Book Description
Despite our reverence for wildlife, many of our most favorite species raise havoc in lawns and gardens from city to suburbia. This book solves backyard problems with squirrels, raccoons, deer, crows, insects and a host of other "pests" who raid backyard bird feeders and garbage cans, nest in chimneys, eat shrubbery, dig holes and tunnels in lawns, and attack garden foliage. George H. Harrison, award-winning nature writer, photographer, book author and consultant in the field of nature and outdoors, provides a natural history of squirrels and other problem critters so that readers can better understand the enemy. Topics covered include squirrels and deer raiding bird feeders, eating shrubbery and carrying Lyme disease; woodpeckers drilling holes in siding and roofs; rabbits destroying young trees, shrubs and other cultivated lawn plants; ticks, yellowjackets, wasps and ants biting, stinging and dominating sugar water feeders meant for hummingbirds; bears; raccoons; and more. Informative tips, devices and methods are explained that will lead to a peaceful coexistence with all animals, great and small.
Customer Reviews:
Squirrel Wars: Not Just Squirrels.......2007-03-09
The book says Squirrel Wars but it's a book about keeping other creatures out of your yard/garden as well. I was hoping it would be more comprehensive but since it gives tips on other creatures, I thought it had more value. Haven't gotten thru the whole book yet...too busy trying to salvage the bulbs that survived the squirrel attacks.
a truly honest and practical guide.......2000-07-10
Finally, someone has published a guide to dealing with my backyard foes. For years, master gardners, nursery workers, etc. have told me there was absolutely nothing I could do to protect my flowerbeds and bird feeders from squirrels, pesky birds and roaming cats. After reading this book, I know what works and what doesn't. This book not only tells me what to do, I now have some good insight into what's going on in the minds of those little critters (I wish more authors would do this). Yeah!!
My only complaint: the title is a little misleading. I got this book so I could deal with squirrels. This book covers many more backyard critters than squirrels such as cats, crows, deer, raccoons, and so on.
Squirrel Wars Too?.......2000-07-08
An invaluable book for any homeowner who's ever had problems with squirrels (enemy number one), rabbits, racoons, skunks, possums, deer, cats, rats, dogs, even birds, etc. Each section is dedicated to solving a problem with your animal of choice. And that's just it. It could have easily been called "skunk wars" or any other "animal wars" mentioned in this book. I guess he chose squirrels because they seem to be the most persistant animals to invade our backyard. They are truly clever. However, there's another "Squirrel Wars" book that deals with squirrels only, written in 1996, and the author's attempt to outwit them from raiding his birdfeeders. It's funny and serious. I highly recommend both Squirrel Wars. Enjoy while learning.
"Must" reading for backyard gardeners & wildlife enthusiasts.......2000-07-03
Many favorite wildlife species wreck havoc on backyard gardens: Squirrel Wars tells how to solve a range of problems, from birds which raid bird feeders and squirrels which are geniuses at food to creatures which nest in chimneys and dig holes in lawns. Deer, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, skunks and opossums are covered, with some remedies more effective than others.
Great Book.......2000-06-09
this was a great book, hilarious funny, its very true
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Micromammals and Macroparasites: From Evolutionary Ecology to Management
Manufacturer: Springer
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Small mammals are among the most ubiquitous and important components of terrestrial ecosystems. They have coevolved, and now coexist, with a diverse array of parasites, such that not only are all aspects of their biology influenced by parasitism but they also play key roles in the transmission and maintenance of parasitic diseases. This book provides a comprehensive survey of the diversity and biology of metazoan parasites affecting small mammals, of their impact on host individuals and populations, and of the management implications of these parasites for conservation biology and human welfare. Designed for a broad, multidisciplinary audience, it will be an essential resource for researchers, students, and practitioners alike in the fields of parasitology, evolutionary ecology, wildlife management, and conservation biology.
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In his third book, Robert Sullivan leaves the wilds of the (Meadowlands and the rough whaling waters of the Pacific Northwest to take up rat-watching in the alleys of New York City. Sullivan learned to appreciate the rodents during nocturnal stakeouts; a night-vision scope helped him observe rats without scaring them. As in his previous books, Sullivan uses pointillist details rather than broad portraiture to paint his subject, and the details in Rats are devilish. There are plenty of facts in the book to make your skin crawl, such as a description of the greasy skids rats leave on the paths they frequent, and a list of garbage items they prefer to eat. But Sullivan's style is often less that of a nature writer than a historian. In personable, essayish chapters, New York's history is revealed to be particularly ratty, with tall tales about the rodents' disgusting accomplishments going back to the city's founding. Although many people have never seen a rat outside a pet store, Sullivan reminds us that they are our constant neighbors, staring out from dim corners and messy crevices with beady eyes and twitching whiskers. --Adam Fisher
Book Description
Thoreau went to Walden Pond to live simply in the wild and contemplate his own place in the world by observing nature. Robert Sullivan went to a disused, garbage-filled little alley in lower Manhattan to contemplate the city and its lesser-known inhabitants-by observing the rat.
Rats live in the world precisely where humans do; they survive on the effluvia of human society; they eat our garbage. While dispensing gruesomely fascinating rat facts and strangely entertaining rat-stories-everyone has one, it turns out-Sullivan gets to know not just the beast but its friends and foes: the exterminators, the sanitation workers, the agitators and activists who have played their part in the centuries-old war between human city dweller and wild city rat. With a notebook and night-vision gear, he sits nightly in the streamlike flow of garbage and searches for fabled rat-kings, sets out to trap a rat, and eventually travels to the Midwest to learn about rats in Chicago, Milwaukee, and other cities of America. With tales of rat fights in the Gangs of New York era and stories of Harlem rent strike leaders who used rats to win tenants basic rights, Sullivan looks deeper and deeper into the largely unrecorded history of the city and its masses-its herd-of-rats-like mob. Funny, wise, sometimes disgusting but always compulsively readable, Rats earns its unlikely place alongside the great classics of nature writing.
Did you know?
- 26% of all electric cable breaks and 18% of all phone cable disruptions are caused by rats, 25% of all fires of unknown origin are rat-caused, and rats destroy an estimated 1/3 of the world's food supply each year. The rat has been called the world's most destructive mammal-other than man.
- Male and female rats may have sex twenty times a day. A female can produce up to twelve litters of twenty rats a year: one pair of rats has the potential for 15,000 descendants in a year.
Customer Reviews:
Gives You Something to Gnaw On.......2007-06-17
Sullivan spent a whole season of nights sitting quietly in a New York alley, waiting for the rats to come out - so he could observe them and record their activities. When I read this premise, I slapped myself. Why hadn't I thought of that!? I'm a night-owl. I have rats in my alley. It goes to show how there are subjects for best-selling books right under all of our noses, if we would only seize the opportunity.
Sullivan did end up with some interesting observations of these much-maligned denizens of our garbage piles. But I don't think he discovered anything that animal behaviorists hadn't already known.
Then he ranged outside of his alley to interview all sorts of people connected with rats. He interviewed City exterminators. He confirmed the myth of the "rat king" by tracking down reports of people who had witnessed hordes of rats, seemingly led by one burly individual rat, flowing purposefully across City streets, towards some objective known only to themselves.
But I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more information about rats here. The repertoire of behavior they exhibited in that alley was rather limited, so Sullivan frequently pads his book with sidetracks - about the history of the alley he'd chosen as his observation post - about bygone New York pols and personalities. I would have preferred that he stick more with the rats in order to discover some of their secrets.
For example, I would have liked him to provide a theory about how they manage to eat so much garbage and not get sick. Do they have some bacteria or enzyme that allows them to digest stuff that human beings can't, or at least squeamishly think they can't? Or do rats in fact frequently get sick? I found myself urging Sullivan to peer deeper into their burrows to check for ill and aging rats, to pry more into their personal lives in general. But he doesn't venture into those recesses, either personally or with any high-tech equipment. I suppose those more penetrating studies are best left to the scientists. Sullivan was just a man out on a New York night, looking at things most people want to overlook.
He does supply a good list of references for readers who want to pursue the subject further. Included in this list is a website address where the reader can join up with any of various local "Rat Fancier" clubs. Many of these clubs are looking for organizers, for leaders to arrange meetings. So a person could in effect take charge and himself become a "Rat King."
Reads like 20 New Yorker articles thrown together.......2006-12-21
This is a curious book. To start with, it is short. Without the Notes section, it is about 220 pages. There is no index or photographs or illustrations. The text has the feel of a random selection of magazine articles thrown together. There is an attempt to hold the whole thing together with the author's own personal observations of rats in an alley in lower Manhattan, but the author tends to spend more time discussing what he was wearing or drinking than about the actual rats in the alley. I am fairly certain that you could rearrange many of the chapters in virtually any order and the book would not significantly change. The writing style is occasionally humorous but for the most part seems like an attempt to be erudite rather than an actual success.
As to what you will actually learn about rats, there is very little here. You will learn more by going to Wikipedia, and the writing there is no worse. Many of his "facts" are prefaced by, "According to one study...", "By one estimate...", "One rat expert theorizes...". This might not be too bad if the source of these "facts" were cited but they aren't so there is no way to verify any of the information provided. And when an author is making fairly outrageous claims such as that one-third of the world's food supply is eaten by rats, the reader would like some support other than just the author's word. Also, the author tells us early on that there are only about 400,000 rats in New York but then he interviews an "expert" that he admires who tells us that there are millions of rats living deep under the city who never come to the surface. Is there any support for this? Is it 400,000 or millions? And even when he gets his facts right he gets them wrong. For example, the author writes about the rats link to the Black Death but fails to note that the Brown rat that is in the city is not the rat that carries plague and in fact, probably can't carry plague. The rat of the Black Death was the Black Rat which is not the rat the author is writing about.
Which brings up the side trips on the journey. Almost anyone in New York who has something to do with rats is a potential target for a chapter. Many of these people are not the least bit interesting and the claims they make are unsupported by any evidence but the author simply reports them as fact. His writing fails to cover any subject in any depth. He writes a chapter about John DeLury, for example, who was the head of the sanitation worker's union in the 1970's with very little detail beyond what you would expect in a typical obituary. And then he ends the short chapter with excitement that a friend of a friend is a grandson of DeLury. Ho-hum. He tries to interview people who might remember so-and-so who had some remote link to rats years ago but the interviews go nowhere. A typical response he gets is, "I didn't know him personally but I understand that people spoke highly of him." Excuse me? Why is this even worth writing down? Is the author that desperate to pad his book?
Overall the book does not educate the reader about rats, does not provide much in the way of historical detail, and barely entertains. I would not recommend that anyone waste their time on it.
Eeek! Fascinating!.......2006-09-19
I love rats. I love Manhattan. I too have seen Central Park's "squirrels" in broad daylight. That seems to mean that New York City's rats are operating both a night and a day shift. I suppose that would be kind of creepy anywhere else but rats are certainly not the scariest things I have encountered in Central Park.
Mr. Sullivan writes a very compelling and well researched book about the city's rats. Some of the most interesting passages are observations of an actual city rat pack watched by the author. Many researchers take to the jungle, savannah or ocean to watch and record the behavior of wild animals. Mr. Sullivan stays in the city and studies his subjects from an urban alley.
Readers will find themselves knowing more about rats and Manhattan than they imagined. I'm a longtime keeper of domestic rats & I was both surprised and pleased to learn things that gave me insight into my pet's behavior. And I am still a frequent visitor to Manhattan!
I love rats.......2006-09-05
This book is wonderfully written and recommended to anyone that
is considering incorporating a rat or two in to their family.
The history of rats is fascinating. Knowing more about the rat family will make you a better pet person.
Hi Rat!.......2006-08-14
The title is backward, this is primarily a book about observation. I think the author said it best in the afterword when he remarks only half-joking that his next books will be about pretty flowers, as many readers couldn't come to grips with the topic of study. Why not study rats? They are as valid a topic as any other and far more interesting than most. However, that the author chose to center the observation on rats is, surprisingly, almost an aside. What is utterly fascinating is the depth of knowledge that can be gained from disciplined observation and research--even if it largely takes place in a forgotten, grimy, rat-infested alley.
This book is a journey to understanding--not just of rats, but of the city in which the author lives. Of course, New York is the stand in for modern civilization itself. Curiously, the author has uncovered a disturbing truth--we are very similar in many respects to rats in terms of resourcefulness and adaptability. It is also a wonderfully personal book in that the author maintains an often hilarious, personal dialogue with his reader. The writing is carried off so well that one may easily forget that there is real craft involved.
Our author brings a mordant wit to his observations; the humor hits you fast and on many levels. What appears to be merely a fascinating glossary of ratty facts ends up becoming a surprisingly deep commentary on the nature of history itself; from the rise and fall of civilizations to the witness of even the Rat King being brought low by the inevitable exterminators. It strikes me that the author didn't quite realize the power of his observations until well after he completed the book as well as a multi-city book tour. For this reason, the afterword is required reading.
I could go on, but suffice it to say that this book deserves five solid stars. The writing is praiseworthy and a pleasure to read. Mr. Sullivan takes his reader from loud laughter to profound reflection--and does it in the context of a rat report. Well done and highly recommended.
Book Description
The corn is ripe...and the raccoons are hungry. As the moon rises a mother raccoon and her two young begin an all night feast in a cornfield. Acclaimed nature artist Jim Arnosky gives young children an unforgettable wildlife-watching experience.
Customer Reviews:
Lovely Art - a review of "Raccoons and Ripe Corn".......2006-08-02
I've gotten this book from the library twice; once when my children were younger and again now that they are 4 and 6 (boy and girl). Both times this book has failed to capture their imaginations (or in other words they didn't ask for repeat readings like they do for other books).
I think this is because there is not enough story to intrigue them. The book is more about description than plot: autumn leaves sailing over the cornfield; corn silk turning brown; a mother raccoon and her nearly grown kits pealing away the green husks to expose yellow kernels....
Nice imagery, but not to every child's taste.
Three Stars. [C+]. There is much to discuss in this book. The pictures show autumn coming and a variety of animals, bugs, plants. HOWEVER, there is little in the way of story. Raccoons come. Raccoons feast. Raccoons depart.
Might be a good book to add to a young child's library if they are the sort that likes to look a picture books.
Beautiful!.......1999-10-28
We were absorbed by the beautiful life like illustrations. The text is simple, not too wordy. Can be read by a beginning reader.
Book Description
There's a war going on out there, and humans are losing ground--literally. The first book to look squarely at the subject, Backyard Battle Plan takes a stand on the fastest-growing threat to our gardens: animal damage. Ecological imbalance and overzealous protectionist policies have produced a skyrocketing population of problem animals. Deer alone number thirty times what they did a century ago. With animal-related property losses totaling $3 billion a year, America's summer backyard--suburban and urban--is under siege. But our romanticization of wildlife, argues Backyard Battle Plan, blinds us to our need for a balance of preservation and control, even elimination. A godsend to any gardener whose cherished crops are regularly destroyed, this complete A-to-Z guide defines the enemy: from beaver to problem birds and coyotes to woodchucks; their habitats and the diseases they carry; and control methods from fencing to poison to hunting. Complete with fascinating boxes and sidebars, this is an honest and long-overdue primer on an issue we dare not keep taboo.
Customer Reviews:
Not a good purchase.......2005-12-18
I bought this book hoping to add to my knowledge of innercity animals and my repetory of methods for excluding them from my yard. Unfortunately I was dissappointed. The book provides few clues for dealing with animal problems short of killing them. While this may be the first choice for many people who are frustrated with animals that have moved into the attic or made a mess of the garden, there are other methods of resolving these types of problems that are for the most part glossed over by the author.
The author seems to have written this without much research. Much of the information presented about an animal's natural history or it's behavior is incomplete and sometimes just plain wrong. In skimming through chapters on animals I was very familiar with, I found a dozen errors. Further the information on diseases and zoonotics is poorly written and in addition to providing incorrect information, is not up to date about about vector animals.
There are other books that are much more informative about this subject matter. For a better understanding of behavior and habitat, check out "Wild Neighbors" which is put out by the Humane Society. You might also check out "Living with Wildlife" by Landau and Stump or "When Raccoons fall through your Ceiling" by Lopez. Even if you ultimately find that the only solution for you is to kill the animals that are bothering you, these books will give you a better understanding of how and why the animals are behaving the way they are. In many urban settings, removing one animal just makes room for another one. At some point you'll want to know how to stop that cycle and these books will provide you with information that can help.
Coverage of Many Anaimals, Not Much Depth.......2000-08-06
If you have a problem with many different types of animals eating your garden this book may be of interest to you. The author addresses virtually every type of animal the average gardener may encounter and then some, which may be very helpful if you have a problem with: alligators, bears, bison, moose or wolves. While the book provides a good overview, due to the wide variety of animals it discusses it doesn't go into as much detail as some readers may like.
If you are an animal lover who is striving to have a garden and live harmoniously with nature, this book may not be for you. As the title suggests, the author views the critters devouring our gardens as "the enemy". Some of his references include books on tactical war strategies. While perhaps effective, not everyone will appreciate some of the author's methods and philosophies.
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Common Household Pests: A Homeowners Guide to Detection and Control
Phillip Hadlington , and
Christine Marsden
Manufacturer: New South Wales University Press
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Animal Bandits (Curious Creatures Series)
Robert Henno
Manufacturer: Charlesbridge Publishing
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Animal control in field, farm, and forest
William Robert Eadie
Manufacturer: MacMillan
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Book Description
These all-new, timesaving techniques show you how to create exquisite, interlacing Celtic patterns more simply and quickly than ever before! Just "baste" designs with fusible web, machine appliqué with "invisible" stitches, and add dramatic color and texture with decorative threads. A mix of ancient and modern Celtic patterns is provided. Includes:
• Complete instructions for 12 beautiful Celtic wall quilts, pillows, and table runners
• Elegant block, medallion, and border patterns, all given a fresh look with color-rich prints
• Tips on making stained-glass style Celtic quilts with ready-made 1/4" bias strips
Customer Reviews:
Stunning!.......2007-01-11
This quilt book is so stunning with all the examples. Not only that, but being a beginner, this books spells things out pretty well. I did go get the other book she recommends as well. It's called Hand Applique. But that's if you want to know how to do Hand Apllique, and I wouldn't say that it deserves 5 stars.
One book that any Quilter would like to have in their library.......2006-02-23
Great source of information and inspiration for Quilters looking to think outside the box and or learn basic techniques in creating quilts with a Celtic theme.
Instructions are easy to follow and organized with easy tips to assist the Quilter in planning out and completing the project
.
My first attempt pleased even myself!.......2005-11-17
I am my own worst critic, but my first attempt produced a lovely little piece of Celtic quilting that I am proud of. There are many great tips scattered throughout the book, including basic machine quilting tips that help take the intimidation factor out of the process.
I am now in the process of planning another larger project and can't wait to get started!
Beautiful designs.......2005-09-01
I admit that I haven't made a Celtic quilt (yet) but it's on my list of quilts to do after reading this book. The author gives you all of the help you'd need create a beautiful Celtic quilt using bias bars and making your own bias tubes. I'm thinking of purchasing a Celtic font (available online) to make my own patterns. I've seen Celtic quilts in quilt shows and they always seem to steal the show.
what an insperation!.......2002-01-31
This book made me really want to learn more about celtic quilting. I can't wait to make more and more. Good directions and examples. Lot's of inspiring photos. A must for a true historic quilter.
Books:
- Staffordshire Terriers: American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Street Meeting: Multiethnic Neighborhoods in Early Twentieth-Century Los Angeles
- Teaching Your Bird to Talk
- The Animal Boogie (Sing Along With Fred Penner)
- The Chinchilla Handbook (Barron's Pet Handbooks)
- The Complete Book of Finches and Softbills: Their Care and Breeding
- The Field Gordon Setter
- The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats (Prevention Pets)
- The Horse Conformation Handbook
- The Kitten Owner's Manual: Solutions to all your Kitten Quandaries in an easy-to-follow question and answer format
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- The Henry Clay Frick Houses: Architecture, Interiors, Landscapes in the Golden Era
- How to Study Your Bible for Kids
- Exit Strategies: A Novel
- History: Fiction or Science
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- Life With an Indian Prince: By Archives of American Falconry
- Prince William: A Journey To The Throne
- Global Taxes for World Government
- Estrategia de Marketing Internacional
Outwitting Squirrels: 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriation of Seed from Your Birdfeeder by Squirrels
Squirrel Proofing Your Home & Garden
The Critter Control Handbook: Pro Secrets for Stopping Sneaky Squirrels and Other Crafty Critters in Their Tracks
Deerproofing Your Yard & Garden
Outwitting Deer: 101 Truly Ingenious Methods and Proven Techniques to Prevent Deer from Devouring Your Garden and Destroying Your Yard
