by Carrie Stevenson | Sep 29, 2015
Cool Season Wildlife Food Plot. Photo by Jennifer Bearden, UF / IFAS
Many of us enhance our home landscaping with bird feeders, bird houses, bird baths and other items so that we can attract wildlife. To accomplish the same thing, many rural landowners plant wildlife food plots. While large landowners often plant several acres, food plots can work well in any sunny area and can be as small as an urban garden.
Food plot plants that do well in our area include clovers, millet, partridge pea, winter wheat, corn, sunflowers and legumes. Deer also like beggerweed and cowpeas.
If you decide to establish a wildlife food plot, you should manage it just like any other garden. The location should be sunny (a minimum of 50% sunshine is recommended) and plots often look better and wildlife will feel safer if you have a backdrop like a forest edge or tall hedgerow.
Just like any other garden, turn the soil with a garden plow or shovel and than smooth the seedbed. Seeding can be done by hand or with a handheld broadcast spreader.
Seeds should be covered lightly (1/4 to 1/2 inch in most cases) and watered as needed. In normal years watering won’t be needed, but if you get an extended dry spell you may want to give the plants additional water. Fertilizer is also recommended and will definitely give you more productivity. I have escaped that myself by growing clover in the winter for nitrogen and adding fireplace ashes to provide calcium (liming agent), potassium and phosphorus. If there is any doubt about what to apply, it is best to get a soil test and follow the recommendations for applying lime and fertilizer. Contact your local County Extension Office for more information.
I generally plant two crops in my wildlife garden–crimson clover in October (that beautiful clover you see in spring along the highways) and brown top millet in the spring after the clover dies back. I mow between seedings; this can work without tilling with some crops, if you keep the weeds under control. When I mow the millet it puts the seed on the ground and many ground feeding birds like doves move in to eat the seeds.
Speaking of gardens, the wildlife food plot makes a useful cover crop for your vegetable garden if you are taking a long vacation or just need a break for any other reason. You can also use the plants as green manure when you decide to put vegetables back in your garden.
It is always good to remember that when wildlife view your landscape, they don’t see pretty grass, flowers, shrubs and trees–they see habitat, good or bad. Food plots simply boil down to food and shelter for them.
To learn more about food for wildlife, consult this article on establishing and maintaining wildlife food sources.
Stan Rosenthal
Extension Agent
Leon County Extension Office
RosenthalS@leoncountyfl.gov
by Carrie Stevenson | Aug 26, 2015
About two years ago, my son was mowing the lawn when he came across something orange and furry lying in the grass. He backed away and yelled for his dad, but the damage had already been done—he had come across the remains of our orange tabby cat, killed overnight by a larger predator. Emotional repercussions aside, it was startling for our family to realize that even in a residential neighborhood within the city limits, animals were hunting nearby. Based on the experience of seeing one in our own yard just a few months earlier and from other neighbors’ stories, we realized we’d had a coyote attack. Our neighborhood is located relatively close to a large wooded area and a local bayou, and there are plenty of places for coyotes to find shelter.
Always feed your pets indoors and keep them inside at night to prevent coyote attacks. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
We learned several lessons after our incident that could be helpful to others living in areas populated with coyotes. Like sharks, coyotes are crepuscular creatures—most actively feeding at dusk and dawn. While they prefer to eat small animals like lizards, rodents, and young birds or deer, they are omnivorous and will also eat fruit and grasses. Not unlike other urban wildlife such as raccoons, they are opportunistic feeders and will scavenge dead animals and garbage. One of the best ways to protect small pets is to keep them (and their food) indoors at night and early morning. Pet food left outdoors often attracts coyotes’ normal prey and therefore the coyotes themselves. It is extremely rare to hear of a coyote attacking a human, but if threatened it is recommended that you yell, throw something, or spray a water hose. Stand your ground and fight back—don’t run, as this will encourage them to give chase.
Coyotes are social animals and often hunt in packs, and like the dogs they’re related to, have excellent vision, hearing, and sense of smell. They will howl and bark to communicate with one another, and hearing these vocalizations is often the first sign that there are some living nearby.
Coyotes are common throughout Florida. Photo credit: W. M. Giuliano
Floridians are no strangers to living with wild animals—we all routinely hear stories of alligators, black bears, venomous snakes, and sharks interrupting our attempts at taming the former wildlands that we now occupy. As urban development marches through the landscape, the large tracts of land once used primarily by animals for hunting and shelter are occupied by human dwellings and transportation routes.
While coyotes are relatively new to Florida (they are native to the western US but entered northwest Florida in the 1970’s), they’ve filled in the ecological gap left by a reduction of native wolves, bobcats, and panthers. Research has shown they now reside in every Florida county and can range the entirety of North America and most of Central America.
Most homeowners will never encounter a coyote, but it is helpful to know they are out there and to take precautions with pets and yard practices to prevent attracting one into your backyard.
For more information on managing coyotes, please visit the UF publication Managing Conflicts with Wildlife: Living with Coyotes.
by Sheila Dunning | Jul 7, 2015
There are more than 100 species of plants and animals living in Florida that are in danger of extinction. These trees, flowers, reptiles, amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and invertebrates are listed as either threatened, endangered or species of special concern. As stewards of the land we must question, “What could the loss of a torreya tree, a lupine, a salamander, a butterfly, a woodstork, a right whale, a manatee, a sea turtle or a black bear do to our environment and our quality of life?”
Biological diversity is the variety and variability of species present in an ecosystem including the complex interactions of the many species. Regardless of their size or apparent significance, each species has a role in the circle of life and the food web. Preservation of all species is important. No one knows which ones hold the answers to the future of human existence on this planet.
Many significant developments in medicine have come from obscure plant and animal species. Modern day research includes a vaccine against leprosy being developed because of the nine-banded armadillo and horseshoe crabs being used in developing laboratory tests and finding remedies for several bacterial diseases. In agriculture, genes from wild species may provide the resistance for plant diseases, insects or even weather extremes that could save us from crop failure or possible starvation. There is an interdependence among living things. The extinction of one species may have a domino-like effect on other species. Stability of an ecosystem depends on bio-diversity.
To protect our future and the future of wildlife, the Endangered Species Act became federal law in 1976. This act is intended to protect and promote recovery of plants and animals that are in danger of becoming extinct as a result of human activity. The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for ensuring the endangered species are protected from pesticides.
Pesticides can kill endangered plants and animals directly or indirectly. Birds mistaking them for food may eat granules, baits or treated seeds. Water contaminated with pesticides ranging in concentrations of less than 0.1 to 1.0 parts per million (ppm) can kill fish. Animals that eat treated crops, drink or wade in contaminated water or feed on tainted prey can be killed indirectly. Some pesticides can build up to lethal levels as predators consume multiple poisoned prey species.
There are certain things you can do to lessen the harmful effects of pesticides on fish and wildlife. Read all pesticide labels carefully to find out whether the use of the product requires special steps to protect endangered species. Determine if the site is designated as the current habitat of an endangered species. Find out this information by visiting http://www.epa.gov/espp/ and http://myfwc.com. When you have a choice of pesticides to use, choose one that is less or non-toxic to fish and wildlife. Read and follow the “Environmental Hazards” section and use the special precautions and measures to minimize harmful effects. Treat only the areas that need to be treated. Leave a buffer zone (untreated area) between bodies of water and treated areas. It is your legal and moral responsibility to protect endangered species by careful use of pesticides in and around their key habitat areas.
Information for this article was derived from University of Florida publications “Pesticide Effects on Nontarget Organisms” by Frederick Fishel and “Applying Pesticides Correctly” by Thomas Dean and Norman Nesheim.
by Mary Salinas | Jul 7, 2015
Butterflies are not only beautiful to look at in your landscape; they serve as important pollinators and indicators of the health of our environment. Attracting them to your garden and incorporating some features to get them to stay and make it their home involves a little planning ahead of time for optimum results.
Queen butterfly. Photo credit: Milt Putnam, UF/IFAS.
Choose a location that provides some protection from wind. Trees and shrubs that provide wind protection also serve as a safe harbor from rain and predators. The garden should be mostly sunny with some part sun areas. Ensure that any new plantings have access to a convenient irrigation source so they can be successfully established and maintained in good health.
Now you’ll need to choose the plants. Adults feed on the nectar of many flowering trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals and, fortunately, there are usually many choices that will meet your site requirements and your taste preferences. In order to keep the butterflies in your garden, certain plants need to be available to serve as host plants for their young. Determine which species of butterfly is common in your area and that you want to attract. Most species have very few plants on which the caterpillars can feed so those host plants need to be chosen wisely. Determine whether any of the plants you already have are host plants and they can be integrated into your butterfly garden. For example, cassia is a host plant for the Cloudless Sulphur and citrus is a host plant for the Giant Swallowtail.
In choosing your nectar plants, select those that are native or Florida-Friendly as they are lower maintenance, giving you less trouble in the long run. Choose plants that have flowers in a variety of color, size, and shape. Different butterflies like to feed at different elevations, so choose trees, shrubs, perennials, and annuals of varying heights. In order to have nectar available throughout the time when the butterflies occur, include plants that bloom at different times of the year. And include some plants that bloom from spring to late fall, like pentas or moss verbena.
Larger plants should be placed in the background with smaller plants layered in the foreground. When you plant smaller annuals and perennials, place them in masses to better attract the butterflies. Consider placing host plants in an area that is in close proximity to the nectar plants, but in an area of your garden that is not a focal point. Host plants can get quite ragged looking from hungry caterpillars!
Good maintenance practices will enhance the health of your garden. Regular fertilization and irrigation if needed will help keep your plants in bloom and healthy; healthy plants are less susceptible to disease and pests. Avoid pesticides as they may harm the very creatures you are trying to attract. Never use Bt or systemic pesticide. If you must, target a pest with lower risk oils or soaps and then only treat the affected plants. Lastly, be aware of beneficial insects that will help you achieve satisfactory control of a pest.
Now that your plants are placed there are several things to do to make your butterfly garden complete. Add a spot where water can puddle on the ground for the adult butterflies to drink. They require minerals from the soil that get dissolved in the water. Also add a rock or log in a sunny spot where butterflies can rest and sun themselves. And consider placing a comfortable place for you to sit and enjoy the beauty of your garden and its inhabitants!
For more information:
Butterfly Gardening in Florida
by Carrie Stevenson | Jun 29, 2015
These fledgling doves were found out of their nest and on the ground in late May. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
A few weeks ago, the neighbor boys came running over to show my children the baby birds they found in their front yard. We expected they would lead us to a tree and point out fledglings in a nest, but instead the young mourning doves were lying on the ground in a pile of pine straw. Their nest had fallen from a perch in a low windowsill. According to the local Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida, mourning doves are notoriously bad nest-makers.
Doves in their new nest! Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
Close-up of young doves. Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
So, with no regard to the (untrue) wives’ tale that human scent affects a mother bird’s willingness to return to her babies, I scooped up the birds and kept them in a box inside for the night. Our neighborhood has plenty of roving cats, raccoons, and even coyotes, so this protected the vulnerable young birds from predators.
The next morning, the kids and I made a new perch for the birds from an old basket by placing the nest inside it and hanging it from a nearby tree. At that point, we left the area alone, so as not to frighten the mother bird away. Within hours, she was back, fussing around the nest and bringing food.
Establishing a conservation ethic towards land, water, and wildlife while children are young will ensure good stewardship for generations to come! Photo credit: Carrie Stevenson
This happy ending illustrates a an important point—trust nature! Often, out of well-intended concern, people bring young (uninjured) animals to a wildlife sanctuary simply because they are afraid they’ve been abandoned. If young are moved, their parents will never find them again. While rehabilitation facilities do their best to return wildlife to their native habitat, there is no substitute for a young animal to learn to find food, hide, or fly from their own kin. In our situation, we intervened enough to keep the birds safe from predators, but didn’t completely relocate them from their home.
It was a lesson that these four budding wildlife conservationists will never forget.
by Mary Salinas | May 12, 2015
An easy to care for perennial to add to your flower garden is the coneflower, Echinacea purpurea. The daisy-like flowers stand tall above the foliage on sturdy 2 to 4 foot stems. Blooms appear about the last part of April or the first of May in the Florida panhandle and last throughout the warm season until late fall. This Florida native reliably comes back year after year. Plant coneflower in part to full sun in rich but well-drained soil for best results.
White coneflower. Photo credit: Mary Derrick, UF/IFAS Extension.
Coneflowers are traditionally purple but many new colors and variations of their form have become available from the horticultural industry. You can find them in white, yellows, pinks, oranges, and greens as well as all shades of lavender and purple. No matter what color you choose, the blooms will attract a host of butterflies and other pollinating insects. In order to protect these delicate creatures, avoid the use of pesticides when they are present.
Once you have a few coneflowers, you will notice that the clumps will grow in time and new plants will sprout from seeds left behind by the spent blooms. In our demonstration garden, this has created a stunning display that has been allowed to take over one of the garden beds. When any one clump gets too big, the number of blooms can decrease and it may be time to dig up the clump and divide it. This is a great opportunity to expand your coneflower bed or share them with some friends or neighbors!
For more information:
Ornamentals for your landscape
Butterfly Gardening
