PL PACKET 09212004 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

PROBLEMS - PRECONCEPTIONS AND BARRIERS The series of questions and answers below articulate the _ current state of knowledge and give the reader assistance in engaging in productive debate with neighbors, friends, or relatives who might object to a non-traditional landscape. QUESTION; Will tall grass attract rats? ANSWER: Rats are attracted by extreme concentrations of food such as grain elevators and garbage. Whether tall grass is present or not is independent of the presence of rats. QUESTION: What about other animals? ANSWER: Field mice and gophers do live in grassy areas. Field mice may enter the home in the fall seeking a place for hibernation. * As all wild creatures, they are harmless unless cornered and threatened. This includes such common animals of woodland edges as wood- chucks and raccoons. QUESTION: What about mosquitoes and other insects? ANSWER: Naturalized landscapes without standing water - will not breed mosquitoes . At least ten days of standing water are necessary for this. People who have landscaped their homesites naturally have no more insect pests in their yards than the more traditionally landscaped homes of friends throughout the city. QUESTION: Will prairie grasses produce a fire hazard? ANSWER: Prairie grasses can be ignited under dry conditions . See below for safety measures that are required by the natural lawn ordin- ance. However, it should also be noted that dry prairie grasses are in themselves insub- stantial and have less potential for igniting structures than the dry needles around the base of the commonly used foundation plant- ings such as yews (Taxus spp. ) and junipers (Juniperus spp. ) . * If a two foot mown strip is provided around a building, it will greatly reduce the possibility of their entry. 7