 years ago

Has anyone else noticed that there are no chipmunks this year? This may seem a strange thing to worry about, given how much grief they give us all with their burrowing - but there are no, I mean no, chipmunks in my neighborhood this year. Could this be related to the small amount of acorns last fall? Did they all starve?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

mikemerk
15 years ago
Funny, I just read some articles on chipmunks today. They said their litters are based on the abundance of food. They usually have 3-5 young and if food is plentiful they may have a second litter.

The reason I was reading about them is my yard is loaded with them. I have a pond, pool waterfall and a lot of shrubs with a wooded area in the back of the yard all ideal for chipmunks. We have just spent the last 2 weekends mulching and just about every shrub we mulched around had chipmunk burrows.

We even noticed a white pine that had a Robin's nest in it and a chipmunk stole the eggs out of it. One of the eggs was broken right at the edge of a burrow underneath the white pine.

-Mike
stonequeen
Original Author
15 years ago
That is so strange that you have many and I have none-I'm in Boonton -where are you?
Last year I had so many I was considering the pond of death-and now this????
Related Discussions
Bees & Pollination: Any one else notice carpenter bees die off lo
Q
Comments (8)
I do not want any bees to die off & I love honey. That being said there is a stand in pollinator: The blue orchard bees also do not produce honey, rarely sting and, owing to their solitary nature, do not swarm. They are incredibly efficient pollinators of many tree fruit crops—on a typical acre, 2,000 blue orchard bees can do the work of more than 100,000 honeybees. Their biggest drawback is that beekeepers can only increase their populations by a factor of three to eight each year. (Honey bees can grow from a small colony consisting of a queen and a few dozen workers to a population of 20,000 foragers in a few months.) https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/other-bee-species-subbing-for-honeybees/
...See More
Key Lime Tree - Leaves turning yellow and falling off. Twig die back.
Q
Comments (36)
In sandy and calcareous soils, foliar applied fertilizers are 4 to 20 times more effective when compared with soil applied fertilizers. (Lingle & Holmberg, 1956.) https://citrusagents.ifas.ufl.edu/archived_presentations/fall_prg2010/Citrus%20Agents%20Web%20Site%20-%20Nutritional.pdf Citrus foliar fertilization has been an industry standard practice in citrus groves for over 50 years. https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/trade_journals/2014/2014_April_citriculture.pdf Where soil PH is too high or too low, resulting in 'lock up' of nutrients (frequently micronutrients) in the soil, foliar application of those nutrients will ensure rapid response in the trees and prevent growth from being restricted. Effect of irrigation water acidification and soil pH on citrus nutrient availability https://citrusresearch.ifas.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/7.-Morgan-Expo-2019.pdf Four winds growers sells over 50 varieties of citrus nationwide. Here is what they say about misting, "In winter months, heated rooms may need additional humidity. Placing the pot on pebbles in a saucer will elevate the tree above the drainage area, and improve airflow and humidity for citrus. Misting citrus foliage with a simple spray bottle is another way to help citrus cope with insufficient indoor humidity in winter." If you have new leaves and new shoots it is really beneficial to mist those. Because of the VPD they loose moisture much faster than mature leaves. Flowers are also very susceptible to losing moisture and misting can help them set fruit.
...See More
Rose branch die off question
Q
Comments (3)
After you cut off the dead branch (try not to leave a stump), leave the rose alone, except for water, for a few weeks. It may "just sit there" for while, because it will be growing roots under the ground. I would not give it any more food, or spray it with anything - it just needs to recuperate from being planted. Jackie
...See More
Maple tree die off
Q
Comments (2)
Can't tell by the pictures and don't know you location but I tried growing a red maple in a very sandy location. After a couple of years it broke off in a wind storm. The inside of the trunk was pulpy, porous like yours but didn't have the staining. Maples are generally water loving plants, they don't tolerate dry conditions very well, maybe better once an established tree. Many of the maples grown around here seem to take the dry spells but sometimes years later, show damage induced by the sometimes season long droughts. Your climate and soil may be quite different from mine but if it isn't, the stress of too little water can send a tree like that into decline and makes them susceptible to various other maladies along the way. Just an FYI. :-)
...See More
mikemerk
15 years ago
I live in Jackson. You know by Six Flags. Ocean County.
msbumble
15 years ago
Mine just appeared at the bird feeder in the last week - later than usual I think. Maybe it was the long winter. I'm in Morris County.
weedwoman
14 years ago
Maybe one of your neighbors got a cat. I don't have many if there's a cat hunting in the area; I've had noticeably more since my neighbor's cat got too old to hunt.

WW
Loretta NJ Z6
14 years ago
Boonton is not far from me. Haven't you noticed an increase in Hawks? They are hunting in the yards - squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks...I'd be afraid to leave a small dog unattended.
MissMyGardens
14 years ago
Ground feed the birds and chipmunks come out of the woodwork.

All our birds are afraid of them, even Red Bellied Woodpecker. Squirrels are only ones not afraid of chipmunks and chase them off...only as far as they're willing to chase them.

Something already raided a Robin's nest and pecked into one of the eggs. Found shell on ground with hole instead of usual cracking as when baby emerges. Since nest about 6.5 feet up assume was another bird.

Suet in double wired "cage within a cage" has been eaten continuously by raccoon which has even come out in broad daylight to get it.

No shortage of chipmunks or any other critters this year when food is put out for birds.

Chipmunks run right past me into garage where we "play" hide and seek until they chirp and run off under bushes or woods.

There's a wandering cat in the neighborhood who saunters up the driveway and just looks at me. I give her directions to the chipmunk, rabbit and groundhog holes but she just ignores me and goes on her way. There's even a red fox that trots through once in a while (gorgeous animal) but don't see any reduction in small critter population.

I'm guessing as long as there are seeds/corn on the ground there will be chipmunks around.
fmart322
14 years ago
I have a bunch of them where I live

Related Stories

ARCHITECTURE Trailblazing Architect Zaha Hadid Dies at 65

By Mitchell Parker

In 2004, Hadid became the first woman to win architecture’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Steps to Get a Garden Off to a Glowing Start

Grow a lush, balanced garden from an empty patch of yard or neglected landscape spot with these easy-to-follow guidelines

SMALL SPACES Lift Off! Floating Features for Small Spaces

By Lily Gahagan

Take Furniture Off the Floor to Maximize a Home's Available Space

REMODELING GUIDES Finish Your Remodel Right: 10 Tasks to Check Off

By Laura Gaskill

Nail down these key details to ensure that everything works properly and you’re all set for the future

LIFE Slow Living 101: Tips for Turning Off the Chaos

By Laura Gaskill

It may feel as though you're too busy to slow down and enjoy life. But even little changes can have a big effect

HOUZZ TOURS My Houzz: Hard Work Pays Off in a DIY Cottage Renovation

By Laura Garner

First-time homeowners roll up their sleeves and give their midcentury Montreal home an infusion of style and personality

DECORATING GUIDES 10 Look-at-Me Ways to Show Off Your Collectibles

By Joanna Tovia

Give your prized objects center stage with a dramatic whole-wall display or a creative shelf arrangement

GREEN BUILDING Off the Grid: Ready to Pull the Plug on City Power?

By Jen Dalley //

What to consider if you want to stop relying on public utilities — or just have a more energy-efficient home

LIFE House Rule: Off With Your Shoes

Do you prefer your guests to go shoeless in your house? Here are some ways to encourage stockinged feet

GREEN BUILDING Houzz Tour: Off-the-Grid Island Home Circles a Sunny Courtyard

By Mitchell Parker

A circular home is a cozy spot for gardening, woodworking and plenty of reading

Sponsored

More Discussions

voice your support for a NJ Invasive plant ban?

0

Bhatia nursery information

0