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We have birds, such as Ruffed Grouse and wild turkeys, that dust themselves for parasite control. Some animals (like a horse) will also roll on good dusty soil.
But, the reason that I am starting this thread, is because of a bear observation my wife and I had several years ago.
We watched a mother bear (about three hundred pounds) and her three cubs. They originally attacked our 'squirrel proof' bird feeder. We watched them out of our window. One of the three cubs had no ears, one had one ear and one had two years – we don't know what happened to the ears?
Before the bears left our area; the mother walked over to one of our cedar trees and proceeded to strip bark. She only took a strip of bark off the tree about an inch wide but several feet long – her one two eared cub helped by climbing the tree and pulling on the bark. After the bark was removed; the mother rubbed her back on the sap of the tree. About a week later; we were watching when she came back through our area and again rubbed her back on the same area of that cedar tree. By the way; the tree did survive this ordeal.
Our speculation is that the bear made insecticide. We use cedar lined clothes closets to protect our clothes from moths.
We never saw those bear again - other than those two times. We took in the bird feeders after her visit. There is no pleasure watching $85 bird feeders being destroyed.
However; we are curious if anybody else has ever watched a bear do the same thing? Or; has anybody ever had the bark stripped off one of their cedar trees?
Birds will perform 'anting' where they find a colony, crush an ant and preen their feathers. Ants belong to the family formicidae, named for the formic acid content in their bodies. The formic acid acts as an insecticide.
Location: Went around the corner & now I'm lost!!!!
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If you study essential oils, you will find cedarwood a natural insect repellant. There are others also. I combine four different essential oils along with a commercial brand for repelling ticks to make a repellant for my dogs. I end up with one ounce bottle of it and it has lasted for 3 to 4 years; literally. For myself I plan to take the peeling from the osage tree fruit, which looks like an orange with very bad acne,soak it in olive oil and make my own insect repellant for my personal use
I have tried to see if anybody else has studied this behavior. I have e-mailed several bear 'specialist' and never received a reply. Bears have a fairly large brain – especially compared to a bird. I would think that it would be natural for bears to have found a natural insecticide that helped them with their problem.
I have watched deer swim or stand in deep water – I presume to escape the pest that persistently bite and sting. Sometimes deer will just shake and then jump and run to leave the swarms of insects behind. Of course deer have no way to get rid of the ticks – some times they are covered with ticks. I am curious if the cedar bear insecticide works on their ticks?
They are supposed to be repulsive to roaches. The claim is that placed strategically, they will repel roaches from a home.
Deer will rub aromatics as well as non aromatic trees. Trees like red cedar, sasafrass and even black walnut do seem to be favored but it is probably the location of the tree and the sze that the deer focus on. You can bet individual deer will favor certain trees and I wouldn't be surprised to learn they have their favorite aromatic.
In settled areas with Mc mansions I often see deer on the lawns in the mid day heat. i have to wonder if they prefer the lawns because the grass was treated with pesticide and would provide respite from the biting gnats found in the woods.
Black walnut 'juglans cinerea' has some poisonous properties and supposed used by Indians to stun fish in quiet pools of water.
Don't forget trees and plants produce toxins when injured. Look it up and see that horses can be poisoned by eating the leaves of broken red maple tree leaves. I did not believe this but there is quite a bit of literature. Just red maple and just the broken branches such as after a storm. Ok to eat leaves from the live tree.
The mint family does seem to not be on a deer's menu though I have had some monarda nibbled but it was as if the deer didn't like the tatse and left the rest alone.
Black bears probably use trees like deer to mark territory and leave scent and the tree's location is more important. Bears are pretty immune from being bothered by insects with the thick fur and being dextrous they can reach more parts of their body than deer and other critters.
Many exotic reptiles are poisoned each year as their owners feed them lightning bugs to vary their diet. Nature usually gives a warning with bright colors or flourescence. The firefly poison is related to a known pharmaceutical whose name I can't recall at the moment.
They are supposed to be repulsive to roaches. The claim is that placed strategically, they will repel roaches from a home.
Deer will rub aromatics as well as non aromatic trees. Trees like red cedar, sasafrass and even black walnut do seem to be favored but it is probably the location of the tree and the sze that the deer focus on. You can bet individual deer will favor certain trees and I wouldn't be surprised to learn they have their favorite aromatic.
In settled areas with Mc mansions I often see deer on the lawns in the mid day heat. i have to wonder if they prefer the lawns because the grass was treated with pesticide and would provide respite from the biting gnats found in the woods.
Black walnut 'juglans cinerea' has some poisonous properties and supposed used by Indians to stun fish in quiet pools of water.
Don't forget trees and plants produce toxins when injured. Look it up and see that horses can be poisoned by eating the leaves of broken red maple tree leaves. I did not believe this but there is quite a bit of literature. Just red maple and just the broken branches such as after a storm. Ok to eat leaves from the live tree.
The mint family does seem to not be on a deer's menu though I have had some monarda nibbled but it was as if the deer didn't like the tatse and left the rest alone.
Black bears probably use trees like deer to mark territory and leave scent and the tree's location is more important. Bears are pretty immune from being bothered by insects with the thick fur and being dextrous they can reach more parts of their body than deer and other critters.
Many exotic reptiles are poisoned each year as their owners feed them lightning bugs to vary their diet. Nature usually gives a warning with bright colors or flourescence. The firefly poison is related to a known pharmaceutical whose name I can't recall at the moment.
The one inch wide strip of cedar bark, with the help of the mother's cub, was about eight feet long. We actually have the whole process on camera – I just don't know where I misplaced it right now. If I find it; I will try to post it on Photo Bucket.
The subject is intriguing – because it demonstrates some degree of evolution. You could almost consider it tool making – which humans have always used as an example of our superiority.
Interesting! I have a Roach problem After spending tons on sprays & bombing 2x ugh Some one told me to get Bay Leaves & sprinkle them around... Anyone Know IF this really works?? Does it Kill of Repel?
I always say these animal are smart..smarter than us.
That video I took from our deck with a camera on maximum magnification. The bear family was about 150 feet from our location - I did not want to get closer. It is hard to tell that the bears are stripping a cedar tree – there is a maple tree directly in front of the cedar tree. But it is obvious that the mother's cub/cubs were learning form from their mother's actions.
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