Please help me evict these critters!

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mlm01 St. Louis, MO(Zone 5b) Sep 19, 2005

My Echinacea is still dying off. I noticed one the other day that seemed to be doing fine with lots of new buds on it. Today, after 3 days of rain, it has several dried up stems! I pulled one up and it came out easily with hardly any roots on it. To me it looks like something with teeth had scraped part of the roots off…but I could be seeing things. My Echinacea is right near one of the holes I described here: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/545083/

Before I blame the chipmunks, I did see a mouse in the yard last year, but haven’t seen one since. Well, I did see a dead one in the mouth of a cooper’s hawk in our yard this summer (yay hawk!).

I have several holes around my flower bed, the only ones near plants are near the Echinacea. This is a raised bed with lots of soft earth and easy to dig in.

I don’t know if I have chipmunks or mice (I hope not mice!) but I am ready to evict. What can I put down the holes to get them to move someplace else?

Thanks,

Maureen

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Equilibrium Sep 23, 2005

Have you ever seen any chipmunks in the area? If you have seen some, that might be what you have. Lucky you because they are very animated and they don't eat roots.

Chippies are territorial and they are really great at keeping squirrels away from their "territory". Evict the chippy and you could end up with something far worse rooting around there that could really tear up your garden beds. Squirrels are absolutely destructive and particularly at this time of year as fruiting trees drop nuts and acorns. I've had entire plants uprooted and left to dry out thanks to squirrels.

Sounds to me as if your Echinacea is dieing as a result of some sort of a pathogen not a critter.

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mlm01 St. Louis, MO(Zone 5b) Sep 24, 2005

Aha, so that's where the squirrels went!

We have a "squirrel kingdom" in my and the adjacent yards with lots of mature trees including oaks and chestnuts and lots of squirrel nests. I used to go in the yard and 5 or 6 squirrels would jump up but lately I haven't seen many squirrels around....what you say would explain it.

You're right, the chippies aren't as destructive, so since they don't eat roots I'll wait before putting anything down the holes to persuade them to move.

I may get a humane trap however, to make sure I don't have mice or something.

Thanks!

Maureen

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DreamOfSpring Charleston, SC(Zone 9a) Oct 02, 2005

The hole you described and the damage sounds like what I've seen with voles. I don't know if voles exist in your area. They do eat plant roots, and they are very difficult to erradicate so I hope that's not your problem. I had them in a vegetable garden once. One day I would have a lovely row of beans. The next day I would have wilted been plants dangling from their stakes above holes where the roots used to be.

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