Here are the facts about the old myth and the new one: Preventing deer damage to trees, non-poisonous poinsettias, and identifying voles In-town deer have become quite tame, Don Kinzler says, and that can mean severe injuries to plants — but there are steps you can take to help prevent the problem. However, poinsettias are not poisonous to cats, dogs or children. Mild rashes from touching the plants or nausea from chewing or eating the leaves may occur but they aren’t deadly, for humans or their pets. When ingested, mild signs of vomiting, drooling, or rarely, diarrhea may be seen. I’ve checked the guide for small mammals in the state and can’t come up with anything. If extra shots of bourbon in your eggnog have you feeling lousy the next day, drinking more alcohol — hair of the dog — won’t cure you. Baking generally kills any bacteria. While it is commonly touted as a toxic plant, poinsettias are only mildly toxic to dogs and cats. Don Kinzler, "Growing Together" and "Fielding Questions" columnist. Deer are frequently known to rub their antlers on tree trunks in the fall, and the lines and scars on the trunk look very much like the scars left by antler points. The truth about holiday weight gain depends on whether your Champagne glass is half empty or half full. Poinsettia is related to the para rubber tree, a natural source of latex rubber.". Poinsettia plants are less toxic than once believed. It seems strange that they would linger long enough in our yard to rub their antlers on the trees.”. This plant earns its deer-resistant label because it’s poisonous to deer (and humans). A: Have you seen deer in your yard? 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Are Poinsettias Toxic? So pets who ingest a significant amount of poinsettia plant parts may experience some drooling or vomiting. Interestingly, several participants in the study noted that deer seem to prefer plants that have been fertilized to those that haven’t. Many foxgloves are a biennial, so flowers don’t show up until the second year in the ground. Where I live hunting season doesn't begin till September. A: Have you seen deer in your yard? “Poinsettia’s reputation as a fatal beauty stems from the unconfirmed 1919 death of a 2-year-old in Hawaii. Some patients had eaten or handled raw dough made with flour contaminated with that bacteria. So what about that saying, “hair of the dog?” According to an old folk remedy, a dog bite could be cured by putting the animal’s hair in the wound. The milky white sap found in poinsettias contains chemicals called diterpenoid euphorbol esters and saponin-like detergents. Just recently she noticed a black mouse-like creature near her feeders and buildings. The damage is about 3 feet up from the ground. These varieties look great in the deer-resistant garden, doing well even in a dry spot with poor-to-medium soil. Special to The Forum. The damage is about 3 feet up from the ground. Poinsettias, those showy holiday plants with red and green foliage, are not nearly as harmful as a persistent myth says. Get local stories you won't find anywhere else right to your inbox. GREENSBORO, N.C. — As much as we love to admire our festive foliage, our four-legged friends are drooling over it. If there is one thing gardeners have in common, it is the need to ward off unwelcome wildlife. VERIFY QUESTION. Voles can be controlled by mouse traps baited with peanut butter, placing rodent baits inside PVC pipe bait stations or excluding from trees with quarter-inch wire mesh hardware cloth. Like the Christmas myths about Santa Claus, flying reindeer, and a toy workshop in the North Pole, the belief that poinsettias are poisonous is FALSE. The colorful bell shaped flower with freckles on the inside is lovely addition to deer-resistant gardens. The markings on the tree look suspiciously like the damage caused by the antlers of a buck deer. Research suggests it affects about 6 per cent of the U.S. population and rates are higher in Scandinavia. Preventing deer damage to trees, non-poisonous poinsettias, and identifying voles Published on December 12, 2020 In-town deer have become quite tame, Don Kinzler says, and that can mean severe injuries to plants — but there are steps you can take to help prevent the problem. Holiday blues are a real thing for many people grieving loss or absence of a loved one, and wintertime can trigger true but transient depression in some people, a condition sometimes called seasonal affective disorder. 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