Friday, July 24, 2015

Beetle Attack!!! Jamby and Kymber would be Proud and My Next 3 Building Projects





I was kinda racing a storm front all afternoon trying to get my weedeating finished, among other things. The morning had been rather hot and sunny so I had the solar wax melter going and then decided to get out the gas trimmer and take down the large weeds around the concrete pad that is the target for the new outbuilding.

Unfortunately my battery powered trimmers (which I still swear are a better invention than the light bulb) are a bit too under powered for these weeds since I have let them go all Summer. Of course if you have been reading my blog very long you also know that I consider small gas engines  as instruments of the devil and the smaller they get the more evil they become. That would make things like trimmers and my little bitty tiller something akin to Beeazulbulb or Azmodius.

I do have this one Ryobi trimmer that I use with a blade on it for cutting small trees and heavy brush that I also have  a string head for so I decided to use it. It actually started and worked for about 90% of the way around the concrete pad before the string got broken off. Since I can't use my third leg as a hand the string kept exploding while I had it apart and the holder apparatus refused to go back together so I finally tossed the useless thing back into the barn in disgust.

Luckily I was able to finish the weedeating with my trusty 40 volt Black and Decker trimmer. Man I love that thing. Always starts, easy to rewind the line, absolutely zero maintenance and enough battery power to do around the entire barn area even after two years of use. A second battery gets me around the house and garden area as well.


So anyway the concrete pad is now exposed and ready for the new building. Just about the time the county changes the tax laws so buying a moveable structure isn't quite the deal it once was too. Figures.

In the background you can see the pasture I brush-hogged yesterday and the old loafing shed with a pig shed/lean-to next to it. This is my next project as I plan on claiming part of the main shed and the lean-to for implement storage by the end of Summer once the fencing project is completed.

While I was trimming around the pad I noticed Boris was leaning against the ram's fence and the ram, Frazier, was headbutting the fence, and Boris by proxy, rather hard. Boris was rather upset by this and was obviously in some pain. What had happened is Boris tried sneaking between the fence and a tree and got stuck. The ram got kinda pissed at Boris for hanging out on his fence and started headbutting him.




After getting Boris out of his stuck position I then jammed this old tire in the spot to keep him from going back in there, because ya know he will. So finally I found a use for an old ugly tire. Good thing I hadn't taken this one in yet I guess.

Since the garden is basically a bust this year, although e did get our first Tomatoes today, made yummy BLT and Egg sammiches with them too :)

Anyway the Japanese Beetles haven't been hanging around attacking my garden. I been wondering where they got off to and today I noticed my big Apple tree was looking awfully brown.




There are literally millions of beetles eating the leaves down to nothing in that tree. I am going to have to spray it with something I am afraid or it will be entirely defoliated in less than a week. These beetles are almost as evil as weed trimmer engines.

Always something around here.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!

And Kill Japanese Beetles too.

14 comments:

  1. That trimmer is the bomb I lost mine in the divorce the blower too.
    Damn the luck!

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    Replies
    1. Bubba - I really liked the 20v one so much I went and bought a 40v. So I have two of them now and a chainsaw. They are the bomb.

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  2. Milky spore works good on junebugs

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  3. you are one hard-working guy PP. would you like some comfrey salve? jamby mentioned the other day that you really do some serious farm work and that maybe you would like some comfrey salve for your hands. let me know. and good luck with all of your outside building projects!

    anyway - great use of the tire! now get some more and plant potatoes in them! i mean it!

    your cat is crazy but then all cats are! sending much love to you! your friend,
    kymber

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    Replies
    1. Kymber - Uhg. I hate salves ad lotions but maybe a soak in the hot tub!!!!

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  4. I haven't used a weedeater in years, I can cut everything with a scythe while I would still be trying to get the thing started. Your battery powered one does sound like it might be the perfect configuration for the things. You could build a new bunk house for all of your tractor drivers on that pad!
    We have had Japanese beetle infestations on the rise for several years and they are as bad this year as when they plagued us back in the 60s. I am beginning to think that the milky spore that got put out and nearly wiped them out, has stopped working. They must have become immune to the stuff that attacks the grub stage as for many years a beetle was a rare thing.

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    Replies
    1. Sf - I got a little hand scythe the other day and actually used it a bit but so far not a big one. I am not sure how well it would work trying to swing it next to the concrete pad either. I know I am not experienced enough to attempt that kinda action. I love those battery powered trimmers they easy to use and zero work to maintain have been worth every penny I spent ont hem!!!

      We got the beetles bad a few years ago then they went away. LAst year hardly saw a one but this year they are back with a vengeance. I hate them.

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  5. You have a nice place, Bubba....now on to the subject of those Jap bugs eating your apple tree - take a can of lighter fluid and dose liberally, flick a Bic and stand back. Those critters are toast. Works every time.

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    1. Stephen - That would take a lot of lighter fluid. That is a good sized apple tree they are munching on. IN fact I think the power company guys would be a bit upset cause if the entire thing went up I think it would burn the lines way up above it.

      Hmmmm a power embargo?

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  6. Carl - I am going to have to do something about them. Gonna need a new sprayer to because theya re way up there.

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  7. PP,

    How about BioNeem, it's great on fruit tree's and a lot of people use it growing organic gardens. This should help with those darn Japanese beetles.

    I love my B & D battery operated weed whacker, won't give it up for anything!!!!

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  8. I actually found the Japanese Beatle bates to work o.k. The Bayer (TM) products that you pour around the roots once per season do really well, but I don't think you want to do that with trees that have edible fruit.

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