Frequently asked Questions!Q. Why should I worry about whether wildife becomes extinct?A. Because we can't survive ourselves without wildlife. Birds and bats kepp insect levels down, polinate plants in the forests, and have symbiotic relationships with other plant and animal species. On a mountain in Shoalwater Bay, ( and in a few other places) every few years when the weather is right, a tiny golden ground orchid flowers. It's polinated by a wasp, because the flower smells like female wasp, and the male attempts to mate with the flower. We know a bit about the orchid, but we know nothing about the wasp. If we lose the wasp, we lose the orchid. Then we can lose the small marsupials that browse on the orchid tubers. That impacts on the predator birds and animals who prey on the small marsupials. It's like a chain when you remove a link....everything unravels. ****************************************************************
Q. Why does it cost $16 just to get a Certificate for my wildlife backyard? A. Because your $16 only just covers the cost of maintaining the website, and producing and mailing your Backyard/Balcony/Patio/Rooftop Wildlife Habitat Certificate to you. If there's any left over it goes towards our WPAA Wildlife Education in Schools campaigns. ****************************************************************
Q. Can I collect frogs from the local swamp and put them in my backyard pond? A. No, you cannot. Frogs and all other wildlife is protected in every State. There is a grey area in regard to taking a few tadpoles, but it's not recommended to do that, because its possible to spread the virus that is killing frogs. You dont want the virus in your pond! If you have constructed a frog-friendly pond and surrounds, the frogs will move from the local swamp to your pond. The frogs will come! ****************************************************************
Q. I bought a pet turtle from a pet shop, can I put it in my frog pond? A. No, you cannot. Your pet turtle will eat all your frogs, tadpoles, and fish. It will probably bite you as well. Also your turtle may have a virus from being bred in a commercial pet turtle farm. It may also be a turtle variety from another State, or even another Country, and may not be native to your area. ****************************************************************
Q. I found a turtle on the road, can I keep him as a pet? A. No, you cannot. Pet turtles (or any other wildlife)can only be purchased from a pet shop, and you will need a special State Permit. There are heavy fines for taking any wildlife from the wild. There are also unresolved compliance and animal welfare issues with keeping pet wildlife. If your backyard is wildlife friendly the wildlife will come to you, and you wont have to buy it, or cage it. ****************************************************************
Q. If I attract parrots to my backyard, will they eat the peaches on my husbands peach tree. A. Probably. Black monofiliment fruit tree netting is being withdrawn from sale because it kills flying foxes and birds that get caught up in it. The bird fruit protection netting that is available must be pulled down tight to the ground to avoid this happening. The best option is to remove the fruit before it gets ripe, and ripen it inside. Or better still, share your fruit with the wildlife, and go buy some more fruit from a properly netted commercial orchid. ****************************************************************
Q. If a flying fox comes into my backyard, will I get sick from it. A. No, only if you handle it and get scratched. If the flying fox seems to be in trouble, phone your local wildlife carer group. Dont touch the flying fox yourself. **************************************************************** Q. Okay, Ive got lot's of plants on my balcony, I've got a couple of geckos, a tiny frog that I think came in with one of the plants, and Im getting a visit now and again from a small butterfly thingo. How do I attract birds to my balcony? A. Birds will come if you have flowers and refuge for them. ****************************************************************
Q. Should I have a bat house in my yard? A. Absolutely. Microbats are one of the best friends that we human animals have. They consume huge amounts of insects every night. Without the microbats we would be overrun with pest insects. ****************************************************************
Q. I grow vegetables in my backyard too, and Im worried about the wildlife eating my veges? A. You're right to be worried, possums love brocolli and beans, but the birds will eat any of your insect pests too! If you are growing vegetable or flowers that need protection, you will have to ensure that wirenetting at lower levels keeps the possums out, and wallaby or similar style netting at higher levels lets the birds in. After saying all that, it's very hard to keep a possum out of a vege patch. Sacrifice crops often work, or leave some fruit and vege scraps out for the possum. Give possum a name too, (a nice name) and that creates a relationship. Make sure he has a possum box, and that will keep possum out of your roof. **************************************************************** Q. Ive got a sort of hobby farm. Apart from planting more trees, which I'm doing, what's the single most useful thing I can do to help wildlife? A. Get rid of any barbwire on your property. Barbed wire is devastating to wildlife, and its dangerous to horses and cattle too. If you have cattle that need barbed wire fence to contain them, sell them and get some quieter cows. Murray Greys are nice and gentle. ****************************************************************
Q. I havent got any logs in my backyard, whats the next best thing to provide shelter for lizards, etc? A. Put a pile of sticks in the corner somewhere and grow a native vine over it. That will provide shelter for lizards and geckos, and for small birds such as finches and wrens. ***************************************************************
Q. I've got children and Im worried about snakes coming into my yard? A. Yes, that is an issue all over Australia. Most poisonous snakes are not territorial, if they come into your yard they are usually just passing through. That is, unless you have chooks. If you've got chooks, you've also got rats, and the rats will attract snakes anyway. Some pythons such as carpet snakes may hang around for a while if food is available. Something like 97% of people bitten by a snake have been bitten while trying to kill or capture it. If a snake takes up residence in an area of your yard, you can contact your local snake catcher who will capture it, and release it somewhere else. A couple of years ago a gardener in our area noticed a snake slide into a hole. He ran and got a drum of lawn mower fuel, poured it down the hole after the snake, and threw in a match. In his excitement he unfortunately failed to notice he had spilt petrol down his trousers. The gardener went to hospital, and his wife reported that she saw the snake leaving the garden a few days later. Leave snakes alone!
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Q. If I put up a nestbox, where is the best place to put it? A. The best place to put a nestbox is somewhere where you can watch it. Try and place the entrance so you can see what goes in and out, and place tht entrance away from the prevailing weather. ****************************************************************
Q. How do I get rid of the cane toads in my yard? A. The best way is to regularly do cane toad patrol just after dark, and just after rain. You need a good torch, a heavy plastic bag to put them in, heavy gloves or a tong to pick them up, and drop them in the freezer overnight to kill them. Regular nightly patrols for a few weeks will almost eradicate them from your yard. They can be put in a compost bin...they are organic and all organic poisons break down very quickly. ****************************************************************
Q. I'd like to learn more about wildlife, where can I do that? A. A lot of the info about wildlife on the Internet is scattered and quite a lot is unreliable. There are some excellent books out now, that will give anyone a good understanding of wildlife, and most have keys and photos to help identify different species. We have featured some of them on our Resource Page, and will continue to add more as we find them. If you dont wish to buy them, ask for them at your local library. ****************************************************************
Q. I'd like to be able to learn to be a wildlife carer, how can I do that? A. Wow! Can't you sleep at night? Caring for orphaned and injured wildlife is the single most thankless activity anyone to take up. Nonsensical government legislation, no government funding or support, feeding small animals at all hours of the day and night, relationship breakups, you name it, the wildlife carers have done it. But having said all that, it is still one of the most self-satisfying activities there are. Nothing quite beats the feeling of watching your precious nurtured animal being released back into the wild. Sometimes they look back, as though to say thank you, but mostly they dont. Sometimes they will come back months later with a young one, just to show you, and then go back to the wild. Wildlife caring is a smorgabord of tears, frustration and satisfaction, and we salute every one of them. To begin with, contact your local wildlife carers group and ask if you can help them, then just feel your way from there. ****************************************************************
Q. I've got quite few introduced plant species in my backyard. I dont want to pull them all out, but can I plant natives in between them? A. Absolutely, and the sooner the better. Quite a few introduced plants like the hibiscus can be attractive to honeyeaters and butterflies. And some of them are just simply beautiful anyway. Start planting natives wherever you can see a gap, including planting native groundcovers. Don't remove introduced plants "just because they are introduced". If they are a known weed species, or they are impacting on native wildlife, thats different. Otherwise replace them gradually, as the opportunity arises, with natives.
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