Re: [gardeners] Bird bath

margaret lauterbach (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sat, 17 Jun 2000 08:50:53 -0600

At 12:08 AM 6/17/2000 -0400, you wrote:
>George, I've had a rock which has a basin carved into it, 
>in immitation of an old Japanese drinking stone from a
>formal Japanese garden, sitting empty on the sidelines for 
>about 4 years. It should be supplied with a trickle of water
>coming thru a long bamboo shaft and spilling into the basin,
>of course with a primitive drinking cup alongside......  
>
>I'm sure we could get a water supply to this stone; I'm equally
>sure I could find a hollow bamboo natural colored shaft. My
>hesitation concerns the racoons, squirels, rabbits and 
>chipmonks:  if I keep a guaranteed supply of water out there,
>it seems to me that Mother Nature will take out a full page ad
>on the Daily TV news, inviting every animal in Kingdom Come
>to come and sip ....   They've caused so much damage already 
>that I am unwilling to add to the problem. 
>
>I had thought that I would trot out there every day and pour in 
>a half a cup of vinegar, but that's not practical. 
>
>I suppose I could fashion a nice big Reynold's Wrap cover for
>the rock, and only open it up when I'm very occasionally sitting 
>out there with Jimmie and some cheese and crackers after
>working up a storm all day -- but I envision a shiny reflection
>hitting me in the eye as I garden, and startling me as I make every 
>turn...  
>
>Of course, with the assistance of Juan, or Pedro, or Carlos (whom
>I would steal from the gardeners who come across the street), 
>perhaps I could build me a rock-and-concrete stanchion on top
>of which one of the boys could place my hollow rock ---  tell me, 
>do  rabbits and squirrels and racoons and chipmonks get into
>bird baths . . . ??? 
>
>Penny, NY
>
Penny, get some predator urine (you can buy it on Internet), put some in a
baggie with small pieces of sponge, and seal it. After sponge pieces are
very saturated, take chopsticks and place them around your water feature. I
don't think you'll smell the urine, but critters would. Squirrels get into
my birdbaths, but that's fine with me. Better they take a drink of water
than get moisture from my tomatoes. Margaret L