Prairie Dogs of Summer?

Hello Again!

Well, I truly hope you are having a pleasant summer. Around here the tomatoes are turning red on the vine and the ears of native corn are starting to pop up at roadside stands. Unfortunately, this year’s corn- growing in my garden did not go so well. Late cold and lots of wet despoiled the crop. Oh well, that is why we have grocery stores, right? In another piece of farming news, the escaped pig was never recovered and while I make my living trying to help people keep predators away, I kind of hope a coyote got it because the idea of a full-grown feral pig wandering my woods is not a pleasant one. Anyway, the remaining pig( which my youngest daughter has named Stanley) seems to be settling in to life on the PeeMan’s farm. Of course that is easy when he can be blissfully unaware of his impending demise. I however am not unaware and am impatiently waiting for Stanley chops and Stanley bacon. Sorry if this bothers some of you, but a man’s got to eat!

Enough about me! Last post I took a look at a yard pest that is totally foreign to my neck of the woods, and today I will travel down that same road. Prairie dogs sort of require prairies and last time I checked there aren’t too many of those up here in the Great North Woods. But, apparently there are some parts of the country where these gopher like creatures still make their homes. From what I can gather, those “homes” can be destructive to yards and gardens. On the other hand, the labeling of the prairie dog as a pest has led to a damaging level of eradication. So, a solution that does not harm this unique and fascinating creature but encourages them to make their home elsewhere would be ideal. Just so happens . . .We’ve got a pee for that! The coyote is one of the prairie dog’s natural predators so our 100% CoyotePee is the perfect solution!

Well, a nice blend of personal and business makes for a good blog post.

So, until I find more words. . .

The PeeMan

Arm Yourself Against Armadillos Naturally

Hello Again!

Where I live, you’ve got as much a chance of seeing an armadillo as you do an 100 degree day. But, for those of you way down south and west, the Dasypus novemcinctus can be a fairly common sight. Seeing them isn’t a problem until they turn up in your yard and garden and begin to root up flowers or vegetables. I hear they can also be a threat to your backyard chicken eggs.

What to do? Well, I came across this answer to dealing with an aggressive armadillo on a message board:

“My friend Lisa, who I occasionally do a radio show with, is always a proponent of the urine approach. “That’s how everyone else in Nature does it!” says she, and you know, she’s right. Try it…

Not my usual critter in the garden but the principle remains the same. If this does not deter, try predator urines like coyote (THERE’s a job I don’t want; collecting coyote pee).

I choose to live and let, and have chosen urine as my weapon of choice – Scott”

Armadillos? We’ve got a pee for that – and it happens to be coyote urine. So, instead of trying to trap the horny, hard shelled animals – I’d rather collect pee than tangle with an armadillo – put the all natural, organic power of predator urine to work for you.

Until I find more words. . .

The PeeMan

****FYI – THE MOST CURRENT GOOGLE CHROME HAS A GLITCH – FOR SUCCESSFUL SHOPPING ON WWW.PREDATORPEE.COM PLEASE USE AN ALTERNATE BROWSER OR CALL 207-478-6426 (8-5 M-F, Eastern Time)TO PLACE YOUR ORDER***

Google Chrome Issues

Just a short business related note: For some reason the newest update for Google Chrome is fighting with our shopping cart. I am currently working on a solution which means WAY more time in front of the computer than I like, but for now, please use a different browser to ensure the best possible shopping experience at predatorpee.com. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The PeeMan

PeeMan’s Gotta Have Hobbies Too – Airstream Refurbish Continued

It has been a while since I have given an update on the refinishing of my metal beauty. Well, she will be making her camping debut this weekend, so I better let you see her. A few more finishing touches and we will be ready to hitch her up and venture up North – yes you can go farther north. Hopefully, all goes well and this will be one of many outings to come. Not much time to write today, now that the Airstream is ready, I have to do some work on my boat – another oldie but goodie. Until I find more words . . . The PeeMan

All shined up and ready to roll

back bed reupholstered

retro red oven

Even More Words from the Customers

I am always astounded at the number of emails that I receive from people all over the country telling us how our product works for them. Now, mind you, I am not astounded that the product works – that’s a given – I am astounded that people will take the time to write me an email about it. Nevertheless, my PeeMail box just keeps filling up! So, without further ado . . .

“HI, I’ve been looking for something to keep my cute chipmunks out of the blackberries. Several people suggested coyote urine. I googled several sites. Yours looked like the “most authentic” – not sure what I mean. The Amazon site had several products, but they had mixed reviews. Some sites had general “predator urine“. I think I liked that you are in Maine.” – Phyllis

"This is at least my fifth reorder for 16 oz  BOBCATPEE spray. I originally found you about ten years ago by

internet search (I think it was Google) for “Bobcat urine,” after hearing a comment on radio about bobcat urine being effective in keeping rodents out of the engine compartment. . . .We are in a rural area with an abundance of rats and mice. A few spray shots in the engine compartment of our two vehicles every one to two weeks or so generally keeps them out. When I’m negligent and it goes for several weeks without spraying, I get loaded with juniper tree branches, sticks, and droppings, etc. plus fire hazard and several times in the past, wiring gnawing damage. We also spray the corners of outside doors to hold down night deposits of droppings and ratpee. Aside from that, this is “The Land of Enchantment.” – Stan

“I found you on Google while searching for “predator urine for raccoons”. I’m going camping and heard that this was the best thing to keep the raccoons out of the
camp ground. ” – Athena

“I originally purchased coyote pee at Fleet farm in Minnesota. When I couldn’t find it one year I started ordering it on line. I used Google search engine. Love the product.” – Mary

“HI THERE, I FOUND OUT BY SEARCHING THE INTERNET ORDERED YOUR PRODUCT AND FOUND IT TO BE
THE BEST STUFF AROUND. HOPE THAT HELPS YOU, THANKS PAULA”

“Hi, found you on google by searching “fisher scent” and you came up. Being from Maine I was psyched to see you are a Maine company. – Kate”

“I have ordered in the past. Found you on the Internet searching for something to keep the coyotes away from my cats. “- Kym

No one says it better than the customer!

Until I find more words. . .

The PeeMan

A Northern Redneck’s 4th of July

Well, I hope all of you had a happy and safe Independence Day! I thought that I would digress from the fascinating world of animal urine and give you a glimpse into the PeeMan’s own 4th of July celebration. First up we have a glimpse of the PeeMan’s Waterpark! On the left, you will see my eldest grandson enjoying the giant slip and slide. Next up was the pool – I might add that I built this with my own two hands! Ordered the liner on the computer and with a little trial and a lot of error – voila – oasis of cool for enjoyment by both young and old. Other options for Independence Day fun – our very own 15 hole disc golf course. Two of my daughters and a granddaughter played a fierce round ending with the eldest daughter coming out on top by 1 point. Add a grass bocci ball court measured to exact specifications, some tasty barbequed ribs, chicken, burgers and hotdogs, ice cold beverages, family and friends, and even a spontaneous outburst of patriotic song capped off by a trip to a coastal town for a fireworks display and that equals a pretty dang good holiday!

bocci

On a serious note, we had a terrible tragedy at the parade of a town nearby when a man was accidentally crushed by an antique firetruck. Lots of families and children witnessed the incident, and it cast a dark shadow on the day. The family of the man killed and those who witnessed the scene are in our prayers and I would ask you to keep them in yours.

Until I find more words. . .The PeeMan

flowers

Want to know what’s eating your garden?

Hello Again!

I was musing about what to write today, and as I traveled the web the thought occurred to me that I am always telling you how to take care of pest problems, but how about helping you identify what pest is causing the damage? Sometimes you may have spotted the pesky creature, but most of our customers seem to be guessing at what lurks in their gardens by night. So I found the following information published on the web by the UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture and I thought I would pass it on. (hyperlinks have been added by me – UMASS Amherst in no way endorses predatorpee.com)

Damage by Wildlife (Vertebrates)
Rabbits, Voles, Woodchucks, Deer, Chipmunks, Squirrels
All eat leaves or fruits of plants in vegetable gardens. Symptoms include:
Large parts of the plant are chewed off
Leaves are nibbled; stems cut
New growth is uniformly nibbled off
Plants are eaten to the ground
Fruits are damaged or removed
To help determine what vertebrate animal is causing the damage, sprinkle a layer of finely ground limestone around the damaged plants and look for animal tracks left in the powder the next day.
Rabbit damage can be identified by foliage that has been nipped off sharply, leaving no ragged edges. Seedlings might be grazed to the ground, and new growth uniformly nibbled off. Look for pea-sized droppings in the vicinity. Rabbits don’t travel far from their burrows or resting places. They feed at dusk, in the night and early morning. They favor tender beans, beets, broccoli, carrots, lettuce and peas. Deer damage can be easily confused with rabbit damage, but usually large parts of plants are chewed off and deer tracks will be evident in the soil.
Voles damage seedlings by chewing leaves and stems. Vole damage can be confused with cutworm damage because voles will move down a row of seedlings eating just the stems and toppling plants. Or, they might nibble only on the leaves. They feed mostly at night. Look for vole tunnels in grassy areas at the edges of the garden. Voles stay close to their tunnels and sometimes tunnel right into the garden. Problems are more likely to occur when vole populations are high.
Woodchucks tend to trample plants as they feed. They feed close to their burrows during the day, especially in mid-morning and late afternoon. Like rabbits, woodchucks seek shelter in weedy areas, stonewalls, brush piles or under porches and outbuildings. They like corn, beans and peas, but will browse on many tender garden vegetables.
Chipmunks and squirrels may develop a taste for fruits, such as tomatoes or strawberries, more often than the leaves of vegetables. Watch your garden in early morning and at dusk for rodent activity.”