We have the creek, but when we are in drought, portions of it go dry, so I have two birdbaths, a small fountain out of galvanized tin, and bowls of water for cats, strays and mine. Has anyone else noticed that mosquitoes don't seem to lay eggs in galvanized tin? There are never any larvae in the fountain or in a small galvanized tub which is painted red. At first, I thought it might be the red color they didn't like, but then noticed there were never any in the fountain either. I also feed a stray tomcat that is deaf and blind. He sees light and dark but that's it. I also have a possum and raccoons that steal cat food whenever they can. I didn't know it, but the possum was living under a huge piece of cardboard that I keep to block weed killer when I'm spraying. When I discovered him, I chased him out of the garage with a broom. He got about five feet out in the driveway and seemed to realize, wait a minute, I live here! Then he turned around and came running and hissing at me. Let's just say I'm glad there were no witnesses to my retreat. It involved screaming and running. DH finally chased him out. I would adore some hedgehogs. They are one of the cutest things I've ever seen.

Mike, Invasive isn't on your property. I think you have the words invasive and aggressive mixed up. Something that might be aggressive would re-seed on your own property. When the seeds are blown or deposited by animals elsewhere, and those plants then overtake our native flora, they have escaped from cultivation. It would then be considered an invasive plant, ie burning bush and butterfly bush. I know a woman in IL who has barberry and burning bush in her woods. They came from the neighbors property. They sure weren't planted there. I had a barberry show up on the side of our house. I never planted a barberry. But up the road, yes, up the road, they have 3 plants. If the plant is on your states invasive list, it's the responsible thing to do and not plant it. Just because a nursery can sell the darn things a dime a dozen, doesn't mean the nursery is doing a good thing. In fact, the green industry is always sent a list of things that are considered invasive for your state. If said nursery sells the plant, they are selling some unsuspecting person an invasive plant. They aren't a good nursery if they willing and knowingly sell a plant that is on your states invasive/noxious weed list. You also don't say what kind of ivy. Poison Ivy? Boston Ivy? English Ivy? Here's one of many definitions of invasive. # invasive An introduced (non-native) plant that disrupts the local ecosystem and isn't checked by climate, grazing, or other natural means. Extreme examples include kudzu vine (Pueraria lobata), which can grow 35 feet in one season and which the American Horticultural Society's A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants calls "the vine that ate the South". The following link is to your states list of invasive plants. I would also suggest you copy and paste the link Lori gave and read it. Quoted from the below link also says; This list of invasive species is not meant to be definitive, but rather a guideline to some of the most troublesome species that degrade native plant communities in Pennsylvania. These species were chosen from a more extensive list compiled from adjacent state or regional lists of invasive plant species. Input was sought from experienced individuals familiar with Pennsylvania's flora from a field perspective. For a more extensive list of invasive species, please contact DCNR, Bureau of Forestry, P.O. Box 8552, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8552 Here is a link that might be useful: invasive plants in PA

Thanks guys! I do feel better. I am sure there are other chlorinated pools in the area that the birds and bats can drink out of also. I am wondering if the pool is no salty enough to cause serious effects to the animals. I will be adding two chlorinated water sources in the front and back yard as I progress through this remodel. I am adding these solely for the wild animals.

I have a doubly literary one for you: My brother named his cockatiel Quasimodo - Quasi for short - after a pigeon of the same name in Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals. That pigeon in turn had been named after the bell-ringer from Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, because it was so ugly when he got it. It was moulting from its baby down and had pin feathers sticking in every direction, just like Quasi when brother got him. My own tiel has a sort of literary name as well: Ljúflingur, which is a metaphor used in poetry to refer to an elf or a lover. It literally means "sweet one".