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| Oregon's Premier Water Gardening Nursery
Wildlife Issue Newsletter 2010 |
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September 2010 Volume 3 Issue 9
Labor Day Weekend Sale
40% off
ALL WATER PLANTS, GARDEN PLANTS, AND POTTERY.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND MONDAY
(SEPTEMBER 3rd - 6th)
FALL Sale September 07 - 20th
30% OFF ALL WATER PLANTS, GARDEN PLANTS AND POTTERY.
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Tinkerbelle's Tips
Tinkerbelle Hughes |
PREDATOR CONTROL
Is
your pond becoming the neighborhood lunch wagon or a playground for furry and
feathered friends?
Hughes Water Gardens
offers these suggestions: Fishing Line for Herons: Criss-cross
fishing line above your pond 7 feet or higher with about 3 feet in between. This will make it harder for humans to see
but the heron will be deterred for fear of entanglement.
Heron Replica (decoy): Herons are a
territorial bird and if they think they see another bird they may stay out of
the area. Important: The more realistic
the replica the better. (Heron are smart and skilled hunters). Regular
relocation of the replica is necessary for the same reason.
Gazing Globes:
Non-breakable floating gazing globes are
placed in your pond so heron see their reflection. This causes the heron to
believe another heron is nearby and leave.
Pond Dyes:
Pond dye not only helps with algae control
but it also makes it harder for predators to see your fish. The disadvantage:
it is harder for you to see your fish as well! We have black and also blue dye
choices that can be very attractive in your pond.
Construction and Planting Techniques:
Making your
pond deep with straight sides can help fight predators. Raccoons can swim but prefer not to. Heron
generally like wading into the pond. Both prefer an easy lunch. By providing an
abundance of plants and or rock caves, your fish can hide. Plants however can become a play toy for
raccoons.
Traps:
Humane traps for raccoons can be effective. The
question is where do you relocate the animal after you capture them? Your neighbors out in the country will not
appreciate any donations.
Scarecrow:
This is a battery powered, motion-activated
impact sprinkler. It simply connects to your garden hose. This has been proven
effective for both heron and raccoon.
Hot wire (electric fence):
By far the most effective. By placing one or
two low voltage wires around the perimeter of your pond you build an almost
impenetrable fortress for your valued plants and fish. Of course, there are a couple of downsides
(figures!). Firstly if you are not
careful humans and pets might experience the low voltage charm. Secondly you will have to adjust to your new visual
aesthetics of the pond. In plain language, it just does not look quite as nice.
Pond & Garden Guard II:
A motion detector that has sound, strobe light, and reflective mirror. It covers all the bases.
Still not sure? Come in and the staff
at Hughes Water Gardens can assist you.
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Free Classes
Sept.11, Saturday
10:00
Building
Ponds & Waterfalls
September 18, Saturday
10:00
Planting
your Pond with Winter Interest Aquatic
Plants
September 25, Saturday
10:00
Pondless
Waterfalls & Creeks
2:00
Winterizing
Your Pond
All Classes are free and last from 1 to 2 hours .
Classes take place at our nursery.
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Attracting Frogs
to your Pond
There are two
main native frog species living in the Willamette Valley. These are the Pacific
Tree Frog and the Northern Red-legged frog.
The Northern
red-legged frog is considered a sensitive species. Its numbers are fairly
strong but shrinking. Red-legged frogs prefer cool damp forests and wetlands.
They are up to 4 inches long, mottled brown in color and are recognizable by a dark "Zorro" like mask around their eyes,
a characteristic light stripe along their lip line and in adults, a reddish
color under their back legs. They lay
their large egg mass in the water and need aquatic plants to anchor the egg
mass in place. The Red-legged
frog's diet consists primarily of invertebrates (insects etc.). Their decline in
the Northwest is due, in part, to habitat loss and to predation by the much
larger non- native bullfrog.
The Pacific tree
frog, remains abundant and are commonly seen in the Willamette Valley.
Adults are about 1.25 to 1.5 inches long and are usually green or brown. Mating season runs from early March
until late May or early June. You'll
know when mating season begins, as the male frogs will begin to sing. Though
some
may dislike this
onslaught (or chorus-depending on your point of view) of sound, it will quiet soon
enough, leading to an abundance of tadpoles. At Hughes Water Gardens, tadpole
season is very popular with children and adults. Watching the process of
transformation from tadpole to frog, is a fascinating and an enjoyable
activity. The Pacific Tree
Frog is the only frog in our area that can lay more than one batch of eggs
during a season.
Attracting frogs
to your pond:
Provide still water and plant material.
Plant
material is needed for female frogs to
attach their egg mass to. It's also a place for frogs and immature
froglets to rest and hide. Use all the categories of pond plants -
submerged plants for oxygen, such as hornwort, floating plants such as water lettuce and water hyacinth, floating leaved plants such as waterlilies and
marginals like cattails, irises, etc.
Plants provide natural filtration, reducing your need for algaecides and
other pond cleaning chemicals.
Don't over clean
your pond.
A little algae on the sides and a layer of muck
on the bottom provides food and cover for tadpoles. Have a mixture
of sun and shade. Tadpoles love to bask in the sun,
but also need some shade. Keep the habitat
as natural as possible. Make the access
to water easy by creating gradual slopes into the
water and by providing logs and rocks to hop onto.
Hint: You can
supplement tadpoles diet with commercial fish flakes or small pieces of boiled
and cooked Romaine lettuce two or three times a day.
Water quality:
Tap water
contains chlorine and other chemicals that
are harmful to
frogs. Always dechlorinate your water when filling or adding new water
to your pond. Reduce chemical use around your landscape.
Frogs, with their porous skin, are very sensitive
to pollution. Garden chemicals can
easily migrate into the
pond due to run off and drifting on wind currents.
This can kill not only your frogs, but also your fish! Over use of
pesticides will deprive the frogs of their favorite food-insects!!
Speaking of
fish, Koi and Goldfish will eat any tadpoles,
that they can
fit into their mouths. In order to have
a successful
crop of tadpoles, you may have to forgo
these two types
of fish.
Shelter:
Provide shelter
for frogs outside of the pond as well.
Frogs need damp
and cool places to rest and hide.
They spend much
of their time outside of the pond.
You'll often
find them resting under flowerpots and
amongst the
leaves of plants like Canna lilies and
Bananas.
Frogs benefit
our lives in many ways.
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They are insect
eaters and help reduce insect populations.
- They are
adorable and fun to watch.
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Their serenade
is a serene sound after a hectic day.
Never introduce
a non-native species (North American bull frog) into the environment. Non-native animals and plants compete with
native species, all too often destroying them in the
process.
In conclusion:
Enjoy your froggy
guests and remember: Don't croak
about the noise, sing with them !
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Dragonflies and Damselflies
Telling the difference between dragonflies and a damselflies
Dragonfly
4 wings
stocky body
Front and back wings are different shapes.
Non-folding wings, generally straight out while at rest
Large compound eyes that are connected.
Damselfly
4 wing
Slender body and long slim tail
Front and back wings are similar shape
Folding wings, generally folded over their backs while at
rest.
Large compound eyes that are separated
Natural History
The dragonfly got it name from its fierce jaws, which they
use to catch flies and other winged insects, including mosquitoes and mosquito
larvae.
Dragonflies are prehistoric insects. A fossilized impression of a dragonfly wing,
found in a coal mine in England,
is the oldest known dragonfly specimen, dating back 300 million years.
Ancient dragonflies may have been considerably larger than
those we see today. The largest known
dragonfly had a wingspan of 24 inches. Today, the wingspan islk slightly over seven inches. Other than being smaller, modern-day
dragonflies do not look very different from their ancestors.
Wings of Wonder
Dragonflies can fly forwards, backwards and sideways at
speeds up to 25 to 30 miles per hour, their highly "geared" wings allow them to
hover and soar. Damselflies cannot fly
as fast, nor do their wings allow them to soar, but they are highly
maneuverable, able to turn 189 degrees with a single beat of their wings!
Keen Eyesight
Dragonflies' ability to maneuver makes them able to out-fly
their prey. But dragonflies also have
the advantage of excellent eyesight, in fact they have nearly 360 degree
vision: If you've ever watched dragonflies,
no doubt you have noticed their huge eyes. Each of the two large eyes is made up of thousands of six-sided
units. Together, these smaller eyes
enable a dragonfly to detect even the slightest movement.
Are Dragonflies and Damselflies beneficial?
Yes! Dragonflies are sometimes called "mosquito hawk" because they catch and
eat so many mosquitoes. Always on the
hunt, dragonflies consume gnats, flies, and mosquitoes - all of which humans
consider pests. Dragonfly nymphs also
feed on mosquito larvae.
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Our Mailing Address
25289 SW Stafford Rd, Tualatin, OR 97062
Spring and Summer Hours
Monday - Saturday
9 to 6
Sunday
10 to 5
Our Telephone
503-638-1709
Copyright (C) 2008 Hughes Water Gardens. All rights reserved
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$5.00 Off
Any one purchase at Hughes Water Gardens
over $25.00 NOT VALID ON SALE OR CLEARANCE ITEMS.
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| Offer Expires: 10/02/20010 coupon valid at retail nursery only
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