Jokingly, we have been trying to find a way to turn this fur explosion into profit because clearly I could have a swimming pool full of money out back if I received a even penny per dog hair. When alchemy was unsuccessful, suggestions such as dog hair throws, dog fur filled pillows (corgi soft?) and furry slippers were all made. The trouble is these are not only kinda gross, but also hyperallergenic. Not working.
When Butters was away at Summer Camp this year (my parent's house in KC) they starting putting his hair into their planters to keep the squirrels S's from digging up their plants. The thinking was something along the lines of, "dogs are predators, S's will avoid," but I have hypothesized that Butters's deep hatred for the S's can be perceived by them through some sort of anti-S pheromone in his fur. It's complicated, when I get the chemistry nailed down I'll let you know. Suffice to say the S's didn't touch my parent's plants all summer long! Eureka!
So after the great S's attack of 2013 I was excited to see if Houston S's were also repelled by the scent of vicious corgi. I proceeded to furminate Butters and pile hair into my deadbeyondallpossiblehope planters on the patio but Jay requested something a little more aesthetically pleasing than the plants growing in hair-soil effect that I proudly had made.
Some cheesecloth and jute later we had made up some little S repellant balls of corgi hair. I'm still not 100% sure what we're going to call them for marketing purposes, as the only name that comes to mind is "hairy balls," and I don't think anyone would buy those, but I digress. While you're waiting on me to perfect my business plan, I'll give you a little step by step so you can make your own hairy balls.
Step two: Acquire supplies:
- Brush
- Cheesecloth cut into rectangles about 3-4 x 6-8
- Jute string
- Scissors
- Facemask and antihistamine if allergic to dogs.
Step three: Brush corgi. Fur will accumulate rapidly. Do not panic. This and the following steps are best done outside so your Roomba doesn't burst into flame.
I prefer the furminator brand brushes because I find them to be the most effective at grabbing the hairs.
Step six: Repeat.
We've had these placed for about 5 weeks now and I can say that our plants have not been chewed at all in that time period. Success!
Hope you guys can put this to use if you are also battling rodents in your garden. Butters told me he's excited to be able to contribute to the household now. I guess we'll have to keep him :)