In the last issue of their quarterly newsletter, Seasons, Plateau Land & Wildlife Management (here in Dripping) offered up a timely article on timing and wildlife, and the best things to be doing (or not doing) before the end of March. We have adapted the article with permission.

Brush Management

While the cool of spring might be the most enticing time of year to fire up a chainsaw to clear brush, this type of "spring cleaning" might actually be detrimental to the wildlife you are trying to protect. Spring is a familial time of year for all the mama and the papa animals — the whine of a saw and the disturbance of brush are not conducive to reproductive activities; nesting may be disrupted and newborns stressed. Rather, it is a much better practice to do your important brush thinning and habitat improvement now, before spring has sprung, or wait until the hot summer months.

Mowing

Another time-sensitive activity is mowing native meadows, it is important to not do so too early in the season. It is a much more effective practice to let the grass and wildflowers stand undisturbed until they go to seed. If you watch the plants carefully in the late spring and summer, you will actually see the many ways that seeds are formed and dispersed. Occasional mowing at the right time, in the right amount, and correct patterns can be important to the health of a grassland, but allowing nature to run its course is the best possible method of reseeding.

Did you know...Shortly after the Texas Highway Department was organized in 1917, officials noted that wildflowers were among the first vegetation to reappear at roadside cuts and fills. In 1932, the department hired its first landscape architect to maintain, preserve, and encourage wildflowers and other native plants along rights of way. By 1934, department rules delayed all mowing, unless essential for safety, until spring and early summer wildflower seasons were over. This practice has stayed in place for more than 60 years.

Fire Ant Control

In the 1930s, as cargo ships from Brazil docked and unloaded goods at the seaport in Mobile, Alabama, a tiny foreign predator slipped from the vessels and crawled into infamy. Today, the imported red fire ant has spread from Alabama to almost every southern state from Texas to Maryland. While it is typically in the heat of the summer when seething fire ant rage really takes hold as mounds of imported red fire ants dot the land — and pity the poor flip-flopped fool who accidentally stands on one — Plateau finds the key time for fire ant control actually begins in March and winds down in June, before throes of summer and toes in sandals. Treatment starts up again in September after the hot, dry summer ends, and before the cold, wet of winter. Why this timing? It's a temperature issue. When the ants are cold, or hot, they go deep into the ground for temperature regulation and do not actively forage above ground. They also go deep during dry periods in order to find moisture, and come above ground during wet periods to avoid drowning.

Nest Box Maintenance

Did you know that with just over 600 species, Texas plays host to more kinds of birds than any other state? Thanks to its location in the southern part of the United States, as well as the center of the continent, this central location means that birds from both the eastern and western U.S. are seen in Texas. Because we share a long border with Mexico, Texas also has many bird species found primarily in Mexico. But whether they've arrived from east or west, north or south, with Spring just around the corner they'll all be doing what the birds and the bees (and even educated fleas) do. For some birds, breeding season begins as early as February and for those who do not have Plateau maintain your nest boxes, consider this a friendly reminder that your boxes need to be checked and readied by the start of February. Some birds will not use boxes with abandoned nests in them, plus, removing debris (and other little critters who may have snuggled in for the winter) creates a healthier environment for the next brood of nestlings.

Purple Martin Box Installations

For centuries, Native American tribes attracted Purple Martins to their villages with clusters of hollowed-out gourds. Experts have surmised that the Purple Martins served as village alarm clocks with their early morning singing or, perhaps, they were feathered watchdogs, as the large swallow is well-known for sounding out alarm calls when predators or strangers approach the colony site. Whatever the reason for the attraction, the Purple Martin has been managed intentionally by humans longer than any other North American songbird. Today, whether for their beauty, song, or voracious appetite for pesky flying insects, an estimated 1 million North Americans provide housing for Purple Martins. Due to a decline in natural nesting sites (such as tree cavities) as a result of urban sprawl, farming and logging, as well as competition from the non-native House Sparrow and European Starling, human-provided housing and management has become vital to Purple Martins, especially east of the Rocky Mountains, where they have undergone a complete "tradition shift". Purple Martins are now the only bird species entirely dependent on humans for supplying them with nesting cavities. Purple Martins arrive at their Texas timeshares around the first half of February after spending approximately five months in South America. (Purple Martin information from The Purple Martin and Its Management published by Texas Parks and Wildlife).

About Plateau Land & Wildlife Management

Founded in 1997 by wildlife and conservation experts, Plateau Land & Wildlife Management has established a peerless reputation for its services and products for rural landowners. From customized Wildlife Management Plans  to convert your land from an Ag to Wildlife Management Valuation, to their range of environmentally and financially smart land and wildlife services and products, Plateau is dedicated to increasing your enjoyment of your land, and helping you achieve your ultimate land vision. Learn more at PlateauWildlife.com.