Estimated Joan: One day, my sister in Santa Clara drove her car when she smelled something burning. He stopped and put the hood and saw that something had hidden some tortillas in the engine.
She always parked next to a cactus in her front courtyard. What child or animal would hit this fruit in a car?
– Tim Avila, Santa Clara
Dear Tim: The hidden spin knobs in the engine compartment are the work of a rodent, most likely a rat.
It could be its executive rat or possible a wooden rat, also known as a package rat. It cannot rule out the squirrels completely, but some kind of rat is the most likely culprit.
If your sister has already done it, you must check your car thoroughly for another damage. In addition to treating the car like a pantry, they also chew the wiring.
If it is a wooden rat, you will probably find your home nearby, a large and growing collection of sticks and other objects.
To prevent rats from getting into the car, you can spray the engine area with mint oil. Place a light under the car or inside the engine compartment can also serve as a deterrent. Rats also like their privacy, so leaving the hood at night could help.
Estimated Joan: Until recently, I had a bird feeding in my front courtyard that kept sunflower hearts (expenses). It seemed that all the small birds of the county wanted to spend time eating here.
The possible feeder got a lot, so I replaced it with a similar one, just to find the gastronomic crowd that abandoned me. I have no idea why. The only possibilities I can think are one, the old feeder had a bright yellow upper part, or two, this feeder does not seem to supply like many seeds to the tray.
I have gone from 15 pounds of seeds a week to 15 pounds from seeds waiting on the bag. Do you have any other idea?
– George, Santa Clara
Dear George: Your two theories are valid. Birds can be particular about their food establishments and even the smallest change can leave them cold.
Other reasons could be the change of the season and the availability of foods of nature. The eating habits and the requirements of many birds change during the year. In autumn, birds are more likely to eat higher foods in calories and fats, increasing for their migration or helping them to survive the coldest temperatures of winter. In spring and summer, diets often include more insects, which are rich in protein and are abundant. They also look for high protein diets during the reproduction season.
A predator who moves to the neighborhood can also make birds cauture from a feeder, which leads them to find a safer dinner.
If your feeder continues to fill, it is very likely to attract some birds now and more later. Start filling the feeder with less food and see how the amount is increasing until the guests return to their birds.
The animal life column extends on Monday. Contact Joan Morris in askjoanmorris@gmail.com.
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