The thing that bemuses me, having had relationships with several rodents over the years, is that very often there's no pragmatic motivation there. They gnaw just to be gnawing. This tree, for example, may well remain this way for another 50 years, before dying of old age.
As I said, their role goes much deeper than simple environmental balance. They exist to keep things lively.
What you said is perfect, yes those rodents do promote chaos. We have a lot of squirrels and we have given up trying to keep them off birdfeeders and gardens and have instead become friends with them. At least they can't eat our trees, although we think a hungry rabbit did strip away a bit of bark on one of our smaller trees this winter.
We have a lot of squirrels here, too, and they gnaw everything. What inspires them to chew up things left outdoors escapes me, but I once had them nearly empty a new can of WD 40, while gnawing the button to bits.
"Who would need this tree, other than me?!" ~The beaver maybe
ReplyDeleteIn our neck of the woods, we have similar beaver-bit trees.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that bemuses me, having had relationships with several rodents over the years, is that very often there's no pragmatic motivation there. They gnaw just to be gnawing. This tree, for example, may well remain this way for another 50 years, before dying of old age.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, their role goes much deeper than simple environmental balance. They exist to keep things lively.
What you said is perfect, yes those rodents do promote chaos. We have a lot of squirrels and we have given up trying to keep them off birdfeeders and gardens and have instead become friends with them. At least they can't eat our trees, although we think a hungry rabbit did strip away a bit of bark on one of our smaller trees this winter.
ReplyDeleteWe have a lot of squirrels here, too, and they gnaw everything. What inspires them to chew up things left outdoors escapes me, but I once had them nearly empty a new can of WD 40, while gnawing the button to bits.
ReplyDelete