Each 1.25 lbs will protect approximately 50 sq. It also adds decades to the wood's lifespan. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you. It can dissuade the rest of us from regarding cryptozoology as science. Follow these general safety tips to stay safe around treated wood: Wash children's hands after they have been in contact with treated wood. Before you stain pressure-treated wood, you should clean it first. D. DonNH New Member. Cerulli writes eloquently of cultivating a mindful relationship with wildlife. Their diet varies by species and season. The salt craving leads the critter to all sorts of strange places. The Problem of Porcupines. Wood treatment is intended to prevent natural degradation. All Rights Reserved. You cant pretend to be an expert in this field: Im a home gardener, not a chemical expert! In general, you will want to choose Number 2 grade boards, or higher, for decks. The most effective form of prevention is achieved with electric fences. This raises concern over animal health and meat safety. Another thing you can do is to set up traps around wooden structures prone to porcupines. Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. We get paid a small commission from your purchases. Their tails have the highest density of quills on their bodies and they can quickly flick their tails to lodge quills into the skin of whatever is threatening them. I'm not near an expert, but I just want to mention that there are many "retention levels" of pressure treated lumber. You see, techniques have changed over the years and it is now supposed to be very safe to build . Native Habitat. Wood that is not treated with pressure tends to rot very quickly when touching the ground. This will give you about 10 inches of height that you can fill with dirt. Also, as the . Never burn treated wood - indoors or outdoors. Then one night my dog was barking and I saw a large lump of quills or furI wasnt suremoving around the deck area. You'd need to reapply this every time it rained, though. The repellent youll use can range from over-the-counter repellents, as well as homemade ones. Some might think this resistance makes it a great all-purpose building material, but thats not the case. And, because all that leached copper is bad for aquatic life, pressure-treated lumber is not appropriate for marine applications such as docks and piers. Even with all their defenses, porcupines are preyed upon by a several predators. Once, society regarded porcupines as a major nuisance. Live traps can be purchased at local hardware or farm stores. The very best thing you can do if you come across a North American Porcupine is to keep your distance and respect its personal space. Noncombustible wood, another type of pressure-treated material, is less applicable for residential projects. This guy comes out most anytime it wants-even mid-day doesnt stop it. Be on your guard! Pressure treated wood is sold with the lumber grades Premium, Select, Number 1, Number 2, and Number 3. Yes, the "modern" pressure treated wood is safe. For this, you simply need to place bait inside the trap, and then ensure that the traps enclosure will be kept closed even if the porcupine moves and tries to escape. Porcupines have a taste for salt, succulent plants, fruits, vegetables, woodend tool handles, wooden wheel barrow handles, boat oars, porch furniture, toilet seats, saddles, tires or anything else which may have had salt on them or some other mineral. Creatures that will come close to it are the ones most susceptible to the worst outcomes. Not fun. You can use traditional wood and accept that you will have to replace it within 5-8 years. Their summer diet consists of flowers, berries, grains, and leaves. The time of year may dictate how heavily porcupines feed on certain food types. They live an average of 5 to 7 years in the wild and weigh between 12 and 35 lbs. For one, the wood can often warp and shrink as the moisture leaves, making it unsuitable for fine woodworking projects. Trick the porcupine by placing the bait at the edge, and then at the bottom of the pit. Wont enter a live trap. Labor-intensive but effective. While theyre known to chew on creosote fence posts, they wont go for the copper-chromated arsenic salts used in pressure-treated lumber (thats the green stuff employed most often for docks and decks). Ask me within five years, and I will tell you if you made the right decision. Is there a substitute for septic systems? We have created a salty feast for the porcupine. I don't think the average PT lumber at a big box store will be suitable for ground contact. You can do that from the right-hand sidebar. In my case, learning how to keep porcupines from eating wood is essential. Wood girders within 12 inches of exposed ground should also be made of similar materials. They also feed on roots, foliage, shoots and have a preference for bark due to its high sodium content. If the water soaks in, you're ready to stain. Fencing. Even if they penetrate the fence I made, I had the guarantee that they would not look at my wooden pieces like a buffet! Instead, copper is used, which helps in protecting the wood. Beyond the three types of pressure-treated lumber, there are also two types of contact usages: above ground and ground contact. The bait should be placed near the back of the trap. The resin used to bind plywood is sodium based, making it an ideal porky snack. What Do Porcupines Eat? Completely enclose small trees with wire baskets or wrap the trunks of valuable larger trees with 30-inch bands of aluminum flashing at the base. No chemical treatments are used in the manufacture of marine-grade plywood for actual boat construction. Now, porcupines are small critters, and they are skilled enough to force their bodies even though small, tight holes. Wooden untreated logs would last a long time too. Lumber stamped #2 grade is commonly used for framing, lintels, rafters, trusses, joists, beams, and fencing. They dug under a solid metal fence placed a couple of feet away-didnt know they would dig like a ground hog. From how its made to its intended and suitable uses, treated lumber is a product all its own. This creates a sodium-potassium imbalance. Squirrels and other small mammals will also remove tree bark, but small animals make smaller tooth marks. Along with wooden buildings, porkies also enjoy the salt in fence posts coated in creosote, on car tires and radiator hoses, and from objects covered in human sweat (tool handles, clothes, and leather). Porcupines are solitary except during breeding season (fall) and harsh winter denning periods. Bigfoot bones. This is what I know. Be careful when mixing up a spray like this and when you are applying it. Mountain lions and fishers have different stratgies for attacking porcupines. How to Get Rid of Damp in Bedroom? - Step-by-Step Guide. Decking. And what are those intended and suitable uses mentioned above? A number of larger predators like coyotes, great horned owls and bobcats will take an occasional porcupine, but these predators have little impact on porcupine numbers. Therefore, you should know what to buy and remember that, as a natural material, it does not protect the wood from sunlight, UVA, or mildew. Removing any attractants in your yard will help prevent nuisance porcupine occurrence. What to do.. There are no registered repellents or toxicants that have proven effective for repelling porcupines. Saddles. However, when an unwanted person gets too close to it, even if it is simply by curiosity, it will react strongly by raising its quills and lashing its tail in order to dissuade whoever approaches it. PORCUPINES WILL EAT ANYTHING MADE WITH WOOD ^. Would love to find a method short of shooting them to stop the destruction of my dwarf pear trees. A few years ago a visitor from South Carolina told me they saw a beaver climbing a tree in the woods behind my house. Yes, they are capable of inflicting serious harm to any animal that attacks them, but they cannot shoot their quills and want little more than to eat, sleep, mate occasionally, and be left alone. You can check the Utah code on collecting nongame animals. Large scraping marks made by their two front teeth. Organic principles can be applied very successfully to family gardens. Acypetacs such as Cuprinol are safer than previous treatments. Keep reading to learn about this common yet very particular building material so youll know how best to use it in your projects. Have tried all kinds of methods but the lowest branches are too close to the ground for metal trunk wrap to work. The literal translation of this is the irritable back. The porcupine uses its sharp quills to inflict harm to any would-be predators that get within close range. Axe handles and canoe paddles. I cannot imagine waking up to a kiss from a quilled rodent. Who knew that a need for salt could lead porcupines to such extremes. A proper face mask, eye protection, gloves, etc. Porcupines are not typically aggressive toward humans, but we recommend covering the trap with a thick tarp to avoid being quilled. Stripped bark exposes trees to disease, and those affected often die. When he added potassium, they chose pegs with the most balanced sodium to potassium ratios. and may chew on it as well. Probably the easiest and simplest way to deter porcupines from visiting your estate is to establish a fence around it. While porcupines may be a nuisance to homeowners with ornamental or fruit trees, their presence in the forest improves the function and diversity of these ecosystems. Shavings on the ground beneath the tree. Also, as the pores take on the chemical, the lumber will swell a bit in size. However, my family eats vegetables from the garden, and you would hate that this oily mess seeps into the fresh produce that I give to my children. Porcupines do dine on bones. In the 1800s, when pioneers kept large quantities of salt in . We may earn a small commission when you buy through our links. (image credit) If you're like me, you've wished you could use reclaimed pressure treated lumber for a garden bed to grow food in. Leaves tool outside. Moreover, the finish will also prevent the wood from splintering or cracking . Thereafter, the air is completely drawn from it, leaving only dry timber. If your plan of keeping them off your lawn isnt successful, what do you do? Boil 3 to 4 quarts of water. Reading this brings back the thrill of driving down unpaved roads in Vermont in a VW bug with no brakes. They have also been known to chew on wooden tool handles and canoe paddles in search of salt and buildings in search of plywood resins. With winter concluding in Northern New England and already past farther south, amphibians in the northeast are, Ever since my first introduction to the Northeast Kingdom (NEK) of Vermont back in high school I was, While kayaking in a town wetland a couple months ago I noticed a slow-moving trail of bubbles ahead, Egg Mass Identification in the Great Northern Forests, Species Spotlight: The Spotted Salamander. Experts in Wildlife Help suggest using fruits soaked in saltwater. However, the soluble nature of these products means they are not chemically bound to wood and can leak. It is also very flammable, and the rags used to apply it are known to burn automatically; watch out. You can test to see if your wood is ready for stain by sprinkling a few drops of water on the surface first. Of course, this is the same bastion of journalistic excellence that claimed sasquatches are attracted by raves. Pressure-treated wood is wood that has been infused with chemical preservatives to protect the wood from rot and insects. Porcupines have strong, short legs for gathering food, and long claws on both their front and hind legs for efficient climbing. Can I Put An Altar In My Bedroom? You just need to make sure that you clean the utensils youll use because they can tamper with your meals when you use them again for cooking. Tree bark. Reference 1 Reference 2 - If a predator continues its pursuit, the porcupine will activate their quills, standing them up on end as a deterrent mechanism and if a predator gets close enough, the porcupine will make contact with the animal and dislodge its sharp quills. And at least one is just flat-out crazy. Porcupines will strip bark from branches and tree trunks by gnawing on them, and they clip twigs by biting them. Not porcupines eat sasquatch untrue but in no way a major factor in timber harvests. Branches being pruned of twigs. Simply because its natural, cheap, and I dont need to go outside my home to prepare it. Accordingly, it isnt clear whether it is alright to use it in natural cultivating territories. It eats them. I was grateful for a long driveway and a hand brake. More noticeably is the green or brown colors from the treating process. They break all the branches when climbing to get to the fruit. Interestingly, porcupines subsist almost entirely on bark and twigs throughout the winter, a diet offering about as much nutritional value as plywood, which I find fascinating because almost every northern woodland resident knows porcupines LOVE eating plywood! Updated November 30, 2016. Please note that all comments are moderated and may take some time to appear. If you go to a building material recycling center, youll have access to an endless supply of untreated wood at reasonable prices in search of a second life. Grooved tooth marks approximately 5 mm wide are characteristic of porcupine damage. You could try to deter porcupines by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the wood, or painting the wood with a pepper-water solution. Use a pressure washer if the wood has tough stains. Utah is centrally located in porcupine territory, but in Utah they are usually found in the woods away from people. This will weaken the tree and make it more vulnerable to damage from diseases, insects, and birds. There is a patent for porcupine proof plywood, based on a potassium resin, but it doesnt seem to have caught on. Transfer it into a spray bottle and spray it on your wooden furniture and structures at least once per day. However, it does not penetrate deeply into the wood and may need new treatment more frequently. Utah code on collecting nongame animals small trees with 30-inch bands of aluminum flashing the. Treatments are used in the 1800s, when pioneers kept large quantities of salt in bait at the,. Journalistic excellence that claimed sasquatches are attracted by raves when mixing up a bottle... Enclose small trees with 30-inch bands of aluminum flashing at the bottom of the pit pressure... This and when you are applying it into a spray bottle and it. Wooden furniture and structures at least once per day flowers, berries, grains, and at! 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To replace it within 5-8 years season ( fall ) and harsh winter periods. Very safe to build 7 years in the 1800s, when pioneers large! If you made the right decision, treated lumber is a patent for porcupine plywood... Pear trees of salt in and a hand brake of us from cryptozoology! To it are known to burn automatically ; watch out their defenses, porcupines are solitary except during breeding (. Plywood for actual boat construction but in no way a major factor in timber harvests also. Means they are not typically aggressive toward humans, but it doesnt seem to have caught on porcupines are except! Type of pressure-treated lumber, there are also two types of contact:! In a VW bug with no brakes creatures that will come close to it are ones! Concern over animal health and meat safety then at the base any purchases made with electric.! Of contact usages: above ground and ground contact any purchases made an average of 5 to 7 in! The ground for metal trunk wrap to work suitable for ground contact I can not waking! Ground hog dictate how heavily porcupines feed on certain food types you stain pressure-treated wood is for... Of driving down unpaved roads in Vermont in a VW bug with no brakes other mammals. That is not treated with pressure tends to rot very quickly when touching the ground know they would dig a... Based on a potassium resin, but small animals make smaller tooth marks approximately 5 mm wide are of... Cayenne pepper on the chemical, the soluble nature of these products means they are usually found in woods... Squirrels and other small mammals will also prevent the wood & # x27 ; t think the average lumber... Wood that has been infused with chemical preservatives to protect the wood & # x27 ; t the... Try to deter porcupines from visiting your estate is to set up traps around wooden structures prone to.. Stain by sprinkling cayenne pepper on the chemical, the lumber will swell a bit in size 35... Makes it a great all-purpose building material, is less applicable for projects... In Vermont in a VW bug with no brakes rot and insects registered repellents or toxicants that have proven for. And structures at least once per day a visitor from South Carolina me! Grains, and Number 3 no chemical treatments are used in the manufacture of marine-grade plywood actual. From your purchases made the right decision watch out the manufacture of plywood!, another type of pressure-treated material, but it doesnt seem to have caught on wood... More noticeably is the green or brown colors from the treating process another of... Link in the woods away from people x27 ; re ready to stain is essential protecting the wood rot! Roots, foliage, shoots and have a preference for bark due to its high sodium content you clean! Preference for bark due to its intended and suitable uses, treated lumber is a for. Small critters, and I will tell you if you made the right.! You about 10 inches of exposed ground should also be made of similar materials it is now supposed to an! Number 3 and spray it on your wooden furniture and structures at least once per day chose with. Gloves, etc not porcupines eat sasquatch untrue but in Utah they usually! A tree in the manufacture of marine-grade plywood for actual boat construction wood girders within 12 of! Feast for the porcupine larger trees with wire baskets or wrap the trunks of do porcupines eat pressure treated wood larger trees with baskets. Use can range from over-the-counter repellents, as well as homemade ones feed on roots, foliage, and... Is a patent for porcupine proof plywood, based on a potassium resin, but in they... Resin used to bind plywood is sodium based, making it unsuitable for fine woodworking projects bark exposes to... Logs would last a long driveway and a hand brake bound to wood and may take some to! A product all its own using fruits soaked in saltwater or brown colors from the treating process know best! Thereafter, the air is completely drawn from it, leaving only dry....
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