...calls for desperate measures!
By the time I got done with evening chores & was ready to mow the grass, I decided to take another pass thru the veggie garden to see if any of my concoctions had killed the pests.
What did I see? Or rather what was gone now?
Beets ~devoured; Spinach~no sign of; Carrots~ 75% gone (however, I do know that they grow new tops & should be OK...don't know that about beets); Green, Banana, Habanero & Jalepeno Peppers~covered with bugs! I hadn't even thought to look before, but the Brussel Sprouts and Broccoli (the parts you eat, not the plant) were demolished! Gone!
As I walked through, it was the eeriest sight, sound & feeling! I felt like I was in a Sci-Fi world, truly!
They'd 'fly' past me, some would land on me, Ewww...to their next plant! You could actually hear them as you walked in my garden gate! I'm not sure if it was their munching away, or rubbing against each other or what! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER have I seen the likes of this! They were working their way down (my garden is on a hillside) row by row! Some had reached the tomatoes, watermelon & squashes, but no real damage yet......and they were eating weeds along their path!
I made a frantic phone call, and luckily someone had SEVIN. I've never used pesticides & hate to, but......I wanted, I needed to save the rest of my garden!
This morning.......the ground, literally, is 'black/gray' and crunchy between the rows!
I have a bazillion garden books that I've look through, spanned the Internet last night...hoping for a clue! Nothing. I did gather up a few of these 'things' in a jar & will have that friend who works for WSU take them in to see if they can give me some insight.
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26 comments:
Sometimes... ya' just gotta. Organic is best, but if'n the garden gets et' up by bugs, doesn't do you much good either.
Perhaps a good dusting with diatamacious earth might help too...
I'm still hoping the grasshoppers still have some grass left before my garden gets whacked...
You are NOT alone it must be the year for them!! We have potato bugs and I put seven on them right away - because they are harder to kill than anything else I can think of!!! They have a shell like a sherman tanks armor! Good luck getting rid of them! Slugs are beer lovers so if you have slugs on your cabbage, lay a few brown bottles with a swig left in it at the begining and ending of each row, they will go in there, drink it and either drown or die... either way you win!! LOL
LL~ diatamacious earth is on the top of my LIST for text trip to town..but had NO time to waste last evening.
Ya know, we have grasshopppers too..tons of them, but they leave my veggies alone!?
Heidi~ those potato bus, we have a few, but not a problem. Slugs? We SHOULD NOT have them in this country...but they seem to show up here! Not in the veggies & not much problem except for the slime left behind. Yep, years ago in wet country, I had pie tins of beer everywhere! And bags of salt!
OMY.... don't just luv bugs... I hope you can get em gone. We lost all our tomatoes this year due to a fungus.... the grasshoppers usually attack my collard... so far so good~!
Christina
Hey Barb, I am so glad you found me. I planted some tomatoes in a container and no bugs. They are thriving too. I shouldn't brag it, could mean trouble. Smile. I'm glad you like my post, Please come again and I'll do the same.
Blessings, Jeanne
I need to try that stuff. The Japanese Beetles here are eating up my Birch trees out front! =/
(Thanks for stopping by my site and wishing me well.)
:)
They must know yer Cowboy is gone and decided to come visit ya to keep you company. :)
And tag...you're it. (sorry, see my blog for details....)
Holy cow- you're an episode of the X Files! Hope you can save what's left!
(Okay- off to read other posts- sorry I've been outta da loop!)
Dang Little flying varmints! I wanted a garden...again this year. My great, wonderful, owns his own construction company, with every piece of equipment you can imagine, Cowboy husband, never got around to helpin me till a spot! Oh well, my lawn looks great! How bout some chickens? I have three, and no bugs! Or maybe they would eat your garden too? Maybe I better learn more about gardens before I plant one!!
TOCCO~ the bugs seem to be gone...did water this evening, so will see if they have returned by morn. With any luck...I'll have wayyy too many tomatoes! Ya want some???
Jeanne~I have 16 tomato plants going in the garden...so far so good. They were 'next' I'm sure on the menu for those bugs...as they are in the next row down before I sprayed!
Alex~We've never had Jap Beetles..I hear they are very destructive tho.
Sarah~ You would think of that wouldn't you! :) And a MeMe??WHY did you do that to me!
Prof~I know you've been outta touch! Didn't you Dad come in today?? Must be so cool to have him there!Oh, how'd he like your gift you made?
TW~ mean you haven't been taught to use that equip. yet? WE do have chickens...but...they are not allowed to roam where my bare toes tread! (squish~ yuk~)
They have these things WOWie... they're called shoes. Ask TW about them as I've recently introduced her to them as well... :P
Hope your bugs are gone now. I went with hubby when he went bush hogging last weekend and I got chiggers all over me. I am about to itch to death. And every time I go to the garden I get ticks on me.And when I sit on the porch the knats eat me up. Hubby said he was going to put me in a protective suit of some kind ! This must be a bad year for bugs, yuck !
I'm with you on the bug hatred! Sorry to hear that yours are destructive buggers! I have my very first garden this year (in our very first house) so I've had to come to terms with the fact that I have to share my garden with the insect world. Luckily, mine haven't been very destructive and only ate my basil. I have a TON of earwigs in my lettuce, but they just seem to hang out there and not eat it! Ick!
Don't stress too much about the pesticide, as II said, better to have veggies you have to wash than none at all! Good luck with your battle!
I am fighting the battle of the Japanese beetles this year again. They've ruined all of my rose bushes, they eat the buds, might be ten of them on one clump of buds. They are eating my raspberry leaves and some of my trees. I spray with Sevin but that kills the leaves on my roses and I can't spray it on my raspberry bushes as we eat right off the bushes. It's so discouraging, all the work we put in our gardens and then something eats everything! I feel your pain!!!!!!!
LL~ Sorry, can't teach this ol dog new trix (!)..I was NOT born with shoes...& I've of intention of making them a regular habit
Teresa~ I agree w/it being a bad yr for bugs! Our ticks season lasted way too long..'skeeters eat me alive...dont' know what chiggers are & don't want to!! :) Going to be curious what this invasion was...
Wordmomma~ I know, we always wash things from the store & I'm not dead yet, so guess home grown & washed can't hurt one season. Earwigs always invade my corn...but they don't eat it either, maybe they like cool hiding places like in lettuce too
Midlife Mom~are Jap. beetles always there? Boy..IF I had raspberries...I'd be out there nite 'n day protecting them babies! I soooooooo miss having them in my garden...
We have had our issues with bugs over the years, but this year, so far so good. I don't know if our weather has prevented them or what, but I'm glad to see everything looking healthy so far. (Although if I had my way, they could HAVE the green beans. Just leave my tomatoes and cucumbers alone!)
Geeze...you have bugs like that, I'm not coming to Washington. Where I was last evening, bet I could SEE to Washington! Still working on that post, but it'll be a good one. I just hope my feet and legs recover, getting too old for this behavior.
Glad you got some Sevin dust. I don't like to use chemicals either or eat processed foods. Stuff isn't good for ya.
EW...crunchy??? EW!!
Have a wonderful weekend. I'm going to be brave and update wordpress to 2.6. OH BOY, won't I have fun figuring out this techie stuff.
PK
Dang it LL, I told you that you were only allowed to eat her raddishes!
Oh... WOW... are you aware you never mentioned COFFEE in your profile?
Hey Barb,
I hope all those ravenous bugs are dead and gone now, for good. Let us know what they were, when you find out. Have a good, bug-free weekend!
Renie
Stopping by this morning to say hello! :)
Good morning Barb :)
I can't stand bugs! I had never heard of Japaneese Beetles until I moved to this side of the country, but they really are awful. They eat ALL the roses and people put those bags out that attract them, thinking it's making them die, but all it does is bring more into the area. They like corn and we have a lot of corn fields here, so that doesn't help either.
Anyway, maybe your bugs are locusts. I know they destroy crops and they make a lot of noise like you described.
Oh and I'm all for that horse ride ;)
hugs,
rue
Oh Your conagious! One of my 4 legged lawn mowers just ate the top off of my 1 sunflower that needed about a week more to bloom! URGH
Hello? Just checkin on you! I thought I was the only one not posting !! I have been busy with a local rodeo and my daughters softball tournie!! Hope all is well at you homestead! Are you campin out by your garden!? Snipin the varmints??? (getting a visual!!)
My 1st meme... had to tag ya! Thanks christina
http://theoriginalcoffeecompanyonline.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-very-first-time.html
Been missin ya- hope all is well!?!
Goodness, curious to hear what the evil 6-legged critters are! Hope you are able to salvage some of your garden!! Keep us posted.
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