Another beautiful day and once again I got off work at my normal time. Of course today I had to go get tags for my truck but believe it or not I walked into the DMV ...... And there was no one there ahead of me!!!! No line at all.
I took a number just to be a smart ass though.
I even had everything I needed for my new tags (really just new stickers) right there in my hand!!!
That whole trip I figure cost me about 6 months worth of good luck but it's worth it.
I then mostly finished up the mowing and trimming that has been neglected for weeks around the Small-Hold and this evening after dinner I hope to mow around the bee hives. It's actually cool enough that putting on the bee suit doesn't fill me with thoughts of dying in a desert or running around in full chemical protection suit while in the army. Man I hated Mob 4 drills.
The only down side was seeing the damage these damned Japanese Beetles are doing to my Apple trees, Grape vines and volunteer corn I am letting grow here and there. These beetles are some kind of super pest. We never had them before until maybe six or seven years ago and then they started multiplying like crazy. The first time I saw one I was like "That's a pretty beetle", now I just wish they would all die.
Since I don't have a big garden this year. Oh who am I kidding I don't really have even a small garden this year and the one we had is now so weed choked thanks to my work schedule it doesn't count anymore. Anyway. With no garden to speak of these beetles are attacking the Apple tree and Grape leaves with a vengeance. I am not totally sure a couple of the smaller Apple trees are going to make it and there isn't a pesticide in the world I have found that works against these things.
After the harsh Winter of 2013 these beetles died off a fair bit but they are back this year in droves. They especially like my Corn when I plant it but Rose bushes and now I find out Apple trees are second on their list of favorite foods.
Damn them straight to Hell!!!
Keep Prepping Everyone!!!!!!
We have had those nasty beetles since the early 60s. You will find that if you knock them in a jar with a lid that the chickens will love them when you dump them out. Shake it good so they won't fly away first. Sometimes I will just squeeze them singly and feed one at a time so they don't fly off. I figure it is free protein.
ReplyDeleteSf - The Mrs. tried feeding some to the chickens they apparently were not too impressed. She has containers filled with them in water now killing as many as she can.
DeleteStrange as mine run after them like candy. Maybe your birds get enough other bugs to make them happy without eating these things. Mine love june bugs as well but they are so big that they have to thresh them first and eat the pieces.
DeleteStrong smelling Japanese beetle traps placed far away from the tasty stuff. Mistake most people make is to place them in the garden or orchard...it draws them in from miles around. Place them along fencerows or smack in the middle of open pasture...that way it draws them AWAY from your gardens and orchard.
ReplyDeleteI guess I could try putting a feeding station/trap in the middle of the big hay field!!!
DeleteI still remember the happiest day of my life.
ReplyDeleteIt happened on our Small Hold up here in Canada. We sat down to a Sunday Feast where Mom pulled out all the stops! The roast came from one of the cows we had raised. The veggies came from Mom's garden. The beer was home-brewed. Everything on that table was the bounty of God and our own honest-to-goodness hard work.
Everyone should have at least one day like that in their lives.
Keep us posted, PP!
GF - My mom would cook once a year whether we wanted her too or not.
DeleteHave not come across those beetles before I hope they dont come over here
ReplyDeleteNo beetles here yet in France. Hope they don't make it across to Europe.
ReplyDeleteDH and Vera - I read they have gotten started down in Italy but haven't seen where they have spread much.
DeleteI haven't seen those where I live,yet. I have some other beetle eating my strawberry plants. I actually bought some poison, no more leaves have been eaten. I am hoping the beetles are now dead.
ReplyDeleteJ&M - I have issues with the pill bugs on strawberries but the chickens took care of that. Trouble is the chickens also dug a bunch of the plants up too :(
Deletewhen we had the plague a few years ago i went out 2 or 3 times a day with buckets of water with soap foam on top. they can't get out of it and it takes days for them all to drown.
ReplyDeletealso had traps. had to empty very often.
finally got them about wiped out.
severe winters , too, helped.
have not seen any lately.
DH - The wife has knocked literally gallons of them off into pails of soapy water over the last few days. Gallons of them. I am not sure the Apple trees are going to survive.
DeleteHere in the great white north of the UP Michigan I have found that a soapy mixture of Fels Naptha soap sprayed where the little bastards feed including potatoes either kills them or makes them go to the neighbors garden.(sorry neighbor). My free range chickens love to eat them so long as they can reach them..
ReplyDeleteCarl in the UP
Carl - I may have to spray something. At least at this point it won't effect the bees since the trees are done blooming.
DeleteHG - They sure are. Once they showed up they became a problem quickly.
ReplyDeleteprobably as a last resort to save a tree or a berry bush, because it is an organophosphate.......
ReplyDeletemalathion
iknow, i know...deadly to honey bees and most other good guys, but....
one dose, at dusk to reduse the risk to any bees took my blackberry patch from badly infested to a few stragglers..overnight.
serious bee keepers, like small hold, may want to find other methods of control, but in town gardeners like me...with due caution and respect for our benificial insect helpers...have a way of combating the spread of these fruit tree/bush killers...they even go after my horseradish
xtron - It isn't just the poison side of it for bees. I mainly try to deal with any and all pests from a locally available control method first because of my bent towards off grid sustainability. In many cases I could improve or remove some weeds and pests but I decide to either let them run their course or try and use less than stellar methods of dealing with them because that is what I would be reduced to in a long term grid down situation.
DeleteMaybe Milky Spore (Paenibacillus popilliae) would work.
ReplyDeleteAnon - I have read spreading that in the yard and pastures does kill the larva off.
DeleteSandy - She is making a good dent in em.
ReplyDeleteWe also put some soapy water into a jar with a lid. Used the lid to flip each battle into the water and on to the next while the lid rested only on top of the jar. How about making some homemade beetle traps? We get the big green ones with it for sure. [ The kind of beetles the kids like two put string on sand let them fly around.] In a plastic milk jug or any jug with a small opening and big bottom..put pieces of whatever attracts them. Not much is needed. For the green ones that is tomatoes or fruit... garbage pieces. Some are attracted by a tiny piece added of old uckie meat. Stinky is fine. Put it down in the jug. A touch of water if you want too. Now hang it up where you see them or a bit away from it but not where you don't want them!! Hang the jug up by the handle with string to a limb of a tree or whatever. Remember beetles also are attracted to freshly cut limb ends too.. pine or whatever. Anyway..the beetles do go into the small opening of the jug by the tons abut can't fly out..too small a hole. You kill loads of them. Give it a try. We even get some of the nasty flies this way. What's to loose? Sarah
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteorganic pest control services