Hummingbirds may be at risk with feeders near poisonous oleanders

DEAR JOAN >> Before a big storm, I changed the sugar water in the hummingbird feeders, including the one that hangs in my oleander tree outside my kitchen.

Could the rain water going through the oleander leaves and what’s left of the blossoms poison the sugar mixture in the feeder dripping into the feeding ports? — Nancy Jencks, Petaluma

DEAR NANCY >> While it’s unlikely the water from the oleander could mix with the nectar in the feeder, it is a possibility, and the rain water could carry toxins from the extremely poisonous oleander.

Hummingbirds and pollinators rarely visit oleander blossoms because they contain no nectar. To be on the super safe side, you might want to find a new location for the hummingbird feeder.

DEAR JOAN >> I read about an elk that had a tire stuck around his neck. I wondered why they did not just cut the tire off his neck instead of cutting off his antlers? Thanks for any information you may have in clearing this up for me.

DEAR LINDA >> Rescuers said they would have preferred to cut the tire, but the radial belt inside the tire would have made that difficult, and they wanted to free the animal as quickly as they could.

The tire had been around the elk’s neck for two years, and while trail camera footage showed the animal behaving normally, with no difficulties in eating or drinking, the tire had become more of a hinderance over time. When removed, the tire was full of dirt, leaves and debris, adding considerable weight to the animal’s neck.

Officials believe the elk inadvertently picked up the tire before it had antlers, or after its annual antler drop. Elk shed their antlers once a year and then regrow them. Rescuers could have waited until after the rutting season, when the elk had dropped his rack, but they couldn’t guarantee capturing the elk later on.

DEAR JOAN >> Cats are a nuisance, and we need laws that require all pet owners of any kind to be responsible in keeping their pets contained or within their property.

People are very arrogant to think their cats can roam freely and run amok throughout the neighborhood. They leave the most horrific odor behind with their urine.

It’s been my biggest issue this year, trying to deter the neighbor’s cats. They have killed my plants. They’ve knocked over and broken my solar lights and my little garden fences. I’ve spent money on fencing my entire yard, scat mats, sensor sprinkler, cat deterrent sensor spray and coffee grounds. They are a nuisance. They have exhausted all my energy.

The neighbors said there’s nothing they can do.

Recently they told me they have 15 cats. The other day I noticed another one pregnant. Now I have the law on my side. It’s illegal to own that many cats.

DEAR TINA >> Your neighbors are the epitome of irresponsible, and I feel for both you and the cats. Although California doesn’t have a leash law for cats requiring owners to contain their pets, we do have laws against pet hoarding.

I’m hoping you’ll get your yard back.