Dead Trees Bring Life

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? This is a question asked for ages, and no matter the philosophical answers debated, a fallen tree may have uses no one sees. Trees have countless uses for humans. They offer shade, filter the air, and add value and beauty to the home landscape. Trees stabilize the soil and even produce food for us. When a tree is cut, it can be transformed into fuel, made into furniture, form the structure of our homes, and without trees, a newspaper could not be written, produced, or read.

Dead trees have a useful and special value, not for us but for wildlife. Dead parts of live trees, which are called 'snags', and fallen trees, referred to as 'logs' become important resources in nature. They become food and shelter for a number of species. As a tree decomposes, it recycles itself into the soil. The process enriches the soil and makes conditions favorable for the next generation of seedlings.

Logs become shelter for many layers of life. Insects, salamanders, mice and other small creatures seek refuge there. Other woodland life feed off them. Some grouse have been known to raise generations on the same logs. As the wood decays, it increases the mushroom population. During the harsh winter months, mushrooms are an important food source for birds, squirrel, and deer.

Snags, or standing dead trees, offer a nesting place for thirty-five species of birds. Wood ducks look for tree cavities near water. Barn owls look for nesting sites near large fields. Chickadees, sapsuckers, and woodpeckers make beneficial use of snags. As insects invade a dead tree, they attract turtles, shrews, salamanders, and bats among others, to sustain their life. One bat can consume thousands of mosquitoes while we slumber away.

While it may not always be feasible to keep dead trees on your property, some consideration should be given to sustaining the life we don’t see. On a smaller scale, brush piles, or even a post-season live Christmas tree set outside can create a haven for wildlife. Just because we don’t hear a sound doesn’t mean sounds are not being made.

For more information on this topic, The Penn State Master Gardeners have the publication 'Dead Wood for Wildlife'. Please contact us at 570-963-9642 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu to request your free copy.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County

Mice Control

The weather outside is getting colder, and pests like house mice are looking for a warm place with food and water to hole up for the winter. Guess what? Your house may be looking like a five-star resort to these unwanted house guests. They may look cute on TV or the comic strip but mice can carry Salmonella, a bacteria that causes food poisoning. Mice can also transmit other nasty parasites such as ringworm, mites, tapeworms, and ticks. In addition, they urinate over several thousand times a day.

You are likely to spot them in the fall when they are looking for the things mice need to survive, such as food, water and shelter. They can wiggle their way into the tiniest of openings around windows, doors, roofs, piping, and air ducts. Any hole you can stick a pencil in is an entry way for a mouse.

So to deter these unwanted guests here are some tips:

• Make sure they are mice and from where they are entering. Look for holes in walls that are ringed with a dirty, oily rubbing both inside and outside your home.
• Make sure they don’t have what they need. Mice are looking for shelter but also food and water. Inside, clean up food scraps and store foods appropriately to prevent easy access to food. All pet foods should be stored off the floor and in sealed hard containers with tight-fitting lids. Outside, dead plantings and grass offer protection as mice try to find a way inside. Seal up small holes and cracks. Keep in mind mice can jump up twelve inches and can run along wires.
• Make sure they are trapped. It is not recommended to use baits as the rodents consume this poison and can die inside a wall or other hidden areas. Wooden traps, although unsightly are highly effective. Set a group of them, and if nothing is found, move to another location.
• Make sure they are removed quickly and the area is sanitized. Always wear rubber gloves, and spray the area, the droppings, and even the rodent with a bleach/water solution. Dispose of everything in a sealed plastic bag.

For more information on mice control or any other home pest, please contact the Penn State Master Gardener Helpline at (570)963-6842.

Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County