Do I have a predator?
generalfactotum
7 years ago
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what kind of mums do I have & what do I do with them?
Comments (2)I think most mums that they sell around here are hardy. They have been forced to bloom early to be in the store. When I've planted them, the blooms turn brown and I shear them off. If they are hardy, they will stay green all summer and come back next year and bloom....See MoreAm I the only natural predator of the...
Comments (28)Donna15: If the parasitic wasps in your area are invading mason bee tubes, then they're not the parasitic wasps that attack the beetles. These are a whole different species. We have a FAQ How do I keep the red lily leaf beetle from destroying my lilies? which gives general information, and the UMass Extension has an excellent Fact Sheet on the Lily Leaf Beetle. UMass says: "If your customers only have a few plants in their garden, hand-picking adults and eggs can be effective. For more than a few susceptible plants, pesticide treatments may be needed. Products containing Neem (Bon-NeemTM, AzatinTM), a botanical insecticide, have been shown to kill very young larvae but must be applied every five to seven days after egg hatch. Products containing the systemic imidacloprid are reportedly providing effective control applied either as a foliage spray or soil drench depending on label instructions. Imidacloprid is the active ingredient in MarathonTM, used by commercial flower growers, MeritTM, used by landscapers and home gardeners and one of the active ingredients in Bayer Advanced Rose and Flower Insect Killer for home gardeners. There are also other home gardener formulations containing imidacloprid. Products containing spinosad a microbial insecticide, may also be effective. Spinosad is sold as ConserveTM and EntrustTM for commercial growers and Monterey Garden Insect SprayTM, BULL'S-EYETM and others. Before recommending a product or applying any pesticide, read the label and apply only as directed on the label." I've used the Bayer Advanced Rose and Flower spray with good results, but with all of these pesticides you have to be careful not to apply them when the bees and other beneficial insects are visiting the flowers. There are soil drenches you can use (I've used them with good results), but some of these contain fertilizer as well and are better applied in the spring when plant growth is starting up, rather than fall when plants will soon be going dormant. The beetles will overwinter in the soil so you should aim for killing as many as possible now before they dive down, and then watch for them as soon as the lilies start showing in the spring. I like the systemic insecticides, like Bayer, because they're spread throughout the lily tissues and mostly affect insects that feed on the leaves and flowers. One caveat: It is possible that the insecticide will be contained in the pollen so that could affect bees. Claire...See MoreWhat predator would do this?
Comments (2)Most mammalian carnivores will eat the internal organs first, and sometimes that is ALL they will eat, if not really hungry. Larger canids typically kill hoofed prey by disembowelling it, while cats usually grip the throat and suffocate the animal first. My guess, though, is probably a black bear, since bears will often pick up an animal and shake it violently, so forcefully that the animal is often partially skinned. I've seen film footage of a Grizzly doing this to an elk calf, and of Polar Bears doing this to walrus calves and seals. I do know that Black Bears are common where you live, having run across tracks while wild boar hunting near Hartwell, which probably isn't too far from you. It's questionable whether or not there are still cougars in that area; none of the people I know who hunt in that region have encountered any, and what you described isn't really a feline technique. I don't think a bobcat would be capable of that, and there are of course no lynx in Georgia. I'd put my money on a bear. Sharon McKenzie...See Moreanyone raise farm fowl? What predator do you think...
Comments (21)Lil' update- Yes, I am suspecting more than one culprit. As of today there may only be one. This am my neighbor found a LARGE feral cat in a leg trap(yes, leg traps are used widely out here- I don't like them, but other's use them). That cat will not be killing any more of anything. (now don't get pissy with me- It wasn't my home where this was caught- I might have tried to save the cat, but there isn't anywhere that would take a feral here.....no Humane Society or rescue, etc). As soon as I can get some muscle help, will lift the coop with the tractor and see 'what' might be living under it. (if it is a rattler it WILL say Hello to a 22g). One down, one to go.......See Moregumby_ct
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
7 years agozeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agogeneralfactotum thanked zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsingeneralfactotum
7 years agogeneralfactotum
7 years agogeneralfactotum
7 years agoDonna R
7 years ago
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