Monday 30 May 2022

A plague of porcupines

Saturday morning there had been a porcupine attack in the border. As usual the white irises were the target,  I never worry too much as they grow wild here so they are tough, two a penny and generally recover.  I thought about setting up my wildlife camera but the creatures have never attacked two nights in a row so I didn’t. Wrong again, Sunday morning they’d been back with a vengeance, just look at the destruction. 

Not only were the remaining irises dug up and chewed, they’d also uprooted a lot of bulbs but not eaten them, I’ve replanted gladioli, oxalis, spraxis, obviously none of them tasted good.

I was surprised at the number of iris tubers excavated, there must have been a herd of porcupines and I worry they since there are so few iris remaining they might  start digging up plants that I am not prepared to lose, like the amaryllis that are just about to open or the well established nerines.

I set the camera on Sunday night not that it would stop them if they returned but at least I could see the culprits,  of course they didn’t return.  I’ll just keep up the surveillance until they are back unless they realise there is little left they want to eat and have moved on, I really hope so.

6 comments:

  1. Can you not arrange some sort of deterrent? I have no idea what would deter porcupines as they are one of the few pests that don't frequent my garden but maybe try old CDs either hung or scattered, belles /windchimes, windmills etc Or maybe lay something over the borders at night to cover them?

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  2. I have always thought it would be rather nice to garden in Italy - might chane my opinion now,

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  3. I can only think they are not as destructive as wild pigs. Do you get them an your area?

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  4. Are they after the grub that feeds on the Iris tuber (rhizome ?) I forget which it is?

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  5. It’s awful isn’t it? All that hard work destroyed by wildlife with plenty to eat elsewhere. I’m currently battling with field mice, attracted to my troughs and planters by the bulbs on tulips that have flowered but after eating the ones I didn’t dig out in time, they’ve moved on to the tender young plants that I’ve nurtured from seed

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  6. Oh no! Is there such a thing as porcupine deterrent? I know that lion dung is supposed to deter cats from your garden - is there a porcupine equivalent?!

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