Comments on: Three-spotted flea beetle

By: Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:20:04 +0000

Good point. So far, the only ticks we find around here in any quantity are wood ticks, like these, but the neighbors tell us that deer ticks are starting to be seen in the area. Some are claiming that the main danger of deer tick bites is in the fall, while the wood ticks mostly bite in the spring, so this might mean that we end up with ticks more or less continously. Wonderful.

By: LE

LE — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 22:02:13 +0000

Please don’t forget to mention the danger of deer ticks. Ixodid (hard-bodied) ticks can be found just about anywhere deer can be found, and they can carry a number of nasty diseases: Lyme disease, bartonella, babesiosis, HGE, brucellosis, just to name a few.

By: Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 18:09:36 +0000

They actually aren’t all that skittish, since they only get hunted for about one month per year. They seem to have figured out when the dangerous time is, and are pretty bold the rest of the time. One thing we have tried is “liquid fence”, a foul-smelling concoction that keeps them away a lot of the time, but doesn’t work 100%. The most reliable solution (which is unfortunately a lot of money and effort) is a fence at least 8 feet tall, preferably electrified. Some people who are serious about gardening around here have done that, and we probably will have to do it at some point too.

By: MRL

MRL — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:52:08 +0000

Sounds like a fair enough trade to me. Have you maybe tried putting motion sensors by the apple trees? I’m afraid I don’t know much about deer habits or, for that matter, growing apples, but I’ve always heard that they’re fairly skittish, especially if they’re hunted around there.

By: Tim Eisele

Tim Eisele — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:40:44 +0000

Oh, he eats them, of course. My in-laws love venison, and my wife and I eat a lot of it, too. I suppose it’s actually a fair trade: they eat my crops, we eat some of them. It’s still annoying when they chew off a young apple tree to a nubbin, though.

By: MRL

MRL — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 05:25:16 +0000

I have to ask - what does he do with the deer he shoots? I mean, even if they are pests, it seems like an awful waste of venison if he’s not using them.