WEBVTT 00:00.567 --> 00:02.102 Hi, thanks for joining us for 00:02.102 --> 00:04.371 "The Family Plot: Gardening in the Mid-South." 00:04.371 --> 00:05.539 I'm Chris Cooper. 00:05.539 --> 00:09.610  Insects like to eat plants   but spiders eat insects. 00:09.610 --> 00:12.713  Today we're talking about   out eight-legged friends. 00:12.713 --> 00:15.182  Also, rodents can   be destructive. 00:15.182 --> 00:17.184  We'll show you how   to control them. 00:17.184 --> 00:18.185  That's just ahead on.. 00:18.185 --> 00:20.187  "The Family Plot:   Gardening in the Mid-South." 00:20.187 --> 00:22.689 (female announcer)  Production funding for 00:22.689 --> 00:26.927  "The Family Plot: Gardening in   the Mid-South" is provided by 00:26.927 --> 00:31.164  Good Winds Landscape and Garden   Center in Germantown since 1943 00:31.164 --> 00:34.301  and continuing to offer its   plants for successful gardening 00:34.301 --> 00:37.304  with seven greenhouses   and three acres of plants 00:37.304 --> 00:39.606  plus comprehensive   landscape services.. 00:39.606 --> 00:53.253 [soft music] 00:53.253 --> 01:02.596 [theme music] 01:02.596 --> 01:03.830 Hi, welcome to "The Family Plot." 01:03.830 --> 01:04.898 I'm Chris Cooper. 01:04.898 --> 01:06.733 Joining me today is Andy Williams. 01:06.733 --> 01:09.202  Andy is the director out at   Lichterman Nature Center. 01:09.202 --> 01:10.404  And Mister D is here. 01:10.404 --> 01:12.572  Thanks for joining us. 01:12.572 --> 01:13.607 Glad to be here. 01:13.607 --> 01:15.609 Alright, Andy. 01:15.609 --> 01:16.743 You have spiders. 01:16.743 --> 01:19.112 And I'll try not to scream. 01:19.112 --> 01:21.682 So, what do we need to know about the spiders? 01:21.682 --> 01:23.116 Because they are beneficial, right? 01:23.116 --> 01:24.384 They are. 01:24.384 --> 01:27.487 That's the point if you can get past your phobias about spiders. 01:27.487 --> 01:28.789 I mean, next is snakes. 01:28.789 --> 01:30.924 They're some of the most misunderstood creatures 01:30.924 --> 01:31.959 on the planet. 01:31.959 --> 01:35.095 They have just really undeserved reputations. 01:35.095 --> 01:36.496 But the more you know about them.. 01:36.496 --> 01:38.498 Of course, you know, it's my thing anyway. 01:38.498 --> 01:41.335 The more you know about them, the more interesting they are. 01:41.335 --> 01:44.304 To start with in broad strokes, they're arthropods. 01:44.304 --> 01:47.307 They're related to insects but they're not insects. 01:47.307 --> 01:48.875 Insects typically have three legs, 01:48.875 --> 01:50.277 three body parts. 01:50.277 --> 01:54.614  But spiders are arachnids,   spiders and their relatives. 01:54.614 --> 01:56.483  And they have eight legs. 01:56.483 --> 01:58.285  They have   two body parts 01:58.285 --> 02:00.988  and some other    interesting equipment. 02:00.988 --> 02:02.556 So, this is not a native spider. 02:02.556 --> 02:05.892  This is actually a blonde   tarantula from the desert. 02:05.892 --> 02:08.395  But we use it because   it's the large size. 02:08.395 --> 02:10.297  Our native   spiders tend to live.. 02:10.297 --> 02:12.265  Most of them just   live a single year. 02:12.265 --> 02:13.834  But their lifecycles tend to.. 02:13.834 --> 02:17.704 They live between one to three years. 02:17.704 --> 02:20.741 So, this time of year, they're kind of on the small side. 02:20.741 --> 02:23.010 And so, it's very helpful to have live spiders 02:23.010 --> 02:24.644 that live longer. 02:24.644 --> 02:26.713 These tarantulas can live five, ten, 02:26.713 --> 02:29.249 twenty years and they're very long lived. 02:29.249 --> 02:30.851 They're typically females. 02:30.851 --> 02:33.754 Most spiders are sexually dimorphic. 02:33.754 --> 02:36.957 In other words, they're very distinct differences between the 02:36.957 --> 02:37.324 males and females. 02:37.324 --> 02:39.793 And the females are larger and live longer. 02:39.793 --> 02:43.730 [laughter] 02:43.730 --> 02:47.167 You really can't tell really clearly here 02:47.167 --> 02:48.268 that it has eight eyes. 02:48.268 --> 02:52.973  But the eyes are on the   part called the cephalothorax, 02:52.973 --> 02:54.474  which is kind of the head chest. 02:54.474 --> 02:56.376 They have eight legs, eight eyes. 02:56.376 --> 03:00.213 They're more sensitive to light and dark. 03:00.213 --> 03:02.716 Although, jumping spiders can see up to eight inches. 03:02.716 --> 03:08.588  They have pedipalps, large --   looks like a first set of legs. 03:08.588 --> 03:10.090  Inside, they have fangs. 03:10.090 --> 03:14.161 The fangs are connected to venom glands. 03:14.161 --> 03:18.065 All spiders are venomous. 03:18.065 --> 03:22.069 However not all spiders venom is deleterious to humans. 03:22.069 --> 03:23.870 But every time you talk about spiders, 03:23.870 --> 03:27.407 you know, you really have to talk about the brown recluse and 03:27.407 --> 03:30.544 the black widow, which are also found in the gardens and you 03:30.544 --> 03:32.446 really don't necessarily want. 03:32.446 --> 03:35.082  The black widows are distinctive   if they've got the hourglass 03:35.082 --> 03:36.650  marking and that sort of stuff. 03:36.650 --> 03:37.784 Spiders will eat anything. 03:37.784 --> 03:39.319 And so, they eat the males. 03:39.319 --> 03:40.754 They eat eat other spiders. 03:40.754 --> 03:42.355 Of course, they eat everything. 03:42.355 --> 03:44.891  The brown recluse, we won't go   in to too much detail about it 03:44.891 --> 03:45.892  at this point. 03:45.892 --> 03:51.031  But they're small, wispy, brown   spiders that hang out in your 03:51.031 --> 03:52.032  closets and like that. 03:52.032 --> 03:53.033  You really want to avoid them. 03:53.033 --> 03:56.269 But anyhow, those are the two no-nos. 03:56.269 --> 03:58.305 But most other spiders that we have, 03:58.305 --> 03:59.439 there are thousands of them. 03:59.439 --> 04:02.042 People tell us that you're never more than three feet away 04:02.042 --> 04:03.477 from a spider. 04:03.477 --> 04:05.912 Your house, your garden, everywhere. 04:05.912 --> 04:07.948 But the good news is they eat bugs. 04:07.948 --> 04:09.483 They eat lots of bugs. 04:09.483 --> 04:13.920 In the South, we have three general types of spiders. 04:13.920 --> 04:16.990 We have the very familiar web spinning spiders. 04:16.990 --> 04:21.061 They're web-weaving. 04:21.061 --> 04:25.031  All spiders have silk glands   they use to not only trap their 04:25.031 --> 04:26.967  prey but also provide habitat. 04:26.967 --> 04:29.770  They use a variety   of interesting ways. 04:29.770 --> 04:33.940 But these weaving spiders will just lay their webs and wait for 04:33.940 --> 04:36.843 something to come in to it. 04:36.843 --> 04:38.311 See if we can get him down a little bit. 04:38.311 --> 04:41.148  This is our native wolf spider,   which they get -- not terrifying 04:41.148 --> 04:43.216  but they get very large. 04:43.216 --> 04:45.385  See if I can get that   around where we can see it. 04:45.385 --> 04:47.120 They get larger later. 04:47.120 --> 04:49.589 And they look more like our friend the tarantula. 04:49.589 --> 04:50.957 And this is so tiny you can't see it. 04:50.957 --> 04:54.628 This is a jumping spider that jumps around and grabs its prey. 04:54.628 --> 04:55.529 Okay. 04:55.529 --> 04:58.198 Another spider that a lot of people only find out by mistake 04:58.198 --> 05:01.468 but are fairly common are the crab type spiders. 05:01.468 --> 05:03.603 The crab type spiders have very.. 05:03.603 --> 05:05.605 Well, they look like little miniature crabs. 05:05.605 --> 05:08.475  Crabs are also arthropods   but they're crustaceans. 05:08.475 --> 05:11.912  So, they're related but   not really the same thing. 05:11.912 --> 05:16.917  But you can see it's got its   legs in a crab like position. 05:16.917 --> 05:19.119 So, those are the three basic types of spiders. 05:19.119 --> 05:20.554 They eat and hunt differently. 05:20.554 --> 05:23.456 Like, we talked about these wait in flowers. 05:23.456 --> 05:25.458 And in the summer, some of them are beautiful. 05:25.458 --> 05:26.459 They're white. 05:26.459 --> 05:27.460 They're green. 05:27.460 --> 05:28.461 They're red. 05:28.461 --> 05:29.462 They're pink. 05:29.462 --> 05:31.464 They mimic the flowers and they ambush and catch things 05:31.464 --> 05:32.465 in the flowers. 05:32.465 --> 05:33.533 So, they mimic the flowers? 05:33.533 --> 05:35.168 Yeah, the colors of the flower. 05:35.168 --> 05:37.537 And they chill out, stay still and they move 05:37.537 --> 05:39.306 with amazing speed. 05:39.306 --> 05:42.442 Now they have a little bit better eye sight than some. 05:42.442 --> 05:46.580 But a lot of weaving spiders just respond to motion. 05:46.580 --> 05:48.582 In fact, on the tarantulas, you know, 05:48.582 --> 05:49.583 they're known for the hair. 05:49.583 --> 05:54.487 The hair-like things on their legs are very sensitive 05:54.487 --> 05:56.556 to sound and vibration. 05:56.556 --> 05:59.359 But another myth about spiders is basically they are, 05:59.359 --> 06:01.895 you know, arachnid vampires. 06:01.895 --> 06:03.363 You know, they got their fangs. 06:03.363 --> 06:05.365 They go and they just bite something. 06:05.365 --> 06:07.367 They suck the juice out of it and go on to the next. 06:07.367 --> 06:09.102 And actually, that's not true. 06:09.102 --> 06:11.705 But it makes them even more terrifying. 06:11.705 --> 06:17.444 You know, the truth is that all spiders to some extent digest at 06:17.444 --> 06:20.547 least part of what they eat. 06:20.547 --> 06:24.050 Just anyhow, you can see this on your own if you go out 06:24.050 --> 06:25.051 to the garden. 06:25.051 --> 06:27.954 You look at -- throw something in to like a garden spider or 06:27.954 --> 06:29.389 something and watch it eat. 06:29.389 --> 06:33.526 It will use the fangs first to penetrate and kill the prey. 06:33.526 --> 06:36.663 They may wrap a little bit webbing while they're waiting 06:36.663 --> 06:37.898 for it to die. 06:37.898 --> 06:39.432 But then they will go. 06:39.432 --> 06:43.003 And see if we can get him around where he can be seen 06:43.003 --> 06:44.004 by the camera. 06:44.004 --> 06:46.006 This is actually a brown recluse. 06:46.006 --> 06:49.342 And unfortunately, he's decided to crawl down on the bottom. 06:49.342 --> 06:52.679 But if you look in there, he's actually got a wolf spider. 06:52.679 --> 06:58.084  What he's done after he knew   he killed the wolf spider, 06:58.084 --> 07:02.489  he grabbed it and they actually   regurgitate digestive fluids on 07:02.489 --> 07:03.490  to the outside. 07:03.490 --> 07:06.192  And they take their   jaws and the macerate it. 07:06.192 --> 07:10.563  They get the digestive juices   in it and they eat that way. 07:10.563 --> 07:13.466 Now things like the wolf spiders and tarantulas, 07:13.466 --> 07:14.901 you know, they're hunters. 07:14.901 --> 07:19.973 A lot of them will tear the prey apart and eat bits and pieces. 07:19.973 --> 07:22.542 Although, you will see wings and legs. 07:22.542 --> 07:27.247 I hate to say less juicy parts but the parts that they can't 07:27.247 --> 07:28.348 chew as well. 07:28.348 --> 07:32.152 The crab spiders have another way of going about it. 07:32.152 --> 07:34.154 They have exceedingly strong fangs. 07:34.154 --> 07:36.456 And their fangs pierce the shell of an insect or the exoskeleton, 07:36.456 --> 07:37.524 the external covering. 07:37.524 --> 07:42.162 They will go and not only inject some venom but also they will 07:42.162 --> 07:44.631 throw up some digestive juices inside it. 07:44.631 --> 07:48.201 And so, after its dead, it'll start digesting inside out. 07:48.201 --> 07:50.704 And they'll suck out the digestive stuff 07:50.704 --> 07:52.105 out of the inside. 07:52.105 --> 07:54.240 But anyhow, that's how they eat. 07:54.240 --> 07:56.009 But what do they eat? 07:56.009 --> 07:57.444 They primarily eat bugs. 07:57.444 --> 08:00.280 And garden pests are among their favorite foods. 08:00.280 --> 08:01.281 There are.. 08:01.281 --> 08:05.985 Some of the hunters will -- has to eat special as far as diet. 08:05.985 --> 08:09.522 But almost any web-weaving spider will eat whatever goes in 08:09.522 --> 08:10.590 to its web. 08:10.590 --> 08:12.726 The webs don't hurt the plants. 08:12.726 --> 08:14.861 So, you want to attract them. 08:14.861 --> 08:19.132 You'll need some tall plants for them to put their webs on. 08:19.132 --> 08:22.335 Also, provide some mulching cover for these hunting insects 08:22.335 --> 08:24.504 to provide cover and go out and hunt and do their thing. 08:24.504 --> 08:26.573 Andy, that was great. 08:26.573 --> 08:29.209 We appreciate that. 08:29.209 --> 08:31.444 There are a number of gardening events going on in the next 08:31.444 --> 08:32.912 couple of weeks. 08:32.912 --> 08:35.248 Here are just a few that might interest you. 08:35.248 --> 08:56.202 [theme music] 08:56.202 --> 08:58.204 Alright, we talked about the spiders. 08:58.204 --> 09:02.041 Now, Mister D, moles, voles and chipmunks. 09:02.041 --> 09:04.044 Let's start with the moles first. 09:04.044 --> 09:05.044 Let's do start with the moles. 09:05.044 --> 09:07.046 That's actually a success story. 09:07.046 --> 09:09.049 I can tell you some good things about the mole. 09:09.049 --> 09:12.786 This past week, I caught three in my yard. 09:12.786 --> 09:16.556 And that's probably about seven that I've caught this year using 09:16.556 --> 09:20.593 the same scissors type mole trap I've had for several years. 09:20.593 --> 09:27.000 But it's pretty easy to catch moles if you simply try to set 09:27.000 --> 09:31.204 your trap over a long tunnel that doesn't have any branches 09:31.204 --> 09:32.205 off to the side. 09:32.205 --> 09:34.207 And you set your trap over that tunnel. 09:34.207 --> 09:35.208 And you should catch one. 09:35.208 --> 09:36.209 If you don't.. 09:36.209 --> 09:38.211 If you don't catch one within two days, move it. 09:38.211 --> 09:40.213 Don't leave it there for a week. 09:40.213 --> 09:42.215 You know, give it a couple of days. 09:42.215 --> 09:44.484 And with that being said, there's actually a video of you 09:44.484 --> 09:49.322 showing us how to set up a mole trap. 09:49.322 --> 09:52.425 Looks like we have a little bit of a mole problem here. 09:52.425 --> 09:53.893  WKNO has its own mole. 09:53.893 --> 09:54.894  That's good. 09:54.894 --> 09:57.764  We'll see if we   can take care of it. 09:57.764 --> 10:00.834  Need to understand a little bit   about moles before you try to 10:00.834 --> 10:03.036 trap them, a little bit about their biology 10:03.036 --> 10:04.504 and their feeding habits. 10:04.504 --> 10:08.141 Primary diet of a mole is an earthworm. 10:08.141 --> 10:12.712 And they do eat white grubs and other soil insects. 10:12.712 --> 10:15.448 But earthworms are their primary diet. 10:15.448 --> 10:16.449 They have.. 10:16.449 --> 10:21.354 One mole can tunnel up to 225 feet in one night. 10:21.354 --> 10:23.623 They have a veracious appetite. 10:23.623 --> 10:24.624 They're carnivorous. 10:24.624 --> 10:27.260 They have different types of tunnels. 10:27.260 --> 10:31.130 The long tunnel that doesn't have any lateral tunnels off to 10:31.130 --> 10:33.466 the side is probably a transportation tunnel. 10:33.466 --> 10:35.702 Of course, he could be feeding. 10:35.702 --> 10:37.704 He probably is feeding as he's going down through that 10:37.704 --> 10:38.705 transportation tunnel. 10:38.705 --> 10:42.909 The tunnels that have a lot of lateral tunnels off to the side, 10:42.909 --> 10:45.745 it looks like he's kind of confused or wondering around. 10:45.745 --> 10:47.380 Well, that is a feeding tunnel. 10:47.380 --> 10:49.649 He's probably in an area where there are a lot of earthworms. 10:49.649 --> 10:51.584 And he just is.. 10:51.584 --> 10:53.052 That's the buffet. 10:53.052 --> 10:55.555 He's enjoying the food. 10:55.555 --> 10:59.893 Now a place to set a trap is not in one of the feeding tunnels. 10:59.893 --> 11:02.962 Because he may not come back to this area for a long time. 11:02.962 --> 11:07.567 The place to set a trap is over a transportation tunnel, 11:07.567 --> 11:10.803 a tunnel that he uses going from his den to the feeding area, 11:10.803 --> 11:11.804 to the feeding ground. 11:11.804 --> 11:14.240 And what I look for if I can't.. 11:14.240 --> 11:17.410 You know, ideally I would come out here every night for two or 11:17.410 --> 11:19.412 three nights and mash all these tunnels down. 11:19.412 --> 11:23.283 And then the next morning, go out and look at the tunnel that 11:23.283 --> 11:28.087 was raised, flag it and do that for two or three days. 11:28.087 --> 11:31.424 And then the tunnel that's raised every night tells me that 11:31.424 --> 11:33.426 is definitely a transportation tunnel. 11:33.426 --> 11:35.962 And you'll probably be 100% effective in catching a mole. 11:35.962 --> 11:38.064 I don't have time to do that. 11:38.064 --> 11:41.401 So, I look for a long tunnel like this right here. 11:41.401 --> 11:43.503  We got four feet of this tunnel. 11:43.503 --> 11:45.905  It doesn't have any   little side branches off. 11:45.905 --> 11:49.542  So, that tells me that may very   well be a transportation tunnel. 11:49.542 --> 11:51.644  And that's where I set my trap. 11:51.644 --> 11:54.380  If I'm successful   in a day or two, good. 11:54.380 --> 11:58.051 If not, I probably judged this incorrectly and I'll move my 11:58.051 --> 11:59.052 trap somewhere else. 11:59.052 --> 12:03.089 I don't ever leave a trap -- an unsprung trap over a couple of 12:03.089 --> 12:04.090 days in an area. 12:04.090 --> 12:06.426 But it's important that you set the trap correctly. 12:06.426 --> 12:09.028 This has a couple of scissors on it. 12:09.028 --> 12:11.130 The way it's designed, when you set the trap, 12:11.130 --> 12:15.068 it actually opens a channel for these scissors to work. 12:15.068 --> 12:21.474 Be sure you set the scissors so that they will open up 12:21.474 --> 12:23.176 perpendicular to the runway. 12:23.176 --> 12:26.179 If you set it that way, that's the wrong way. 12:26.179 --> 12:27.814 The mole can still get through. 12:27.814 --> 12:33.987 So, you push this down in to the tunnel, 12:33.987 --> 12:36.022 snug it down there pretty good. 12:36.022 --> 12:38.024 It's really very, very simple. 12:38.024 --> 12:42.428 And you carefully put your foot on it and you push it down. 12:42.428 --> 12:45.665 As you're pushing it down, those scissors are opening. 12:45.665 --> 12:48.901 And I'm making sure that the trigger stays pretty much in the 12:48.901 --> 12:53.640 center, over the center of that tunnel. 12:53.640 --> 12:59.479 Push it down until it clicks and it's set. 12:59.479 --> 13:01.114 So, we're ready. 13:01.114 --> 13:02.715 We are in the hunting mode right now. 13:02.715 --> 13:07.053 Those scissors have opened up and they're ready to go. 13:07.053 --> 13:08.621 The mole will.. 13:08.621 --> 13:11.591  Even though that's pushing down,   the mole will raise 13:11.591 --> 13:12.592  that tunnel again. 13:12.592 --> 13:15.295  And when it raises that   trigger, you'll have your mole. 13:15.295 --> 13:17.397  And he won't last very long. 13:17.397 --> 13:20.667  Just as important as learning   how to set a trap correctly is 13:20.667 --> 13:23.770  learning how to spring that trap   without getting your fingers 13:23.770 --> 13:24.771 cut off. 13:24.771 --> 13:26.773 So, be very, very careful with that. 13:26.773 --> 13:27.774 And the way I do it.. 13:27.774 --> 13:31.110 And I'm not sure this is approved -- an approved method. 13:31.110 --> 13:33.112 I know where those scissors are. 13:33.112 --> 13:36.916 So, I make sure I keep my fingers away from that trigger. 13:36.916 --> 13:38.017 Now pull it out of the ground. 13:38.017 --> 13:39.585 Either side will work. 13:39.585 --> 13:41.587 Work it out of the ground. 13:42.822 --> 13:44.223 See, the trigger is still.. 13:44.223 --> 13:47.326 You can see the scissors. 13:47.326 --> 13:50.029 That's in mole-catching mode. 13:52.999 --> 13:55.234  Usually it hits the   ground before it does that. 13:55.234 --> 13:59.672  But I keep my fingers away from   the scissors and just toss it 13:59.672 --> 14:00.673  on the ground. 14:00.673 --> 14:01.674  And it's ready to go. 14:01.674 --> 14:05.845 Okay, and we have Andy here. 14:05.845 --> 14:07.847 And guess what he brought us so we can see. 14:07.847 --> 14:10.783 Because most folks have never seen a mole. 14:10.783 --> 14:11.784 So.. 14:11.784 --> 14:13.786 Well, this is actually the Eastern mole. 14:13.786 --> 14:16.756 You can see it's got a long snout. 14:16.756 --> 14:18.224  It's pretty sensitive. 14:18.224 --> 14:21.227  Large front paws are    designed for moving 14:21.227 --> 14:22.328 through the dirt easily. 14:22.328 --> 14:24.564  The fur goes in one direction. 14:24.564 --> 14:25.565  And it's super soft. 14:25.565 --> 14:28.835  I mean, it actually feels good. 14:28.835 --> 14:32.972  It helps him glide   through the tunnels. 14:32.972 --> 14:34.974 You know, they're ubiquitous in the South. 14:34.974 --> 14:35.975 They love.. 14:35.975 --> 14:36.976 They eat insects. 14:36.976 --> 14:38.211 Well, they have a lot of grubs. 14:38.211 --> 14:40.213 But I think their favorite food may be earth worms. 14:40.213 --> 14:43.216 And so, the best way to attract them to your yard is to have a 14:43.216 --> 14:44.851 beautiful scene of grass. 14:44.851 --> 14:46.486 That's exactly. 14:46.486 --> 14:48.821 If you don't use many pesticides, 14:48.821 --> 14:50.823 you know, that just brings them in 14:50.823 --> 14:51.824 like sending the bat signal up. 14:51.824 --> 14:52.825 Okay. 14:52.825 --> 14:55.228 Now what else did you bring us, Andy? 14:55.228 --> 14:57.063 Well, also brought two things. 14:57.063 --> 14:59.532 This is actually a shrew. 14:59.532 --> 15:01.601 As you can tell, the shrew looks like the mole. 15:01.601 --> 15:03.503  It eats insects as well. 15:03.503 --> 15:08.107  But it doesn't tend to dig   as much as the moles do. 15:08.107 --> 15:11.711  They'll dig occasionally but   they primarily use the tunnels 15:11.711 --> 15:13.646 that are made by the moles. 15:13.646 --> 15:17.784 And they'll also follow some of the tracks made by voles with a 15:17.784 --> 15:20.419 V that actually will eat your plants. 15:20.419 --> 15:22.121 They're easily mistaken. 15:22.121 --> 15:25.024 But if you look carefully, you can tell very quickly that they 15:25.024 --> 15:26.425 have very different front legs. 15:26.425 --> 15:28.427  These are not   designed for burrowing. 15:28.427 --> 15:29.829  They do have the   same sort of snout. 15:29.829 --> 15:31.430  But they're   substantially smaller. 15:31.430 --> 15:34.433 A vole, which we will talk about in a little bit, 15:34.433 --> 15:35.601 is also a rodent. 15:35.601 --> 15:39.205 It tends to be a little lighter brown and its sort of, 15:39.205 --> 15:43.109 you know, roughly half way in size between the size of a shrew 15:43.109 --> 15:44.110 and a mole. 15:44.110 --> 15:46.412 Last but not least, our chipmunk. 15:46.412 --> 15:49.081 Yeah, another garden animal. 15:49.081 --> 15:52.451 Both the chipmunks and the moles dig. 15:52.451 --> 15:55.221  And they tend to be solitary   except when they're breeding. 15:55.221 --> 15:57.390  The moles will   breed once a year, 15:57.390 --> 15:58.558  typically in the spring. 15:58.558 --> 16:01.360  The chipmunks, sometimes   they have two batches. 16:01.360 --> 16:06.132  They look cute in cartoons   but they do dig up your garden. 16:06.132 --> 16:08.134 They're omnivorous. 16:08.134 --> 16:11.237 But they will preferably a lot of vegetables and stuff. 16:11.237 --> 16:13.840 And they can carry food in their cheeks. 16:13.840 --> 16:17.009 They have pouches, a great way. 16:17.009 --> 16:20.046 Moles have really high energy demands. 16:20.046 --> 16:23.249 They run around the yard eating all the time. 16:23.249 --> 16:24.517 And they don't store food. 16:24.517 --> 16:27.620 You know, they just kind of go to deeper areas to look for food 16:27.620 --> 16:29.222 when the weather gets cold. 16:29.222 --> 16:31.224 Alright, we appreciate that, Andy. 16:31.224 --> 16:33.226 Now Mister D, how about control? 16:33.226 --> 16:35.228 Well, you know, another thing you were talking about, 16:35.228 --> 16:36.762 the energy needs of the mole. 16:36.762 --> 16:41.067 They can eat 70 to 100% of their body weight per day of insects. 16:41.067 --> 16:44.136 And like you said, mostly earthworms is what they like. 16:44.136 --> 16:45.671 They have a real narrow.. 16:45.671 --> 16:48.441 You notice their rear hind quarters are more narrow 16:48.441 --> 16:49.442  than the front. 16:49.442 --> 16:52.778  That enables them to very easily   turn around in their tunnel. 16:52.778 --> 16:54.780  But they're   interesting critters. 16:54.780 --> 16:57.683 You ever heard of making a mountain out of a mole hill? 16:57.683 --> 16:59.852 You know what a mole hill is? 16:59.852 --> 17:02.021 Well, that's the hole that they dig 17:02.021 --> 17:04.023 when during dry weather conditions. 17:04.023 --> 17:06.025 They're still tunneling underground but you can't see 17:06.025 --> 17:08.794 the tunnel and the dirt has to go somewhere. 17:08.794 --> 17:10.196 Just make you get that control 17:10.196 --> 17:12.198 while we have just a little time left. 17:12.198 --> 17:13.199 Well, the control.. 17:13.199 --> 17:14.200 Just set a trap. 17:14.200 --> 17:17.370 Scissors-type trap is the one that I found to be successful. 17:17.370 --> 17:23.409 And set it correctly over a long span of uninterrupted tunnel. 17:23.409 --> 17:25.411 If it's got a lot of side tunnels off to the side of it, 17:25.411 --> 17:26.412 it's a feeding tunnel. 17:26.412 --> 17:28.047 The mole may not be there. 17:28.047 --> 17:31.517 Set the trap and if you don't catch anything in two days, 17:31.517 --> 17:32.518 move it to another one. 17:32.518 --> 17:34.520 And just kind of keep doing that. 17:34.520 --> 17:35.521 You'll eventually have success. 17:35.521 --> 17:37.523 What about for the voles and the chipmunks? 17:37.523 --> 17:39.525 The voles and chipmunks, you know.. 17:39.525 --> 17:40.526 Voles are.. 17:40.526 --> 17:41.527 Both of them are rodents. 17:41.527 --> 17:43.529 Of course, voles, you can use rodenticides. 17:43.529 --> 17:45.531 They're cleared for use on voles. 17:45.531 --> 17:49.235 I have some vole damage under one of my apple trees I noticed. 17:49.235 --> 17:52.972 I was pulling some of the weeds back and leaves back 17:52.972 --> 17:54.307 from my apple trees. 17:54.307 --> 17:58.177 And that's one thing that will help prevent that damage or stop 17:58.177 --> 18:00.613 that damage because they like to be covered up and they like 18:00.613 --> 18:01.614 weeds to be there. 18:01.614 --> 18:02.615 And I pull all that out. 18:02.615 --> 18:04.116 I'm going to try that. 18:04.116 --> 18:08.487 And if I still continue to have moles or voles present there, 18:08.487 --> 18:12.491 then I will put a rodenticide out and try to take care of it. 18:12.491 --> 18:14.493 The chipmunks, even though they're a rodent, 18:14.493 --> 18:18.798 none of the rodenticides are cleared for use on chipmunks. 18:18.798 --> 18:20.700 So, exclusion methods. 18:20.700 --> 18:24.704 You know, try to chase them out. 18:24.704 --> 18:26.706 You know, not a whole lot to do. 18:26.706 --> 18:28.708 And they can do you some damage. 18:28.708 --> 18:31.310 They take my four wheel drive out of my hunting vehicle every 18:31.310 --> 18:33.846 year and I have to take it to my mechanic to get it fixed every 18:33.846 --> 18:35.848 year before hunting season starts. 18:35.848 --> 18:37.850 If you got a vehicle that just sits out and you don't drive it 18:37.850 --> 18:39.986 a lot during the summer time, look out. 18:39.986 --> 18:40.987 Alright. 18:40.987 --> 18:42.989 Well, we appreciate that Andy and Mister D. 18:42.989 --> 18:44.223 Now is our Q and A session. 18:44.223 --> 18:45.491 Andy, we want you to join us. 18:45.491 --> 18:46.492 Sure. 18:46.492 --> 18:47.493 Alright. 18:47.493 --> 18:49.061 Here's the first viewer e-mail. 18:49.061 --> 18:52.231  How do I protect my   strawberries from birds? 18:52.231 --> 18:55.234 I put stakes with bird netting over my patch. 18:55.234 --> 18:59.038 It was not working well so I put taller stakes with another layer 18:59.038 --> 19:00.072 of netting. 19:00.072 --> 19:02.675 I've had tape tied on and added more. 19:02.675 --> 19:06.212 Still they are eating through the net. 19:06.212 --> 19:08.347 "Help," says Miss Elizabeth. 19:08.347 --> 19:10.316 Mister D, help! 19:10.316 --> 19:11.784 What kind of birds do you have? 19:11.784 --> 19:13.152 I'd like to see. 19:13.152 --> 19:18.090 If you do a good job of putting netting around and seal it real 19:18.090 --> 19:20.660 good, I don't understand how the birds are getting through there 19:20.660 --> 19:23.896 unless you have the net so close to the fruit, 19:23.896 --> 19:26.799 the birds are able to peck through the netting. 19:26.799 --> 19:28.234 I really don't understand that. 19:28.234 --> 19:30.236 And that's the only thing I can think of. 19:30.236 --> 19:31.237 I would try frightening agents. 19:31.237 --> 19:35.007 Try an artificial mole, an artificial snake. 19:35.007 --> 19:36.275 They become habituated. 19:36.275 --> 19:39.145 So, you know, you've got to move that around. 19:39.145 --> 19:40.379 But I'm with you. 19:40.379 --> 19:42.882 If you're having mechanical troubles like that that are not 19:42.882 --> 19:45.484 working, you know, I would re-examine my technique. 19:45.484 --> 19:46.485 (Mike)  You need some engineering. 19:46.485 --> 19:49.422 You may just need somebody with some engineering experience to 19:49.422 --> 19:53.059 approve of that mechanical exclusion method. 19:53.059 --> 19:55.061 Alright, there you have it, Miss Elizabeth. 19:55.061 --> 19:56.062 Here's our next question. 19:56.062 --> 19:58.064 While pulling up weeds in my yard, 19:58.064 --> 20:00.166 I discovered several grub worms. 20:00.166 --> 20:04.203  What do you recommend    I use to get rid of them? 20:04.203 --> 20:05.204 A mole. 20:05.204 --> 20:06.205 Ah, how about that? 20:06.205 --> 20:08.507 We were waiting for that one. 20:08.507 --> 20:10.843 I saw the look on your face. 20:10.843 --> 20:13.779 It has environmentally sustainable 20:13.779 --> 20:14.914 gardening techniques. 20:14.914 --> 20:20.453 Actually, there are several I pulled from the Red Book 2015. 20:20.453 --> 20:22.988 The page that gives the control methods. 20:22.988 --> 20:24.590 And one of the first.. 20:24.590 --> 20:28.194 Actually the first thing on the list is something we've been 20:28.194 --> 20:31.764 using for years and years and years to control grub worms. 20:31.764 --> 20:32.765 And that's Carbaryl. 20:32.765 --> 20:36.001 Garden granules, two percent granules will do a good job. 20:36.001 --> 20:37.303 They're easy to kill. 20:37.303 --> 20:39.572 You know, they come out at night. 20:39.572 --> 20:42.808 If you scatter the pesticide out on the lawn at, 20:42.808 --> 20:44.810 you know, late afternoon, you know, 20:44.810 --> 20:47.646 you'll actually see the dead grubs on the surface 20:47.646 --> 20:48.647 of the ground. 20:48.647 --> 20:49.648 But there are others. 20:49.648 --> 20:53.285 GrubEx. 20:53.285 --> 20:55.287 Maxzide is a product. 20:55.287 --> 21:01.127 Bayer Advance 24 hour grub killer. 21:01.127 --> 21:03.329 Those are the ones that are listed to control both the 21:03.329 --> 21:07.867 larvae of the green june beetles and the larvae of the may 21:07.867 --> 21:11.137 beetles, chafers, Japanese beetle. 21:11.137 --> 21:12.438 I can't tell them apart. 21:12.438 --> 21:14.507 White grubs are all the larvae of all 21:14.507 --> 21:16.242 of these different beetles. 21:16.242 --> 21:18.244 Well, two things to throw in there. 21:18.244 --> 21:20.246 The grubs are actually larva beetles. 21:20.246 --> 21:22.248 They grow to something later that is some 21:22.248 --> 21:23.249 which can be beneficial. 21:23.249 --> 21:26.051 Also, before you apply pesticides, 21:26.051 --> 21:28.053 I'd see if they're doing any harm. 21:28.053 --> 21:30.055 You know, are you concerned that they're there or you're 21:30.055 --> 21:32.691 concerned that you're seeing a decline in your vegetables 21:32.691 --> 21:33.893 or your garden. 21:33.893 --> 21:37.797 (Chris)  That's a good point. 21:37.797 --> 21:39.798 They're probably in every body's yard. 21:39.798 --> 21:44.770 And honestly, I can only think of a couple of times in my 21:44.770 --> 21:46.872 career where I've seen enough damage 21:46.872 --> 21:48.874 that I would recommend treating. 21:48.874 --> 21:51.110 I saw it in a farmer's pasture one time and they were 21:51.110 --> 21:53.913 completely killing his Bermuda grass. 21:53.913 --> 21:57.383 And most of the time -- most of the time, 21:57.383 --> 21:59.385 you can live with the damage that they create. 21:59.385 --> 22:00.386 Okay. 22:00.386 --> 22:01.387 Alright. 22:01.387 --> 22:02.388  So, here's our next question. 22:02.388 --> 22:06.525  Are ants harmful in   a vegetable garden? 22:08.527 --> 22:09.762 As he takes off his glasses. 22:09.762 --> 22:12.298 There are a couple of schools of thought. 22:12.298 --> 22:16.635 You know, earlier we were looking at some aphids 22:16.635 --> 22:17.736 on tomatoes. 22:17.736 --> 22:19.038 And ants like aphids. 22:19.038 --> 22:20.139 Aphids secrete honeydew. 22:20.139 --> 22:22.141 It's kind of a sweet, sticky substance. 22:22.141 --> 22:24.543 And ants will actually kind of protect those aphids. 22:24.543 --> 22:32.117 And ants are omnivorous, which means they can be carnivorous 22:32.117 --> 22:34.119 but they're omnivorous. 22:34.119 --> 22:38.123 They eat both plant material and, 22:38.123 --> 22:40.259 uh, other insects. 22:40.259 --> 22:43.229 So, if they're eating an insect, they're beneficial and you're 22:43.229 --> 22:45.231 probably okay to leave them there. 22:45.231 --> 22:50.703 If they're eating on plant material like okra, tomatoes.. 22:50.703 --> 22:55.474 Fire ants are maybe an example that can be beneficial. 22:55.474 --> 22:57.876 But if there are so many out there that they're bothering you 22:57.876 --> 22:59.912 when you're picking peas, you know, 22:59.912 --> 23:01.080 then they're not beneficial. 23:01.080 --> 23:06.252 So, there are some products that you can use some of the baits. 23:06.252 --> 23:10.022 If they're bothering you and you want to get rid of them -- yes, 23:10.022 --> 23:13.425 you can kill them and there are products that are labeled for 23:13.425 --> 23:14.560 use in home gardens. 23:14.560 --> 23:17.963 But I would wait and try to determine whether or not they're 23:17.963 --> 23:19.598 doing you more harm than good. 23:19.598 --> 23:21.600 They may be doing you more good than harm. 23:21.600 --> 23:23.602 And if that's the case, leave them be. 23:23.602 --> 23:25.704 Alright, here's our next question. 23:25.704 --> 23:26.839  This is a good one. 23:26.839 --> 23:31.677  Does the soil lab you   often speak of test for lead? 23:31.677 --> 23:32.811 Mister D? 23:32.811 --> 23:33.812 No. 23:33.812 --> 23:34.813 It does not. 23:34.813 --> 23:35.814 Absolutely not. 23:35.814 --> 23:39.351 UT Soil Test Lab checks for nutrients that plants need. 23:39.351 --> 23:43.555 And if you want to have an analysis done for lead, 23:43.555 --> 23:46.725 you'll need to go with one of the private labs around like 23:46.725 --> 23:48.060 A and L lab in Memphis. 23:48.060 --> 23:51.297 That's the one that's local that I'm aware of. 23:51.297 --> 23:55.034 But there are other labs around that will specifically test for 23:55.034 --> 23:56.802 what you ask them to test for. 23:56.802 --> 23:58.804 It'll be more than four dollars a sample. 23:58.804 --> 24:01.941 They use techniques that have really low detection limits in 24:01.941 --> 24:05.377 case you were interested in lower levels of lead 24:05.377 --> 24:06.912 than you would nutrients. 24:06.912 --> 24:10.215 And so, there's a lot of higher costs that go in to that. 24:10.215 --> 24:13.619 Not only the equipment but also to prevent cross-contamination 24:13.619 --> 24:15.754 because lead is so ubiquitous. 24:15.754 --> 24:18.691 A few years ago we did some gardens in urban areas. 24:18.691 --> 24:20.359 And we checked the soil. 24:20.359 --> 24:23.529 And it's kind of surprising. 24:23.529 --> 24:26.432 Most of the pHs of the soil was high because there was so much 24:26.432 --> 24:31.303 white gravel around and the limestone had raised the pH. 24:31.303 --> 24:35.341 But there was other analysis done and almost all of them, 24:35.341 --> 24:37.343 because they were old houses around, 24:37.343 --> 24:39.712 almost all of them had fairly high levels of lead. 24:39.712 --> 24:42.614 Or I say high levels of lead. 24:42.614 --> 24:45.884 Just the presence of the lead paint.. 24:45.884 --> 24:50.723 You know, parts per billion. 24:50.723 --> 24:52.825 Alright, Andy, Mister D, we're out of time. 24:52.825 --> 24:53.359 Thanks. 24:53.359 --> 24:55.394 Thank you. 24:55.394 --> 24:58.664  (Chris)    Remember, we love    to hear from you. 24:58.664 --> 25:02.835  Send us a letter or an e-mail   with your gardening questions. 25:02.835 --> 25:04.970  Send your e-mail to   Familyplot@wkno.org. 25:07.806 --> 25:10.309  The mailing address is:   Family Plot 25:10.309 --> 25:16.315  7151 Cherry Farms road,   Cordova, Tennessee 38016. 25:19.218 --> 25:21.220 That's all we have time for today. 25:21.220 --> 25:22.221 Thanks for watching. 25:22.221 --> 25:23.222 I'm Chris Cooper. 25:23.222 --> 25:25.224 Be sure to join us next time for 25:25.224 --> 25:26.458 "The Family Plot: Gardening in the Mid-South." 25:26.458 --> 25:28.293 Be 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