These Chipmunks are Killin' Us! Eating our Little Oak Trees | Dream Farm w/ Bill Winke
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- Опубликовано: 9 июн 2024
- The chipmunks and squirrels are eating the acorns our little oak trees are trying to grow from and they are killing those little trees. I discuss the problem and some possible solutions, but the bigger issue here might be how the little critters do the same thing to cornfields and corn plots. I know of a very good solution for that problem.
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Bucket half full of water, a layer of sun flower seeds and a 2 x 4 let them walk the plank, they drown. Works fatastic. The dive in that bucket every single time. You could use what ever type of seed they eat.
This works best!!
Good comment. Thanks. Lots of people agree with this one. I appreciate it.
@@bill-winke good luck bill!! if they smarten up and stop jumping in the water run some fishing line through a pop can so that it spins on the line. Fashion it to he bucket and smear a little peanut butter on it. I don't think it will come to that tho.
The poison solution is called lead, I had problems with the ground squirrel and chipmunk. A couple boxes of 22 shells and myself and my son and we solved the problem quickly. It was only ten acres but we sure had fun! Good luck Bill and Jordan.
Now we're talking Ken. I appreciate the comment. Have a great day.
Jordan trying to not erupt laughing is hilarious at Bill's jokes. Your shoulder definition looking 100 Jordan.
Thanks for the comment Grinder. Jordan is in pretty good shape.
I never would have thought that Chipmunks would become the nemesis for Bill Winke!!! Those "little bastards"!
Exactly. Evil little...
Had a problem with them chewing on my deck last summer. The house was new to me so I didn't really know how many chipmunks were around. I figured I would thin out two or three and that would help things out. I used rat traps, pellet guns, my cats and various other things. I was shocked that by the end of the summer we had taken out 24 of those destructive little critters. That number litterally blew me away. I had no idea we had so many around.
Looking forward to seeing some chipmunk mounts on your wall.
It will be like a museum of little critters - really poorly mounted ones!
I like Jordan's idea...Tom and Jerry style of attack😂
Lol i love how you can even hear the chipmunk in the background as the video is ending
I heard it too and after I closed the episode I called around to see if I could get a napalm strike on that hillside.
Omg HAHA! I am torn from this episode. Chipmunks are my favorite animal. I've even owned 3 as pets. I definitely can understand the fustration they must be causing you though. Feel free to send all your chipmunks up north with carsen for me if he is ever back down there. He is a friend of mine
I did a similar direct seeding project with acorns and walnuts in the fall. I also over seeded it with winter rye to keep the deer around. It’s now 4 feet tall and covering the trees perfectly. No damage from deer or squirrels yet. I’m going to leave it as is because the trees seem to be doing well. Getting plenty of sun especially now that the rye is drying out.
I think that is the way I would do it next time. Makes all the sense in the world. That fall rye also suppresses weed growth, which is super important.
This is why I didn't mow my tree planting the first year. I think something that would work is if you just broadcast chufa seed all over the place. I know squirrels will go crazy over that stuff they'll go right down the planted rows. It smells good so it will probably draw their attention away from the acorns. That's what I did after I planted my chufa for the second time last year.
Dont know much about chuffa, but thumbs up for planting something more preferable for the varmints to choose over crops. Like the rabbits, etc preferring garden area clovers, other cover/grasses vs. Veg seedlings.
great idea with the lose corn!
Worked awesome for me.
I keep fighting them little turds in my tree nursery. Those chestnuts I told you about are chipmunk candy. To answer Jordan’s question, about three months! Funny at the end I hear one “chirping” in the background. The solution is to put out more than they can consume--just like nature.
Few buckets half full of water then line the inside with peanut butter you’ll pile them up
Hello Bill. "JAWZ " chipmunk traps are working great in our yard. Reusable too. Just a couple of black oil sunflower seeds placed on each trap works great.
I like it. I appreciate the tip and the comment. Have a great day.
A Home Depot bucket, a ramp, fill it with water and add some seed, helps
I have heard this solution a few times. It must work pretty well for so many people to suggest it.
Flamethrowers, tanneries. M-80’s just throwing out some ideas😂
Steve, I like the way you think. The 14 year old version of myself would have been all over that!
We don't battle chipmunks, but squirrels and field mice are a pain in the butt for us in SE Kansas. This is why we put our direct seeded acorns in very thick, 16" tubes for the first couple years. Unfortunately, the tubes we use aren't commercially available, I have a buddy who gives them to me. The are a half inch thick!
I think your winter rye idea could be a good one. Only drawback, is it might actually give them MORE cover from hawks.
@bill-winke look into building a raptor perch on the food plot edge. Basically a tall pole for birds of prey to hang out and look for an easy meal
That is a good idea. There is a dead tree overlooking that area. I don't see them perched in it though.
Rat traps inside of sheet metal tunnel (guttering split longways works). Anchored with 10 penny nail. Baited. Cheap, effective and easy.
Sounds perfect. Thanks.
Their just thinning them out for you Bill😂
You could put little fences around each new seedling! 🤣
Chipmunks got to my potted chestnut’s last year. I trapped one and was going to eradicate it, but I must me getting soft in my older age. I couldn’t do it. lol
Great video Bill. I would love to know how many chipmunks there are per square mile at your place!
Jack, you have the way to find out. Come and fly it and we will all know. I bet it is a very big number. Those little ^%&?-!
Good bow practice
Keep the field cut short and make perches for hawks to sit up about 20ft
The hawks are here, but what we really have is eagles. We have an active nest on the farm too, which is cool.
Jordan is ripped💪!!!
Dream Big brother 🙏
Moles got my baby persimmon trees last year by chewing the roots off up to the root coller. This year I put grubx down, so far so good.
Man, what next? Nature sure has a lot of opportunistic members just waiting for some kind of free or easy snack.
It's always something Bill! How's that ATV spreader work for you? I was going to buy one today.
I like that one. It is the one Moultrie sells. It is not super feature rich, but it has held up for me. Clean it (wash with hose) after using fertilizer to reduce corrosion.
Just a comment on the poison route. I hope it is illegal because poisoning of mice is the number 1 killer of owls. When people poison rodents they don't realize those poisoned rodents get picked up by owls, eagles, hawks and other predators and that poison can kill that bird of prey. Thats an unintended consequence, but know the birds of prey also take care of the rodents we want gone so we are on the same team!
Just wanted to share and I hope all the hunters enjoy listening to the owls and seeing the other birds when they are deer hunting, I know I do!
It was just a joke Matt. I don't intend to poison anything, but in the end, there is not much out there to control the chipmunks and squirrels on a scale required to keep them from sabotaging parts of our plans.
I figured it was a joke and wasn't intending to be accusatory. Just wanted to educate folks on the side effects because I just learned it myself in the last year and have been poisoning the mice at our lake house (which is in eagle country) and hunting camp (which is heavy owl/hawk country) up until the last 6 months or so when I learned of the potential side effect. Now I use the old fashion traps if I'm there or the mint scent deterrents when we are gone.
Love your content Bill.
While I have your attention, I would love to hear your theories on scent control. I know #1 is have the wind right, but how much effort do you put into scentless showers, clothes, storage of your gear? Do u put scent wafers or acorns in your clothes storage or just go clean or don't bother with any of that? I know you used to put the ozonics.
Just curious what you are doing these days based on all your experience.
Thx!
Matt
Trap and relocate…..it worked in my neighborhood. I was raising chestnuts trees from seeds. The squirrels did the same thing. I relocated them and problem solved.
Hey bill try moth balls scattered around field theyre in or peppermint oil both keep bugs and rodents away
Good tip Don. I appreciate it. Have a great day.
@@bill-winke ive done it for raccons , groundhogs, it really does work and wont harm plants or trees
Hi Bill, Plantskydd is probably worth looking into for this dilemma.
Thanks Peter. I will take a look.
I'm having the same problem but with squirrels. Very frustrating because there is still plenty of acorns on the ground.
I think it is squirrels here also. Probably eating at least as many as the chipmunks are.
Rat trap baited with peanut butter works
Thanks for the comment IowaReddneck. I appreciate it.
I bought some chipmunk traps.
From a farm store.
Just place on their run or at a den hole. Works great.
Thanks for the tip and the comment James. Have a great day.
Well, it sure was nice of you to feed the chipmunks! Lol. Maybe you need more Birds of Prey, Fox, Coyotes and bobcats. Stray cats work too! 😄
The downside with more predators is that they will also eat my turkey broods and my ruffed grouse broods (I should have at least one grouse brood on the place each year). I am hoping to reestablish a viable population of grouse here. They were all over the hills when I was a boy.
I recommend the 17HMR it makes a pretty red mist
That does sound like fun.
Having the same type of issues with pheasants in my corn plots! Never even considered that would be a problem.
What state are you in? You should be happy you have pheasants.
@@russelllangworthy8855 I'm in South Dakota, there is no shortage of pheasants here.
@@rlfamilyfarm6488 I would guess that you don’t realize how lucky you are to have an abundance of pheasants. I’m in Michigan. When I was a kid, there were quite a few here (60 years ago), but I haven’t seen a pheasant in years.
Have you noticed any sand hill cranes? They will surgically remove the kernel and lay the corn plant right next to it. It may not be chipmunks getting your corn seed
It was for sure chipmunks and ground (striped) squirrels. I watched them doing it. We do have a few sandhills around here being right on the Mississippi River, but they don't come by the farm. Plus, the corn problem was on our farm in southern Iowa a long ways from any cranes. I am guessing there are a lot of things out there that will take advantage of what we plant! Thanks for the comment.
@bill-winke it's hard to refute a visual. Those little boogers (chipmunks) were stealing the corn off the Cobb in a small plot I had several years back. I had it electric fenced off, so no deer or raccoons, but the chipmunks were relentless. Hang in there!
We’ve had geese wipe out three acres of corn and soybeans before. Just to many geese back then, now we have to many raccons and that took care of the geese population.
I learned some wicked poison methods of control for chipmunks (and raccoons) as a kid working at a farming store from the seasoned farmers. The problem with most poison in my opinion is the non selective nature at least with this stuff they told me about. Perhaps the Winke farm could partner with some local raptor rehab facilities to burn fear into the little dirt muffins!
I fear for my ruffed grouse and turkey poults if I get too many hawks here! I will just learn to find ways to hide my plantings or distract the culprits long enough for the stuff to take root. Have a great day.
@@bill-winke oh gosh I completely forgot about young birds... so many things to consider as always
It probably has some to do with there is not much of a nut for a couple weeks during this time. I can tell you they love peanuts in the shell. I'd scatter 50 pounds of peanuts along the edge for that couple weeks. They will spend there time hiding those instead of eating the acorns.
You could try a hawk or owl decoy.
That area is about 4 acres, unfortunately. Not sure they would even see it.
Call Alvin and tell him to stop eating your tree's 🤣
I will call him this evening.
😂
The nut issue is rampant. Trying to grow American Chestnut seedlings, you have to remove the nut husk and even plant surrounded by hardware cloth. Not something that would work with your planting. Pro tip, a 5 gal. bucket half full of water, a ramp to allow chippys to see inside and casting sunflower seeds on top works really well.
Growing American Chestnut is a noble effort. Good for you. If I knew of a trusted source for disease tolerant nuts, I would try to do that here too. Thanks for the tip and support. Have a great day.
Later down the road you will be thanking them. Look at the time they are saving you, natural thinning, no chainsaw work later down the road.
If only they spread their efforts. Unfortunately, most of what they have killed is within about 30 yards of the woods all along the edge.
Farm cats Bill! Also put buckets in the ground with a small hole on the top of the lid and feed on the bottom. Dream big!!
I have heard that one several times. It must work really well. Have a great day.
Had the same problem my first year before forage soybeans came around. In 1 night I had 1 row a night disappearing on a half acre plot. thought it was deer , turned out to be woodchucks!! Would like a video or at least your opinion on Iowa banning game cameras.....thanks Bill
Randy, that trail camera thing is kind of a non-issue (overblown - which is what I expected). I know a lot of the people in the Iowa DNR that I could have called, but I wanted to let this one wind itself down. This isn't a new law it is just a reaffirming to better enforce an existing one. The law that already exists states that you can't leave anything overnight on public land other than tree stands. So it is not a new law written specifically to outlaw trail cameras, just the better clarification of what can and can't be left overnight. I think it is fair not to have cameras on public land for much more than the hunting advantage they might offer some people. Think about all the people that use those areas for various reasons. The last thing they want is to have their picture taken while walking around in the public area. There is no cell camera ban of any kind. Again, people love to over-sensationalize things now.
Thanks for responding Bill I have watched 3 or 4 different u-tube videos on this and got all different enterpretations on it so it must be very vague. Won't change my hunting strategy any at all if it comes to Minnesota....have a great Father's day
"Evil little bastards..." had me howling!!!! - you're right, just because they're cute doesn't mean they aren't trouble - good luck with it!!!
Thanks. I appreciate the comment. Have a great day.
We have bears that will go through a field and scratch my drilled peas and beans. Get a shitload of cats😅
I bet those cats would like my turkey and ruffed grouse poults too!
Try a Cayenne pepper spray. Works on any animal with taste buds.😮
Bill,
I planted acorns last fall and they are coming up great. But now the grass is getting thick and I'm worried about the oak getting choked out.
Is there a spray that kills grass and not the oak.
Thanks
Clethodim, kills grass only I spray around plum,apple,willow oak,cedar,pine evergreen,caragana, ash and maple. I use a hand sprayer and just do around the base of the tree and try not to get any ont the tree just to be safe
Casey has it correct. I have to spray parts of mine next week also.
@bill-winke what are you spraying them with, I didn't see Casey's comment
@jsnb6489 not sure what happened to my comment but we were talking about Clethodim. It only kills grasses I've sprayed around all fruit trees and bushes oak,ash,maple,cedar,caragana, Russian olive. I use a hand sprayer keeping the wand close to the ground and still try not to get any on the tree, they say best before new growth
They do this to my Egyptian Wheat.
Illeagle, is a sick bird. What ever it takes.
I suppose I shouldn’t laugh”those little bastards” too late I already did
They have me growling all kinds of words under my breath.
It’s always something! I had 25 chestnuts in small starter pots about a month ago and I switched them from a small cage to a big one and a squirrel or something knocked the whole thing over took all the chestnuts and ran :((
All the critters are out to take anything they can get. They are all bandits.
@@bill-winke sad, you try to build a place for them and they just can’t wait haha
Chipmunk feces spread a fungus that actually helps the trees in a big way.
Throw extra corn for a couple weeks lol
The corn might work. I should corral them and sell chipmunk poo as a side business.
@@bill-winke lol
Falconry !
Owl decoys?
Thanks for the comment. I think the area is too big for that - five acres, roughly. I would need a lot of them. Plus, I have learned that decoys only work for a short time until the critters realize it is not alive. Have a great day.
Hot chili spray.
Just nothing like planting things that turn into "critter salad" which definitely makes you mad and upset enuf to use words that will get your mouth washed out with soap!!
Got 2 cats that will take um out. Get 2 or 3 a day. But they r bad on the rabbits.
And probably on my turkey and ruffed grouse poults too. I think the solution is to find ways to hide the crop or distract the critters long enough for the crop to take root. That worked well on the corn plots.
I am having a serious raccoon problem. Understand
Just an FYI...since you are a "farmer," you can buy Timik, made for insects but is devastating or targeted animal populations (rodents or predators)
David, I wonder if that is legal. I think that anything that poisons wildlife indiscriminately is probably illegal. Again, I spoke about turning to a life of crime, but...
@@bill-winke It is a legal insecticide. You can buy it for agricultural applications. But you would have to keep your dog away from the areas where you use it. That product is no joke.
A 14 year old and a brick of 22's
I like that. I would have liked that job when I was 14. Heck, I would like it now if I had the time. Best regards.
Poison isn't good. The impact to other wildlife isn't good.
It was only a joke. C'mon, I am not going to put out poison.
You aren't a farmer. Rabbits, Squirrels, Chipmunks, and Raccoons will always dig the seeds up right away. So plant them earlier and then place sets. Snakes are worse than the alternative. So give up or take my advice.
I have no idea what you are talking about.
How much does a trophy buck or a pound of deer meat cost. This is not hunting it’s farming. 🤮
We just love land and love restoring it and improving it. Some people love owning and fixing cars. Alot of people love owning and fixing up land.
We have had the same issues here and it is also fox squirrels they even eat immature beans and peas here .Nothing like watching them bite off or dig up your plantings. After all despite the look with th efurry tails and big eyes they are nothing more than rodents and as such we just call them tree rats . So its beenwar here this spring .When they depridate and cost you money and labor its time to end that problem. Good luck
Agreed. It is just hard to end the problem legally! Thanks for the comment.