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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
 Posted - 06/08/2008 : 08:34:16
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I was going to put this in the vegie topic but bandicoots are a pest around here. I have lost at least 6 half grown lettuce plants over the last couple of weeks that had been uprooted by the bandicoots looking for worms. It is hard to see in the pics but there are holes dug and uprooted lettuce. I do replant them but usually they don't survive. The garden area is fenced off so dogs, ducks and chooks can't get in.
There is one less bandicoot this morning though. I found this one dead in Jewels and Nugget's pen where they sleep at night. The dogs can't get out so the bandicoot must have gone in for some reason.
Jewels, the oldest golden, is the hunter, I have seen her catch mice and rats before but have never seen her catch a bandicoot though. Jewels used to dig big holes under the bird aviary to try and catch mice when we still had the birds. I don't like her catching and killing animals though even if they are pests and don't let her do it if I see her trying... but after seeing more uprooted lettuce this morning I'm not that unhappy about it 
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 10:06:33
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Wow look at those claws! They are sweet looking little creatures but I would not want my lettuce taken also!
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10810 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 12:05:25
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I was going to say Gail that I would not know a Bandicoot if I fell over it so thanks for posting that pic, awwh it looks like a mouse/rat with a long nose very cute.
Sorry to hear they are doing damage to your garden and veggies, a jolly nuisance I know but very sorry to hear of ones demise also..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 12:34:35
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I don't like to see them get killed either... except when angry  and I wouldn't mind them at all if they dug holes elsewhere besides the vegie garden but I suppose the vegie garden is teeming with worms so easy pickings. With the shape of its long nose you can tell if it was a bandicoot that had been doing the digging 
I try and do the right thing by making sure the dogs are locked up at night, either in the house or in their 5 star pen with a comfy bed with lots of blankets (no tv though  ) but how do you stop the silly wild animals from going into the dog pen
They are cute and apparently if raised from young do make a good pet with the intelligence of a guinea pig - I was looking them up earlier. Not that native animals are allowed to be pets - maybe they should allow some smaller natives as pets (under certain conditions) as it might raise the awareness of them. I wouldn't like to get bitten by a wild one though as once they get a hold they don't let go and their mouth has to be prised open... ouch!!
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10810 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 13:30:42
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Yes its not your fault if the little things get into the dog pen. Thats very interesting that they could make pets not that you have not got enough now though
Speaking of garden residents I got such a shock before I bent down to pull a weed up from the middle of that orange rare tropical shrub you ID a while back and thought I saw a snake turns out its a smaller Spikey, any wonder I have seen so many around the garden lately hey there must be a entire family living here..
I do hope they stay...
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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The Estate
head gardener
Australia
3676 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 13:33:25
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aww poor thing :(
My basic weeding rule: if they grow in rows they're flowers;
if they don't they're weeds.
Melbourne |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 13:51:36
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I was getting something out of the shed before and came across this owl bird scarer and as I read earlier about owls being a predator of bandicoots I thought I would try hanging over the vegie garden in the hope it will keep them out.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Mary-Anne
garden sage
Australia
10810 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 14:27:14
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Is that so...
Worth a try anyway..
Good Things Come To Those That Wait ... I am Tired Of Waiting
Love Your Enemies... It Will Drive Them Nuts |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 19:10:35
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Love the metal bird - but am I missing the plot? The metal bird frightens away owls and owls eat bandicoots and so if you want less bandicoots, you need more owls so why try to scare the owls away - maybe it is the glass of wine I am having or my day in pressure washing courtyards and cement and tehn having 3 blocked drains - but I am still confused ...
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 06/08/2008 : 19:25:22
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Pamela, the owl shape is supposed to chase other birds away not owls so thought it might chase bandicoots - the little coots might think it is a real owl... I hope. I have used it in my mulberry tree when fruiting, it seemed to work for a while until the birds got used to it.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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Pamela
head gardener
Australia
3949 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 06:32:29
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Of course - I knew there was a sensible reason that I couldn't see .. unlike the bandicoots :-))
Talking of mulberries, do you think it is worthwhile to plan a net over a new mulberry tree? My new tree is 5 foot high. I have some of these ironbark $7 poles left over which are 1.7 metres high and I could put 4 in and then PVC pipe over them as an arch and trim the tree to keep it at 2 metres - but maybe mulberries are such a strong tree that I am being, as usual, overly optimistic? It worked last summer for my nashi pear and I have hopes for the pear and also my peach this summer as I am about to paint them with Bordeaux gunk. But maybe mulberry is just too vigorous a tree and I should just plan to net off a low branch or two? We have ever vigilant cockatoos and bower birds here.
"The air of heaven is that which blows between a horse's ears." |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 11:30:05
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Pamela, our mulberry is not a named variety, just a market buy, so is a fairly vigorous grower. I think named varieties might be a bit smaller. The main birds that we had eating the fruit were figbirds here. We don't have bower birds and the cockies don't seem inclined to eat the fruit.
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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lorraine
assistant gardener
Australia
144 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 11:38:32
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mmm kito we have had something digging under my parsley at first I thought it may be field rats coming from wherever
but wonder if we get those bandicoots here
we had something digging last year in the same spot too made tunnels under the pea straw
maybe the other ones wont come back now and will leave your lettuce alone |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 11:45:14
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Lorraine, there are bandicoots in most areas of Australia on the eastern coast. You can often tell by the holes which are deep and narrow, same shape as their nose. They don't eat the lettuce or other vegies but uproot them trying to get to the earthworms. Bandicoots do a great job in lawns eating lawn grubs and curl grubs, I wish they would stick to those grubs and leave my earthworms alone
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
Edited by - Gail on 07/08/2008 11:45:57 |
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lorraine
assistant gardener
Australia
144 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 12:27:18
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thanks kito , seems like that might be what they are here then ,darn it
I only thought it may have been field rats as I saw something run into the paddock ,but come to think of it ,it was bigger than a rat
maybe we need to put fine chicken wire around the veg garden |
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Gail
garden sage
Australia
7707 Posts |
Posted - 07/08/2008 : 13:19:21
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You have to bury the wire too according to this site http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/plantsanimals/Bandicoots.htm
"Alternatively, you can keep bandicoots out of your backyard by building bandicoot-proof fencing. Use fine galvanised wire mesh, or any other material with gaps no larger than 20 mm. The foot of the mesh should be buried to a depth of at least 150 mm, and the fence should rise at least 500 mm above the ground."
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to use it in a fruit salad.
A ounce of common sense is worth more than a ton of intelligence.
Gail, near Gympie, Qld |
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