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I live in a residential, suburban area in a house, with my family. We have humming bird and bird feeders out in our backyard, and the birds stop by everyday to eat the bird seed, and humming bird food we leave out, along with the water and bird bath too. We all enjoy seeing the birds flying around back there. But other animals have been coming in too, from skunks, to raccoons, to neighbors cats haha.
I don't mind the wild animals like the raccoons and skunks, but my family doesn't like them. They don't like how sometimes I forget to toss out the water, and dry food, because if left out, the wild animals come by and then they keep coming each and every night.
I like having the wild animals stop by, because its rare to see such animals ya know? How can I keep the animals coming back to hang out, when my parents don't want us leaving food and water out for them to get haha.
Which types of birds and wild animals have you seen in your front and back yards?
I used to leave cat food out all the time for my ferals. But then we had a rabid skunk in our yard and I re-thought that strategy. Now I leave it out in the daytime and take it away at dusk. I also take away the water, because water really attracts wildlife! My ferals know if they don't eat the food when it is out, they will have to wait until morning. I did formerly enjoy seeing possums eating the cat food, though. I think possums are cute!
I have to take my bird peanut feeder in every night. Otherwise, Rocky Raccoon pulls it down and breaks the feeder. Of course, s/he eats all the peanuts, too! I am not too fond of raccoons because they can also carry rabies in my part of the country (northeast).
Agree with taking the feeders in at night. I never forget because I just downloaded an app on my phone that sends me a reminder every night. Raccoons can damage so much in your garden and they are active at night so it's a win-win for me.
We have squirrel proof feeders (Yankee Tipper Bird Feeder (YCPT-360) | Droll Yankees), so they aren't a problem. But every night the deer would come and snack at the feeders. Now, I just put an inch or so of mixed seed in every morning. Between the feeders, and the suet cakes, the birds are happy, and they are the only wildlife I'm feeding.
We have squirrel proof feeders (Yankee Tipper Bird Feeder (YCPT-360) | Droll Yankees), so they aren't a problem. But every night the deer would come and snack at the feeders. Now, I just put an inch or so of mixed seed in every morning. Between the feeders, and the suet cakes, the birds are happy, and they are the only wildlife I'm feeding.
Oh man thats awesome, wish we got wild deer around here. XD
Wow, where do you live that there aren't deer? They are EVERYwhere!
But it's the raccoons that are trying to take over the universe now. I've stopped putting food in the bird feeder just to try to discourage the raccoons from coming in my yard at night. I figure the birds have other sources of food in the summer. I'll wait until freeze before I start putting food in the feeder again.
In fact, I can't figure out what the raccoons are even coming into my fenced yard for at all. The apple and mulberry trees are in the unfenced big yard, the corn bins are across the road, the feral cats get shut into the garage with their food at dusk, so why must the raccoons come in the fence? All I can think the raccoons might be eating in the fenced yard is dog poop. Do they do that?
California, we live near a park but the deer don't come down to the neighborhood areas, or the park they stay in the hills of the park, the deeper parts etc.
Oh man thats awesome, wish we got wild deer around here. XD
You can have some of mine!!! I live in a small city in the southwestern corner of NYS, and we're overrun with bambis. They roam in herds in most parts of the city except for right in the downtown area. They jump the four-foot fence around my yard and bed down in my back yard in the winter. They use the narrow side yard between my house and the neighbors' as their own private entrance into the other backyards that aren't fenced. My previous dog liked to patrol his perimeter which kept them outside the fence but the current one isn't a patroller, and the bambis have been getting bolder and bolder.
This summer, because it's been so dry, they've taken to browsing on my daylilies and phlox and drinking at my garden pond. I've gotten up early to let the cats out and found deer wandering on my brick patio next to my house. I have given up planting tulips in my front yard because the deer eat all the buds just before they open. They've been raiding the hosta, phlox, and hollyhocks buds out front, too.
Wow, where do you live that there aren't deer? They are EVERYwhere!
But it's the raccoons that are trying to take over the universe now. I've stopped putting food in the bird feeder just to try to discourage the raccoons from coming in my yard at night. I figure the birds have other sources of food in the summer. I'll wait until freeze before I start putting food in the feeder again.
In fact, I can't figure out what the raccoons are even coming into my fenced yard for at all. The apple and mulberry trees are in the unfenced big yard, the corn bins are across the road, the feral cats get shut into the garage with their food at dusk, so why must the raccoons come in the fence? All I can think the raccoons might be eating in the fenced yard is dog poop. Do they do that?
They come because they're raccoons and they like to snoop, especially the young ones. I always make sure my garage doors are closed well before dusk so that none get in there or they'll tear everything apart trying to get out. I had a cookout in June and moved the grill out to the patio so there was more room for people on the deck, and later that night a family of five showed up to investigate the grill and its residual smells.
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