Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Natural Yard Destruction

Yep. Nice title huh? Maybe it should say "Yard Destruction and those darn DUCKS!"

So by now you've guessed what this is really about. The ducks have started getting into my garden and flattening a few things, and flat out eating others. Turns out like me, they are partial to arugula. Shame that, 'cause this momma don't like to share her arugula. It's hard to grow here and when 2 ducks eat it all down to the ground in 1 day it tends to make me...twitchy.

I also found holes in the yard. It looks like someone took a small shovel and just dug it down once and left it. Irritating. Especially since it's winter and the grass isn't actively growing much if at all. So now the little holes will be there for another month until the grasses break dormancy.


These holes wouldn't be so bad if there were just a couple around the yard. But being bill shaped and about the depth and width of what a duck would create when dabbling? Grrr....all over the back yard no less. 

So I penned the ducks up and quit letting them out all weekend. Now they can just stay in their pen. It's plenty spacious enough. While I'm not heartless, confinement is typical for domesticated animals in general and certainly my yard will be healthier for it.

After 4 days of being penned up the weekend rolls around again and I decided while I was working outside I would let them have a little free time.  I usually let the chickens free range at the same time when I'm around and on the way to the chicken pen...guess what I found? MORE HOLES! 

WHA? Humph. So I let the birds out and ponder about life and the movie "Tremors." Is this a sign of giant earthworms? That someone is coming and digging up my grass? Did I really make someone that mad? No, of course not. I'm fairly non-confrontational. 

Turns out SQUIRRELS did this! Needless to say, I'm breaking out the Squirrelinator 2000 again. That suckers gonna trap me some vermin and I'm gonna...gonna...well they won't be digging in my yard anymore when I'm done. That's what I'm gonna do.

So, next time you go to blame your precious little ducky poos or the little fluffy butts in your life keep this story in mind. Maybe, just maybe they are innocent. Then again there are so many times I thought they couldn't have done something and they did. LOL

Happy Spring! The squirrels are awake. (JOY!)

See you soon!

Barbie~

2 comments:

  1. The worst rototiller that we have here are the skunks. Luckily the fence usually keeps them out of the vegetable garden, but they sure do a job on the mulched beds and sometimes on the lawn too.

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  2. Oh too funny! I've had my squirrel issues, so can definitely sympathize!

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