The Grumpy Gardener Says Don’t Be Scared Of Skinks

About This Episode

The Grumpy Gardener helps a reader get over their fear of skinks. Plus, the Gripe of the week about feeding cats fruits and veggies.

Question Of The Week

"Okay, Grumpy, I have a real problem. Last summer I was seeing way too many skinks. I'm not afraid of them, I think they're cute, but a place can become infested. About six weeks ago, I put out sticky traps and have caught 20 of them so far. Where are they all coming from?" - Cindy

Grumpy's Answer: You stuck it to skinks? Shame on you. Skinks are a type of small, beneficial lizards and they're known for their shiny scales and they have showy lateral stripes and some of them even have bright blue tails. And they eat pests like crickets and grasshoppers and flies, cockroaches, slugs, and earwigs. My guess is they love your yard because there are piles of leaf litter and mulch around where they and their prey like to hang out. When you see skinks in your house, it means the house is infested with bugs, which is why no one comes to visit you anymore. These skinks generously offer to remove all these pests from your house, and what thanks do they get? A horrible, lingering death. Let the skinks be, Cindy. And while you're at it, apologize to the Geico gecko before he cancels your insurance.

Gripe Of The Week

Okay, and my gripe is I just read an article put out by the National Garden Bureau. It suggests that you feed your cat a healthy diet of fruits and vegetables like carrots, broccoli, cucumbers, and pumpkin. No way. Cats are carnivores. When's the last time you ever saw a cat stalking a broccoli? My cat, Jean Luc, is the pickiest eater ever. We put out chicken and turkey and bluefin tuna and he still turns up his nose. What do you think would happen if I dropped a carrot in his bowl? He'd hit it with a photon torpedo, that's what.

About Ask Grumpy

Ask Grumpy is a podcast featuring Steve Bender, also known as Southern Living’s Grumpy Gardener. For more than 30 years, Grumpy has been sharing advice on what to grow, when to plant, and how to manage just about anything in your garden. Tune in for short episodes every Wednesday and Saturday as Grumpy answers reader questions, solves seasonal conundrums, and provides need-to-know advice for gardeners with his very Grumpy sense of humor. Be sure to follow Ask Grumpy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen so you don't miss an episode.

Editor’s Note: Please be mindful that this transcript does not go through our standard editorial process and may contain inaccuracies and grammatical errors.