kenny
11-05-2006, 04:32 PM
Soothing grackles' irritated skin
For three years, grackles have been coming to my garden, picking marigolds, and brushing their body feathers with the flower. What are they doing? Why marigolds? - Brad Eisenbrey, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
Most garden marigolds are in the genus Tagetes (garden marigolds) or Calendula (pot marigold). Both are in the daisy family (Asteraceae).
Tagetes are often used as companion plants because their roots give off a chemical that is toxic to some kinds of nematodes, tiny worms that attack the roots of plants. Tagetes are also said to repel certain insects. Gardeners often use a solution made of mashed Calendula flowers steeped in water to spray on plants to repel leaf-chewing insects, and Calendula has a long history in folk medicine as a topical astringent or anti-inflammatory. I've seen it used in natural insect repellents.
The grackles are taking advantage of the chemical properties of the marigolds and using them in a behavior often called anting. Grackles and many other bird species wipe ants, millipedes, mothballs, and marigolds on their feathers. The rubbed compounds are thought to soothe irritated skin as well as help control ectoparasites. One chemical in Calendula flowers is known to inhibit egg laying in species of ticks and mites.:shock:
ken
For three years, grackles have been coming to my garden, picking marigolds, and brushing their body feathers with the flower. What are they doing? Why marigolds? - Brad Eisenbrey, Grosse Pointe Woods, Michigan
Most garden marigolds are in the genus Tagetes (garden marigolds) or Calendula (pot marigold). Both are in the daisy family (Asteraceae).
Tagetes are often used as companion plants because their roots give off a chemical that is toxic to some kinds of nematodes, tiny worms that attack the roots of plants. Tagetes are also said to repel certain insects. Gardeners often use a solution made of mashed Calendula flowers steeped in water to spray on plants to repel leaf-chewing insects, and Calendula has a long history in folk medicine as a topical astringent or anti-inflammatory. I've seen it used in natural insect repellents.
The grackles are taking advantage of the chemical properties of the marigolds and using them in a behavior often called anting. Grackles and many other bird species wipe ants, millipedes, mothballs, and marigolds on their feathers. The rubbed compounds are thought to soothe irritated skin as well as help control ectoparasites. One chemical in Calendula flowers is known to inhibit egg laying in species of ticks and mites.:shock:
ken