We set the trap last night on hopes of another catch.
We got one. It just wasn't what we expected.
The possum enjoyed the marshmallows, but not the lodging, as it let me know by snarling at me. Tom decided it could go for a ride just like the raccoon. I hope it enjoys its new home.
The yard was torn up more again last night, so we know the raccoons have returned. Tom says he is going to skip tonight and then try again.
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I know I promised pics of our family cider bee, but it has been busy around here! I'll work on the photos tonight and since the rain is returning tomorrow, I'll be done with yard work for a while and should have more time to sit at the computer.
Also, we got an email just a bit ago showing us how the mason bees we helped raise are processed. It's very interesting. I have cut and pasted it for you to see.
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Thanks to
all of our bee hosts this year, we have had a lot of mason bee
cocoons to clean this year.
To make sure that our mason bees are healthy, we clean
each cocoon and each nesting block during the fall. We make sure
that our bees are clean of mites, parasitic wasps, and
chalkbrood fungus which are detrimental to their development. This is
a crucial part in taking care of mason bees as these threats can be
easily spread to local bee populations if not properly eradicated.
We've documented parts of the process to share what happens to the
bees after they leave your backyard.
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Since June, our warehouse has been filled to the ceiling
with stacks mason bee blocks. They spent the summer developing from
eggs, to larvae, to fully formed bees in cocoon. The first step
is to cut the plastic straps on the blocks to separate the individual
pieces of wood and the rows of mason bee cocoons.
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We use the tool pictured above to scrape the bees out of
the blocks (they are very tough once in cocoon). After some of the
initial debris has been sifted out, we soak the cocoons in water and
bleach to remove the mites and the chalkbrood fungus.
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After they have soaked, we rinse off the remaining dirt
and mites. Then we put the bees on racks and dry them
overnight.
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Finally, the clean bees are candled over a light so that
we can pick out the nonviable cocoons. After they are weighed and
counted, we store them in our walk-in refrigerator to hibernate for
the winter.
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Thanks for your help in supporting native
bees.
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I'll bet you were surprised to see the possum if you didn't know it was in the area.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed at your bee raising...good luck with capturing the raccoons
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of effort goes into keeping those Mason bees healthy!!
ReplyDeleteI hope all this rain we're getting isn't a foretaste of the kind of winter we're in for.
Those possums are mean AND ugly! We have both raccoons and possums (and skunks!) frequently in our backyard. They don't, however, dig up our lawn. Wonder why they do that in your yard? Paul traps them when they get in the garden. They do eat the low hanging fruit in trees.
ReplyDeleteWe've had raccoons playing in our garden a lot this summer but since they're not doing any damage and the electric fence is keeping the fish safe, we haven't been tempted to trap them. What a surprise to find a possum in your trap today. Hope the big rain helps your raccoons find a new stomping ground.
ReplyDeleteInteresting about the Mason Bees! That is a cute possum thank goodness it was not a skunk:)
ReplyDeleteI remember those possums in Illinois. I thought they were somewhat cute from a distance, but one got in our garage and they are really vicious!
ReplyDeleteI was so impressed to read all about the bee, I didn't realise quite how much work was involved.
ReplyDeleteI sure enjoyed learning about the mason bee project. And possums are pretty destructive, too. Hope he enjoys his new home. :-)
ReplyDeleteI have one of those little fellows here. My dog keeps treeing it but it won't leave. Probably ought to trap mine also and relocate him (or her). I don't want my dog torn up if it gets defensive.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is one serious Mason Bee project. Bless them for their efforts.
Wonderful bee project and you had a helping hand in it. Possums are making their presence more known around Vermont neighborhoods. It used to be we rarely saw them,
ReplyDeleteYou should be concentrating on getting rid of the grubs in your lawn rather than spending so much time trying to trap the raccoons. They tear up the lawn to get to the grubs so if you get rid of the grubs the raccoons will stop tearing up the lawn. You can treat the lawn with nematodes this time of year to get rid of the grubs. You already condemned one baby raccoon to a slow death from starvation by taking it from its mother and dumping it out somewhere before it had time to learn how to survive on its own so it seems trying to get rid of the grubs is a much more humane solution.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh. From everyone involved with wildlife including wildlife rehabber will tell you how bad and cruel an idea it is to relocate wildlife. To pick up an animal and drop them into some unknown territory is cruel. Especially in fall wildlife is more active looking for food in order to survive. If you are seeing more than one raccoon, then it is a Mother and children as they stay together for a year. Relocating dooms a young raccoon and likely an adult as they have no idea where food or water or if they will be killed for being in another’s territory. It would be kinder to kill than relocate if you are not a rehabber. There are non lethal deterrents that work well with wildlife. The poor possum you relocated is a boon to yards as they eat hundreds of ticks. It may also have been a parent. I couldn’t be more shocked or upset about this. Very very sad for wildlife
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