Morz8: I went out with a flashlight and did find a caterpillar on the top of the soil! Only one... but maybe cutworms don't eat every night? It was also brown, so perhaps I missed it's buddies. I'll check again tomorrow night. I guess it's also possible I have multiple pests doing damage, if it does turn out to be only one. Maifleur: The poop was a dark brown color. I don't think it's turtles - the bed is raised 18 inches, so it seems like that would present a challenge for them. If rabbits have left your carrots alone then I guess there went my comfy theory that I had ruled out rabbits at least :). I'll have to see if I can find some way that they could be getting in the yard once it's light out again. Thank you, thank you both for your suggestions!!

HI, I found a book called Bird Tracks & Signs and on Google books you can read parts of it. I think I am going to order a copy. Anyway, one thing I read was that "pileated woodpeckers leave tubes of carpenter ants dipped in white at one end", often found at the base of trees beneath excavations with wood chips on the ground. Counldn't tell from your picture what kind of food this critter had been eating. The tube appearance and white on the end sounded like your picture and a pileated woodpecker seems large enough to make a dropping the size those you found.

Insurance will more than likely pay for a new building. Hopefully donations will be rolling in to their local rescues to step in and help until homeless animals have a new shelter. I'd be curious to know how this plays out. I feel so sorry for the way those kitties died. I imagine the dogs need a place to go, and hopefully other shelters and rescues will be able to lend a hand. It really is amazing to me how in times of disaster, people can pull together and get things done.

That's exactly what they are! I think they're really cool looking, don't you? There are not too many things that allow you to look into their 'innards'. For the most part, these sawfly larvae do cosmetic injury and the tree will recover from the assault and leaf out normally next season. Treating them is not recommended unless it happens a few years in a row, which can weaken the tree. Lots of other critters will move in to feast on these pests, another reason to avoid spraying.