I live in a rural Texas town where fences and dog-leash laws are more like suggestions. And really, until now, it has never been a problem for us. The perpetrators - a pair of brown and white beagles - are quite likable dogs, and my husband and I usually stop to play with and love on them when they're passing through.
However, as an emerging gardener, I've also just started my fledgling (binless) compost pile, one that I found myself being rather protective of yesterday when I caught one of the beagles red-pawed. I ran over, shoo-ing and waving my arms to scare him away. He wasn't the least bit intimidated. I had just added suitable compost materials from my dinner preparation and clean-up: eggshells, potato skins, squash rinds and green beans. In his mind, I'd just laid out the buffet. I am really actually surprised they were interested - there were onions in that pile.
I came back in the house grumbling, to which my dear husband responded by heading outdoors to do his best to run off the dogs (notice the 's' because by now, this canine crook had been joined by his accomplice. Did I mention these dogs' names are Bonnie and Clyde? No, seriously.) I watched my knight-in-shining-armor make several attempts before I started waving my white flag. Now that they know where to look for it, I'm afraid my pile will be vulnerable. Maybe next year I'll try to use bins, but like everything else, I'm trying to start out modestly. Good news is, all their rooting around will take care of aerating the pile!
As I was coming back from my walk later in the evening, I found a big long-haired cat sniffing and nosing around the pile, or what was left of it. Just great.
I don't have any before pictures, but here are some after pictures I took this morning when I went out to assess the damage.
sprinkle it with cayenne pepper...that will stop them....they also avoid orange oil...if that helps!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tootsie - I figured someone in the know would be able to suggest something!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I am a little surprised at them actually consuming so much plant product - meat I could see, or produce cooked in meat grease possibly - but I'm pretty sure you don't do that. Well then again, my mom kept tons of neighborhood strays alive with mashed potato leftovers in her compost pile and then in their own feedings which she took upon herself to provide, for decades. Course, her mashed potatoes would just about keep the dead alive...she just WAS that talented with food prep...
ReplyDeleteahahahahaha I have two beagles - Gabe and Archie. I have also fostered a beagle - Annie. Archie is a pickier eatier, but Gabe and Annie will chow down on most anything. Gabe loves most vegetables and will actually beg for carrots and romaine. His first full summer with us, he would pull cucumbers off the vine to eat (he still eats cukes, but only if I pick them for him); and he still helps himself to raspberries and saskatcoon berries, picking them off the bushes himself. He will also eat a lot of fruit (cantaloupe is his favourite). Most dogs actually love onions, but they can die from eating them. If you aren't able to contain the compost or stop the dogs from getting in it, perhaps toss onion scraps in the regular garbage.
ReplyDeleteoh yeah, re: tootsie's comment - I have a lot of respect for her gardening skills (and junkin' skills!) but cayenne pepper won't deter (most) beagles. Trust me on that one. It's been tried here. And Gabe *loves* mandarin oranges, so the orange/citrus scent thing wouldn't work with him either.
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