#garden pest

[tinyshe]

Garden Report 23.05.27

I find it interesting that anyone in the immediate area who attempted direct sow this year has stunted plants. I myself have stunted plants (or did) no matter if I did a flat or directly into the earth. They took two and a half weeks to germinate, slowly produced secondary leaves and stopped growing. I don’t have a heated mat and my little lean to is just that -- a small back stoop that is enclosed in a semi-clear fiberglass/plastic material. Not much difference than being exposed to the world except a little wind and rain protection.

My “did have” stunted direct sow seedling, I have no more worries as of in the early dawn of yesterday a little skunk squeeze some how into the garden and dug up peas, radish, summer squash, a few potatoes and a whole lot of just starting to fruit alpine strawberries. I did find one squash plant and tried replanting but I am doubtful.

My transplant / gift plants (toms) are settling in. If the weather warms perhaps I will have some bumbles in the back. The ghost borage has returned this year and I have the hedge nettles that I just can’t keep down -- favourites of the bumbles I so desire and love.

The roses are a riot this year! The leaves are not much to look at, its too damp (excessive fog) to use the organic spray for disease but the blossoms are coming along with full headed scent. Just glorious!!

I have two pots of red currants to sink in soil still and a wonderful bundle of copper glads that really need their feet unbound from small lot pots and into something deeper. I still have stunted little marigolds to pop in the ground but I think they aren’t going to make it just due to whatever ails them.

My little persimmon saplings are becoming pest food. During the winter, I think they didn’t have enough protection from the snow since they were in big tree tubs and not the ground. The survivors are now at the mercy of those things that eat small treelings.

I need  to divide the vermiculture boxes but due to health issue/ chest wound, I can’t do the pull and lift. It is at a critical point because I can’t stuff more goodies in there for them. The two are done. I’m afraid they will migrate soon. There are some potatoes growing in both boxes so I’m hoping that with the growing plants, they will be encouraged to stay. I don’t know why I think that other than when I’m pulling weeds or transplanting/moving stuff around the garden, there is always a small mass of worms in with the plant roots. Maybe I’ve just caught them being farmer worm tending the plants or maybe they do like hanging out with the plants, idk.

The hens are wonderful. I so appreciate them (except for when bossy Bronte that nags at me at top volume, nonstop). I hope to get them out more now that the weather is better and the buzzards/hawks/bird of prey seem to have migrated/ be busy else where and not hanging in the urban settings looking for easier pickings. The girls are now 3(?!) years old and have slowed some in the egg production but I still love them and they produce some fine mulching manures. I have given up the thoughts of getting more chicks or pullets. I don’t think I can manage a bigger flock at this time (I leave for work before dawn so a kid has to take the feed out and uncoop them before they leave for the day). A bigger flock for my small area means more ‘out’ of the aviary time because I think they would get bored and start squabbling more (and be louder) if left in the pen all the time. Yes, I could buy chicken toys and make little things for them to do but I just don’t have the hours and the umphf .

This is it for this report. Next time I will try to update on the berry side of things. Hope everyone is enjoying the finer side of living and getting some gardening in -- if not, take the plunge, get your hands dirty and enjoy!

#catholic gardener #gardening #garden #permaculture #urban homestead #vermiculture #worms #hens #garden pest #vegetable garden

[inthecityofgoodabode]

May 2023: The Good, The Bad & The Tasty

Striped sweat bee doing what they do best... pollinate: 

Volunteer runner beans: 

A Common Clearwing moth. This is the moth that lays the eggs that produce squash vine borers. Given their coloration & being diurnal, it is easy to see why they are sometimes mistaken for wasps. This one got stomped: 

Surf & Turf - chimichurri steak, grilled tilapia with grilled vegetables & grilled limes: 

Dinner tonight: 

#garden #backyard garden #flower #echinacea #beneficial insect #tiny bee #striped sweat bee #runner beans #pole beans #garden pest #common clearwing moth #squash vine borer #grilling #chimichurri steak #grilled tilapia #grilled vegetables #grilled lime #life in memphis #dinner

[ourlittlechateau]

Starting a garden from scratch is never easy some would say it’s coconuts. Which is why it’s important to always plant tester plants first because they will almost always get destroyed. This week we kept waking up to our garden being destroyed by bunnies, slugs, Hermit Thrush birds, and raccoons. We knew that with all of the dead leaves piled up when we moved in that there would be a slug problem. We saw a bunny so we expected something but not to this scale there’s way to many. We didn’t think of raccoons though until something ate the tops off of the corn seedlings. Let’s not forget the little guys in the garden too we also had three different types of ants (some had wings), Texas green flys, a wasp nest, fleas, and a colorful and large nested array of spiders. Everything we planted is gone except two Jack Be Little pumpkin plants. The good news is there is nothing left for all of them to eat or nest in. As we wait for the slugs to move out I am ordering some raised beds, garden netting, and small netted bags. This lovely coconut was a good way to release some frustration and I almost completely deshelled it with one blow. If you are having some garden troubles like these I highly recommend a good long stick Mattock and a coconut.

#gardening #garden #gardenlife #indoorgarden #indoorplants #growingfood #nature #foodie #foodies #plants #pest #garden pest #coconut #coconuts #mattock #garden tools #coconutsforgardening

[creative-chaos-apparently]

I made a little friend last night

#Bugs #green lacewing #insects #flying bugs #garden bugs #cute bugs #i looked up the species and in my area it is a very good friendly species! #They keep away garden pests and help control harmful species in gardens #I let the lil’ buddy go free outside! #my art

[gallusrostromegalus]

Winged Bull, based on the Jagdeep Rajput shot that is a contenter for the the 2022 Wildlife Photography awards. It's such a fun shot and was fun to turn into a creature.

I think his name is Undeterred By Marigolds, and he likes fresh vegetables, especially when someone else so kindly grew them for him :)

#Illustration #beast #Winged Bull #He's a garden-raiding little shit #but also animals (holy or otherwise) have no concept of property so can you really blame him #the joke is that Marigolds smell awful to most large garden pests so you plant them around your borders

[ryllen]

[ But i wish, the '"interesting" him' I am talking to right now, Hold some part of truth of the 'true him'. ]

----

( a bit of thought after seeing their 2 interactions on x & x )

#i only just started to play the game; trey senpai loves me so much his different cards kept coming to me; even my first SSR is him #i don't know this ends up very long which probably doesn't make sense in the end #twst #twisted wonderland #treyjade #trey clover #jade leech #fanart #i remember seeing one strip about trey finding his strawberries bitten #and he thought it was some pest & went to get pesticide #but then he found jade later nibbling on them fshd #i love them so much ............ #they are my top comfort ship rn #OH GOD I REMEMBER the strip where trey found jade sketching on plants on botanical garden & complimented his drawing #and then jade be like DRAW ME! DRAW ME! #AND IT WAS LITERALLY THE UGLIEST THING TREY COULD EVER SCRIBBLED (not really bcs he is just bad at DRAWING in general *crying) #BUT JADE TREASURES IT WITH HIS LIFE LIKE IT'S EVERYTHING HE COULD EVER ASK FOR #FSHDSH #I LOVE THEEEEEM!!!!!!!!!!!! #I couldn't create something for them to that adorable level but hngghhh....... i love them o(-<

[candides-garden]

Your boyfriend? Yeah, slugs got at him. It rained a lot and they just chowed down. I sprinkled some eggshells around him so hopefully it wont happen again

#gardenblr #garden #gardening #please do not tag as cottagecore #trying to spread ecofriendly pest control via meme

[kelocitta]

Fanart of slugcat dying in a beer trap

#rain world #ask to tag??? #anyway the joke is that if you have garden snail/slug problems the most common trapping method is beer #because slugs absolutely love yeast #so i just wanted to make a joke about random garden pest trivia i guess #glue trap #glue trap meme #drowning

[balkanradfem]

How you don't afraid of snakes?

A snake had never hurt me in my entire life, and I've been creeping around them all my childhood. I had seen and stalked snakes everywhere, in forests, on the riverbanks, inside the rivers, and none of them had ever attacked me or even attempted to come after me. It's always a moment that we both realize that we're occupying the same space, then we stare at each other, and then she's like 'gotta dip bye' and slides away.

When I was a kid I once found this gorgeous white baby snake, and she was soo cute, she was too small to know to run away from me, and I gathered all my courage and pet her little head. And she YAWNED at me. It was single most adorable event.

I would not go ahead and hang out with a snake big enough to eat me, but I don't live in areas where snakes are likely to kill or eat people, so I'm not worried. I know to recognize venomous snakes, and would keep my distance from them. Also people around me have always been killing snakes out of ignorance, and I don't think if snakes were that dangerous that any idiot with a shovel could just kill them. Obviously they're more vulnerable than us, and more likely to be killed by us than the reverse. They're also much smaller.

I went to check what snakes are currently roaming in my country and found out that almost all of them are endangered, and forbidden to injure or kill. Now I'm even more devastated that people are afraid of them and killing them, we're a big danger to them if we're bringing them to extinction. And from 2005 to 2019, they had only killed 3 people in my country, 2 of them male. We must have killed thousands of them.

In conclusion, snakes good, people bad, snakes need our love, males obviously don't watch their step and have no sense of self preservation and thats not snakes fault.

#snakes #endangered snakes #snakes are cute #we love snakes #we need to protect snakes #they're good for the garden #eat tiny pests #so i can have my food

[jenfoundabug]

Assorted blurry but cute bug faces :3

Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum)

Aphid (species unknown)

Eggplant leafroller moth (Lineodes integra)

Unknown lepidoptera species

Mediterranean red bug (Scantius aegyptius)

Armyworm moth (Mythimna unipuncta)

Fly in Sarcophagidae family

Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)

Springtail (species unknown)

Leafhopper (Empoascini)

#bug faces #cute #nature #bugs #biodiversity #animals #entomology #inaturalist #arthropods #insect appreciation #insects #cute face #mugshots #garden pests #some of them anyway #aphids #whitefly #lepidoptera #diptera #blurry #because they're so small #i need to get a better macro lens lol #disney eyes #uwu #bugblr

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Are Insects Pests? On Loving the Unloved

(Originally posted at my blog at https://rebeccalexa.com/are-insects-pests-on-loving-the-unloved/)

I do a lot of internet searches in the process of writing my articles and books, putting together class materials, and so forth. Sometimes the subject of insects comes up, and that often includes researching individual species. What gets me is how often some of the first search results won’t be informational sites, but those dedicated to labeling insects “pests” and eradicating them. I get that some species are potentially more problematic when found in or around someone’s home; cockroaches and bedbugs come to immediate mind. But again and again, regardless of what sorts of insects I was searching for, many times the results included exterminator sites.

The fact that so many of the highest search results are dedicated to killing insects suggests there’s a lot of demand for such services and products. It makes me sad, honestly, because we’re right in the middle of an insect apocalypse. There’s already a lot of apathy about conserving invertebrates in general, and “bugs” in particular; many folks simply don’t get why it’s so important to protect the creepy-crawlies of the world. And when it’s common for any insect found in a house to be routinely smashed and discarded without a second thought, regardless of species, “save the bugs!” may seem like an ineffective rallying call indeed.

But let’s look at a few of those search results first, shall we?

My favorite search engine is Ecosia; I have it set up as my default search engine in my browser. They use the profits from ads to plant trees, and as of this writing they’ve planted over 150 million trees. I use Google as a backup, if Ecosia’s results aren’t getting me what I want.

The other day I wanted to know about wasp species in Washington. So I searched Ecosia for “Washington wasp species”, and the ninth result on the first page was a pest control site:

Google was even worse. It took scrolling down only to the third result on the first page to end up with a pest control site:

Okay, so wasps don’t exactly have a great P.R. team., and media furor over the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) didn’t help the results become any friendlier, either. I figured I’d try a few more very general searches just to see how long it took to hit a pest control site or other site that talked about eradicating the insects I was searching for:

True Bugs: Ecosia 8th on page 1, Google 1st on page 2

Bees: Ecosia 3rd on page 1, Google 3rd on page 1

Grasshoppers: Ecosia 2nd on page 2, Google 5th on page 1 (this was without filtering out things like the Grasshoppers Minor League Baseball team)

Crickets: Ecosia 3rd on page 1, Google 3rd on page 1

Weevils: Ecosia 1st on page 1, Google 2nd on page 1 (never mind that the vast majority of weevils are harmless to us and our food.)

Beetles: Ecosia 1st on page 2, 4th on page 1

Oregon Beetle Species: Ecosia 1st on page 2, Google 4th on page 1

Unsurprisingly when I searched for “fireflies” and “butterflies”, I went back several pages on both search engines and didn’t find anyone advocating for the mass slaughter of these beloved insects. You’d think bees would get the same treatment what with all the “save the bees” campaigns over the past few years, but the 3rd result from both search engines was from a site called “Pest World for Kids”, run by the National Pest Management Association. Really?

Okay, so admittedly this was definitely NOT a scientific study. And I recognize there are a number of factors determining search results, SEO, etc. like how large and popular a given site is, age of the site, backlinks, etc. Still, given how high up in the ranking sites treating insects as pests were, and how many of the recommended related searches had to do with things like whether the insects being searched for would bite, or how to get rid of them, that suggests a lot of people are searching for how to go to war with insects rather than learning about them as unique beings.

On the bright side, most of the results were site that genuinely wanted to educate people about various insects on their own merits. So it’s not as though everything is terrible (unless you’re a weevil, for whom almost all the top search results were pest-related.) Whether those sites got as many genuine clicks as the pest-related ones, I couldn’t tell you. But it was nice to see them anyway.

Maybe I’m in the minority when I wish that people would spend less time trying to eradicate insects, and more time learning about them. It’s just that most folks seem to ignore them unless they become a perceived nuisance. I’ve had to deal with problem insects before–narcissus bulb flies (Merodon equestris) in the garden, pantry moths (Plodia interpunctella) in the flour, etc. And yes, sometimes that involves smushing them on sight, especially in the case of a non-native species.

But I also try to make an effort to learn about even these species. It’s not just to learn how to get rid of them, but to find out more about their adaptations and habits, where they came from, what makes them different from other insects–what makes the species what it is. It’s curiosity that drives me, and I find myself appreciating their ability to find a niche, even if it’s one that’s at odds with my own interests.

It also makes me really think about whether I really need to persecute a particular species, and how that affects my attitudes toward not just insects, but other living beings. When I stop and consider my actions toward another species, it breaks the conditioning that so many of us have to just see nature as something to serve us–only good if it does what we want, and bad if it goes against our wants and needs. And I find myself being able to make a more informed decision that, at times, may be summed up as “leave well enough alone.”

Hence the nest of black-tailed bumblebees (Bombus melanopygus) that has spent multiple years buzzing about the entryway of my garage. Hence the common house spiders (Parasteatoda tepidariorum) that are allowed space in the corners and window-wells of my home to help control flies that may buzz their way in on warm days. Hence the cabbage looper caterpillars (Trichoplusia ni) who get a reprieve in the garden, even though they go after cruciferous vegetables, because they never take everything, and they’re important food for other species. Some would easily justify my killing these and many others, simply for being mildly inconvenient, or just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But I prefer to coexist whenever possible, and to look beyond the “pest” label as well.

Did you enjoy this post? Consider taking one of my online foraging and natural history classes, checking out my other articles, or picking up a paperback or ebook I’ve written! You can even buy me a coffee here!

#long post #insects #invertebrates #bugs #arthropods #science #nature #scicomm #science communication #gardening #ecology #environment #environmentalism #pollinators #animals #wildlife #conservation #pests #extinction

[infographicjournal]

DIY Pest Control for the Savvy Gardener

Having trouble reading infographic here?

Check out the full size infographic at - https://builderszone.com/diy-pest-control-for-the-savvy-gardener/

#pest control #gardening #infographic

[ryanscabinlife]

It’s been roughly a month and a half since I transplanted these cabbages in the ground. I originally planted 12 but right now there’s only 10 left due to slug damages. They’re about a foot tall and they are starting to form small cabbages. It’s so fascinating to watch these plants that came from teeny tiny seeds slowly growing the cabbage heads that I’ve only seen in supermarkets.

Slugs loves these plants. Just a couple of days ago they knocked a whole plant down by nibbling on the stem. Above is an example of a "minor" slug damage. They usually leave a gooey-mucus-like trail. I routinely go to the garden during sunset and first thing in the morning, specially on rainy days, to keep the slug population in check.

That little thing above is a flea beetle. Another creature who loves these types of plants. And below it is, again, a "minor" flea beetle damage. I bought diatomaceous earth to combat these pests but haven't used it yet because I haven't seen any severe damage thus far. Although it's safe for humans and very effective (based on what I've heard/read), it also kills beneficial insects in the process. So if I can avoid using it, that'll be great.

9-Jul-2023

#cabbage #garden pests #slugs #flea beetle #brassica #garden #garden 2023 #gardening #gardencore #produce #veg #veg garden #vegetable garden #home garden #plantblr #gardenblr #garden blog #garden journal #cottage core #simple living #slow life #rural aesthetic

[futurebird]

Do you want weaver ants? Because that's how you get weaver ants!

Weaver ants use empty silk cocoons from wild silk moths as founding chambers. Empty cocoons from commercial silk production can even be used to attract queens. These ants play an important role in pest control in orchards and are desired by farmers. (Source)

Method used by some farmers to attract weaver ant queens.

#ant #ants #weaver ants #pest control #natural pest control #antposting #myrmecology #insects #invertebrates #antkeeping #silk #silk moth #silk moths #natural silk #beneficial insects #fruit farming #fruit trees #gardening #moth #moths #entomology #bugs #lepidoptera #ant queen #queen ant #queen ants #bugblr #antblr #mothblr #farmblr

[weird-dirt-creature]

Ran across this absolutely batshit headline when opening a new tab. First of all do these people know how much foil costs? And second of all CITATIONS NEEDED??

"an integral part"

Wow you don't say?

This is so stupid

Anyway don't fucking do this. Cheers.

#gardening #gardening tips #lawn care #bad garden advice #anti lawn #weed control #pest control #stupid ideas

[deepestsharkshark]

Pretty sure this slug is an albino slug of the common European garden slug but I could be wrong

Edit: I was wrong it's a banana slug but still

#lookit that guy #did i just find a shiny #slugs #slugs r cute ok #garden pests i guess