Be careful what you wish for!
There's a population explosion going on here.
We had just one chipmunk for years.
We named him/her Chippy and always enjoyed seeing that cute as
a button creature emerge from hibernation each spring.
Chippy must have found a mate somewhere underground this past winter!
We now have several scooting about the garden, coming up on the
front porch to drink from the fountain, gorging and filling their pudgy cheek
pouches with fallen birdseed, and digging in some of my potted
plants. That's definitely a no-no!
But it's not just our garden riddled with chipmunks, neighbors near and
far in our area seem to be experiencing a gigantic explosion of cute
chipmunks in their gardens this spring. There have even been news
articles about them showing up in eastern North Carolina toward
the coast, a place they never called home before!
and are a real nuisance when it comes to eating the birdseed, or anything
else they can get their greedy little paws on, and the smaller chipmunk.
Yes, adorable, cute. . . . . . . and now also becoming a nuisance by
causing holes all over the lawn and garden.
A few days ago I actually caught this chipmunk - perhaps Chippy or
an offspring - in the pot of heliotrope, rolling around in the soil
making a real mess and causing the plant to go sideways.
I chased it off and had to repot the plant deeper.
Any new creatures sighted on your garden this spring?
Many neighbors are finding cute 'Bambi' fawns, often twins,
tucked away for safety in their back gardens. Mama deer
leaves them while she does other things but always comes back
for them later.
Early in the week the most unexpected visitor seen in our
neighborhood was a fairly large black bear! Several people were
able to catch it on video running through their yards, crossing a street,
and one woman filmed it climbing over her fence. It was last spotted
heading toward a shopping center - wildlife officers are tracking it.
We all hope it's not a mama bear who has been scared off and
left babies somewhere!
These lovely animals are losing their natural habitats in this area
due to the tearing down of older homes and clearing of wooded
spaces for the construction of larger than life million dollar plus
houses, apartments, office buildings etc.
With Google, Apple, Amazon etc. set to move into the area and
the population growing by leaps and bounds, we will see more
changes in the months and years to come.
Called 'progress' but really more like destruction. Very sad!
On a happier note - the Carolina wren and Black-capped chickadee
enjoying the seed wreath hanging on the front porch. We just bought two
more of these wreaths as the small birds are really loving them.
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We just have squirrels and the occasional Muntjac deer causing havoc in our gardens. One particular squirrel delights in making a long detour into my backyard just to bury walnuts in my pots. We have no chipmunks and only the occasional bear in the form of a small "Teddy" that next-door's children throw over the garden fence!
ReplyDeleteProgress makes me sad. Same thing here but on a much worse scale. Buildings are sprouting everywhere and we seem powerless to do anything about it. Your chipmunks are cute though :)
ReplyDeleteDearest Mary,
ReplyDeleteIt always is a contradiction, industrial 'progress' means losing the habitat for several mammals and bird species. Yet, you and others hate it when they mess up personal gardens and pot plants... Cute yes, but we cannot feed them 'birth control' together with the seeds they so love!
Our deer are greedily devouring the corn we feed them. Cute till maybe a certain point...
As a child my Dad showed home movies, no noise and very little motion too, about Knabbel & Babbel (in English: Nibble and Chat), the two cute Chipmunks. Later living here and seeing them roam freely was thrilling but indeed they can multiply rapidly, especially in our climate.
Hugs,
Mariette
We have tons of chipmunks here. They're cute, but we have to remember they're rodents. And they're destructive. We too, have holes all over our yard. And yep, they dig in my potted plants. They will dig their long tunnels under porches, patios, sheds, even the foundation of your house. And that can be very destructive. A friend of mine actually had her patio ruined by chipmunks! So what to do...
ReplyDeleteChipmunks are repelled by certain smells. We bought a bag of mothballs and dropped some around the yard in places where we didn't want them digging (around the foundation, by the patio, and by the front porch/deck). Supposedly, they also hate peppermint and garlic. Not sure how to use those though. Maybe a homemade peppermint oil spray?
Now I need some of those seed wreaths. For some reason the birds haven't been hanging around our garden this spring. Not sure what is scaring them away, but I did see a coyote early one morning. I also know they are getting the bunnies as we have found bunny remnants. Squirrels are a total nuisance. Wow! you have some big companies coming in there.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry the chipmunks are becoming a problem: they really are very cute little animals. I have only ever seen one on one occasion! Great photos! Things are thankfully quiet in the garden here, as it is Winter and the critters are hibernating. However, the birds still come in profusion every day, looking for seed. Those seed wreaths are really lovely. xxx
ReplyDeleteThough adorable, squirrels and chipmunks can make messes! Wow! A bear in your neighborhood! That is crazy!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! We just have squirrels here and they are nuisances enough. Thank goodness I have a squirrel baffle under my feeder. They do dig in some pots but not very often. We had chipmunks when I lived up North and they are very destructive rodents! I'm sorry they are being little monsters this year for you. I love heliotrope, so I hope they didn't damage it. I love the seed wreaths you put up on your porch. They are delightful for the birds I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteWe have many chipmunks, squirrels, rabbits, white-tailed deer, wild turkeys,fox, raccoons, groundhogs, possums and stinky skunks and a few coyotes. Since the coyotes have moved to southwestern Pennsylvania, I don't see as many rabbits, which I love to watch. I let clover grow in my yard for them to eat. Try putting some golf ball sized pebbles in your pots, it works for wrens that try to make their nests in my porch planters. I too, have seen more than enough development take over necessary woodlands here. New buildings go up while others sit vacant along with their vacant paved parking lots. The more development, the more road kill in the area. So many people want to live in woodland like landscaped subdivisions but do not want to share space with any woodland wildlife. I like to try and compromise with the original "homies".
ReplyDeleteThe seed wreath is so pretty and just right for your chipmunks visitors. Modern life does get on the way of so many animals, but there's nothing much one can do.
ReplyDeleteNew building go up daily and perhaps all over the world, which take over land and even, woodlands. Wildlife in going further away and it's sad. Sometimes I say to myself: I will die and will not see devastation. Feel sorry for the young.
Thank you sweet friend for your kind visit.
Fabby