Pearl Sutton wrote:When you almost cry as you slaughter volunteer plants...
I had a reason though.
Part of my squash bug strategy this year is to not plant anything in the squash/curcubit family for a while, to starve the overwintered bugs, cut down on the breeding population.
I think these were probably cantaloupes, I don't hot compost, I bury my kitchen waste. Anything that came up from my scraps were things that were from melons that were not worth saving the seeds, as I save seeds obsessively out of my groceries.
Still. I hated to kill them off, even knowing I can't feed the bugs.
I hate killing volunteers.
But I hate the squash beetles more.
I'll keep telling myself that.
I would have potted those babies up ( I am saving cans to do this next year) and sold them for 1.00 each. You didn't kill them, someone now has cantaloupe plants, and you have a bit more money to spend on more seeds. Win/win.
Pearl Sutton wrote:If you are in the Midwest, this week (late Nov, 2019) the storm system that rolled through slammed the barometer in my area up 107 points in under 36 hours. If you noticed the day before Thanksgiving, and probably Thanksgiving day also, were excessively painful or mood issues, you are probably barometric sensitive too. Which can't be improving the holiday for a lot of families....
and tea bags!Leigh Tate wrote:You know you're a permie when you save string from feed bags.
Pearl Sutton wrote:I have a bad case of cabbage moths and squash bugs. I'm trying some odd things this year for them (like Wasp condos for cabbage moth control! )
First of all, BT is the ONLY thing that controls the ever present fungus gnats down here in Texas. I can't garden without it.
You probably have come across all of these, but I am going to go over what I found:
Trap crops: https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2017/3/Trap_cropping/
looks like ground beetles and damsel bugs are natural predators to squash bugs : https://eorganic.org/node/5313
Floating row covers, straw as a mulch; and laying down cardboard or newspapers around the plants then removing them in the morning with the squash bugs attached to them underneath ( says the squash bugs congregate under the carboard/paper0 and dispose of the cardboard/newspaper; https://extension.umn.edu/fruit-and-vegetable-insects/squash-bugs
I am also seeing nasturtiums being strongly advised..and white icicle radishes...
Neem oil also works; but Neem also will destroy any insects life cycle...that includes the beneficials...
this video says to use boards to trap them: https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+a+natural+predator+of+squash+bugs&rlz=1C1RXQR_enUS973US973&oq=what+is+a+natural+predator+of+squash+bugs&aqs=chrome..69i57.10855j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://drecampbell.com/natural-ways-get-rid-squash-vine-borers/
this says there's 5 insects to help control them: https://blog.bugsforgrowers.com/squash-bug/five-beneficial-insects-that-control-the-squash-bug/ (look the insects up seperately; I got a warning about the hyperlinks in the article itself; so I will post the links to the different sites for each that has information: : https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/beneficial/bigeyed_bugs.htm;
https://bugguide.net/node/view/461962/bgpage
https://texasinsects.tamu.edu/damsel-bug/
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/feather-legged-flies
and the last one is a parasitic wasp : scelionid wasp (Gyron pennsylvanicum); all I can find is studies done at universities that still have a lot of science jargon in them..
https://academic.oup.com/ee/article/37/3/670/476624
https://homeguides.sfgate.com/kill-squash-bugs-killing-ladybugs-22177.html ; there's an idea to use hydrated lime and wood ashes here
https://growfully.com/squash-bugs/
and I saw where you can also use a shop vac with some water in the cannister to suck them up with, too. depends upon where your garden is in relation to the nearest electrical outlet and you will need a heavy duty extension cord...but hey, if it works....
duane hennon wrote:
I know this is crazy
but Cornell University (probably with some grant)
has come out and said that weeds may be good
who knew?
http://www.futurity.org/weeds-pest-management-1295912-2/?utm_source=feedly&utm_medium=webfeeds
Why farmers may want to keep, not kill, weeds
“The benefits of weeds have been neglected. They’re often seen as undesirable, unwanted. We’re now beginning to quantify their benefits.”
Mike Holmes wrote:Thanks for the quick reply! Actually we're all vegans at the farm and we'll only be selling veganic products and using veganic fertilizers etc. If I decide to take in some chickens or turkeys, what could I do with thier eggs that would be practical and ethical?..
So far I've heard of some people feeding the eggs back to the birds so that they can get some of the lost calcium and other goodies back into their bodies. But I would like to explore some more options if they are available.