@irohthecat I’m so glad for you both. We’ve pulled about 10 inches of curly ribbon from the front end of one and 8 inches of twine from the back end of another. Both miracles that we were right there.
That “pollinator seed mix” might be planting a problem.
A University of Washington study grew out 19 wildflower seed packets and found something wild: Every single packet contained invasive species. Not one or two bad mixes. All 19.
Some had 3 invasive species. Some had 13. Eight contained plants considered noxious weeds in at least one state. A third of the packets didn’t list contents at all. And only 5 accurately listed what was inside.
The most common species? Bachelor’s button. Pretty? Sure. But absolutely harmful. It can spread into native grasslands and crowd out the plants local insects actually evolved to use.
That’s the trap.
People buy “wildflower” mixes because they want to help bees and butterflies. But vague seed packets can introduce aggressive nonnative plants that make the problem worse.
Better move: Buy region-specific native seed mixes. Use local native plant nurseries. Check with your state native plant society. Look for packets that list every species by name.