Tick Removal?

[Love My Zons]

Yup, as a local here told me. They eat bugs!

 

[Teckechick]

They are an excellent bug forager especially ticks!

The first site I pulled up was talking about cooking them. On to a different site!!!

 

[Teckechick]

I wonder how I would keep them safe from the road. Might have to do some creative landscaping. These guys are for sure on my radar now.

 

[Shezbug]

We’re told to keep lawns, trees and garden beds well maintained and short to lessen damp shaded places. Ticks like shaded, moist and undisturbed areas. Thankfully they’re not very common where I live now but some places I’ve lived the pets and kids needed to be checked every time they came back inside.

Yard birds would not only eat the ticks but also regularly disturb any shady quiet places the ticks may hide. I vote for yard birds!!

When you say you have possums are they like our gorgeous possums or are they opossums?

 

[Destiny]

If you are getting them primarily for bug control, I recommend guinea hens over chickens. They are avid bug eaters and happily forage for their dinner. Chickens will eat bugs too, but they love to scratch and the scratching will do a number on any lawns they have access to. Over time, healthy grass will die back to bare dirt in a chicken run. In contrast, guinea hens are not that into scratching, so they will be more gentle on the landscape.

Just be aware that guinea hens are quite noisy and they are notorious for walking in front of cars or hanging out in driveways or streets. And I wouldn't expect to get any eggs from the hens. They are good at hiding their nest spots.

 

[Shezbug]

Not sure if it would work but you can get fairly large portable yards for chooks and other poultry so you can keep them safe from everything and move them about for variety and so they don’t totally ruin the ground in their pen.

 

[Teckechick]

We’re told to keep lawns, trees and garden beds well maintained and short to lessen damp shaded places. Ticks like shaded, moist and undisturbed areas. Thankfully they’re not very common where I live now but some places I’ve lived the pets and kids needed to be checked every time they came back inside.

Yard birds would not only eat the ticks but also regularly disturb any shady quiet places the ticks may hide. I vote for yard birds!!

When you say you have possums are they like our gorgeous possums or are they opossums?

We keep everything short and landscaped so we are good there. We also have a ton of wild birds. We set out several feeders and the wild guys get all of Jenks and Toot’s left over pellets/seeds. I will keep adding feeders though to help encourage more. We have several currently nesting on our back deck. I just heard babies today!

Opossums are what I am talking about.

 

[Love My Zons]

I wonder how I would keep them safe from the road. Might have to do some creative landscaping. These guys are for sure on my radar now.

Raise them from young keets one article said, you can mix ages too. They do get run over around here they aren't that bright it seems. They can fly, but not like a bird can. They can roost up in trees. I

 

[sunnysmom]

We’re told to keep lawns, trees and garden beds well maintained and short to lessen damp shaded places. Ticks like shaded, moist and undisturbed areas. Thankfully they’re not very common where I live now but some places I’ve lived the pets and kids needed to be checked every time they came back inside.

Yard birds would not only eat the ticks but also regularly disturb any shady quiet places the ticks may hide. I vote for yard birds!!

When you say you have possums are they like our gorgeous possums or are they opossums?

Opossums. Like in the video above. I live in the city but my backyard leads down to a wooded area. So, we get a lot of wild life- opossums, raccoons, an occasional deer. We used to see a lot of rabbits but I think our 2 feral cats keep them away now.

 

[Shezbug]

Opossums. Like in the video above. I live in the city but my backyard leads down to a wooded area. So, we get a lot of wild life- opossums, raccoons, an occasional deer. We used to see a lot of rabbits but I think our 2 feral cats keep them away now.

Your opossums freak me out somewhat lol. Our possums are just so cute so I was kinda surprised to see yours

 

[Peachfaced]

Tell you what, you get yourself some of those facy tick-eaters, and I'll send you a huge load of baby grasshoppers. You can't take a single step without them going in every direction. I think the whole neighborhood is overrun with them.

*Edit* Actually, apparently these are bad news for all critters except for the Shrike. They have a toxin in them.

 

[Destiny]

Australian possums are genuinely cute. American opossums are pure nightmare fuel. But some people like them anyways. They are "ugly cute".

 

[sunnysmom]

Australian possums are genuinely cute. American opossums are pure nightmare fuel. But some people like them anyways. They are "ugly cute".

I agree- they're ugly cute.

 

[Sodapop&Co.]

the Aussie possum vs American possum talk is reminding me of this...

 

[NightOwls]

I think the Virginia opossum are cute.

Fyi, most states have a list of wildlife rehabers - they can be contacted and you can offer your land for wildlife (including opossum) releases.

 

[Teckechick]

I think the Virginia opossum are cute.

Fyi, most states have a list of wildlife rehabers - they can be contacted and you can offer your land for wildlife (including opossum) releases.

I’ll for sure look into that. I had the NRCS out here a few months ago giving us information about setting up pollinator habitats, high tunnels and land conservation ideas. I may email them to see if that would be ok in our area. I would love to have them around.

 

[Teckechick]

Tell you what, you get yourself some of those facy tick-eaters, and I'll send you a huge load of baby grasshoppers. You can't take a single step without them going in every direction. I think the whole neighborhood is overrun with them.

*Edit* Actually, apparently these are bad news for all critters except for the Shrike. They have a toxin in them.

Ugh I feel for you there. They are no fun either. Our field had them field last year. Not even close to as bad as you are getting them thankfully! Every step we would take would get you a grasshopper to the face. Sounds like you guys have them really bad!

 

[Peachfaced]

Ugh I feel for you there. They are no fun either. Our field had them field last year. Not even close to as bad as you are getting them thankfully! Every step we would take would get you a grasshopper to the face. Sounds like you guys have them really bad!

Apparently these don't fly, which is a good thing. I wouldn't want them flying in my face like that! Yuck!