Predator Control

[lolotsung]

A chicken farmer said as long as you don't have weasels, they are hard to keep out, you can leave your chickens out and never close the coop. She has electric fence and nylon netting (for overhead protection) about 3 mm diameter and 1" openings bought from Amazon. How are weasels able to bypass the electric fence?

[Killerbunny]

Lots of things bypass the electronet skunks for one. They will take eggs OR broody birds. I have the wider mesh though. Racoons will just rip through. I also had electric fence at 3 levels around the main paddock. Things still went through and I didn't want to put something strong enough to bbq a bird.
ANd here is Nina!

thumb_61_f248dadc0a8e968fcf531b60d5a84662.jpg (38.73 KiB) Viewed 3424 times

[kenya]

Will the electronet keep out fox

[ross]

Supposed to but if earth dry the ground for jolt may not work or if fox to light . If ground to itself it should .

[lolotsung]

I don't think the electric netting would work in the winter. First freezing rain storm and fence will sag down too far. Animals will jump over it. Right? I'm just guessing...

[Billy Grasser]

Everyone on here would be wise to stock a few different sizes of live traps. From weasel to coon size will suffice. Canines are usually too smart too enter, however a nearby farmer caught a few young fox in his live trap one year. Good barn cats will keep weasels away as well

[Killerbunny]

We find eggs in live traps do well for racoon catching. Easy termination with a .22 then.

[Ontario Chick]

I have a new kind of predator I could have lived without...
European Giant hornet, OR Asian Giant hornet...?

They come to the front light fixture and eat the moth that are attracted to the light, really not happy about that, since we have wild bees in the back and I am sure they will be hunting them too.
They are so noisy when they fly, and hang sort of vertically and at first, naively it's just a few, but the other day I saw them on the road at noon so I guess they hunt day and night, not a pretty picture.

[Killerbunny]

Can you notify the Ministry about them? Critical to get em asap.

[Ontario Chick]

Definitely identified as European hornets, so no need to report.
Spent a very educational morning studying a dead one with a magnifying glass, altho the size of it, magnification not really needed.
Nor sure where the nest is, but threading carefully