Kitchen Garden Forum

What ever happened to the good old days when all we had to worry about was slugs snails and caterpillars?

I went to the lottie early this morning all set to pick my pea crop which I knew was ready only to find the pesky squirrels had breakfasted on the lot. They were, as I thought securely netted with bricks and pegs but the canny devils had lifted the pegs and found a way in.

Think I need to take a degree in 'how to outwit the wildlife'.
Must try harder next year.

Beryl.

Dear Beryl, i have to agree, every year something new seems to be attacking our crops. I don't think i have ever used as much netting and covers as this year, it's turning into a real battle.

I agree with OH. Think maybe I need a course in DIY instead.
Takes all the pleasure out of the actual gardening. But we still come back for more don't we.

Beryl.

I have netting & environmesh, streamers, CD's waving in the wind etc & some critter always overcomes the obstacle. I often wonder whether these TV shows with these superb vege beds has someone running around before filming to rip off all the protection just before filming as none of it would last a an hour in my lottie exposed like that!

Westi

I blame Darwin for putting ideas of evolving into their heads

Motherwoman wrote:I blame Darwin for putting ideas of evolving into their heads

I blame Mr Brocklehurst who introduced the grey squirrel in 1876, back in the Good Old Days of Victorian dominion,

I even found tiny caterpillars on the chilli plants at school today and they are in the polytunnel! Not a sign of one or even an egg on the lettuce and kale seedlings!

Thankfully a parent has some window screening which we can attach by velcro to the door frame, so we can open the door on hot days and not let the butterflies in!

VPM
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PS Can anyone recommend an effective organic bug killer?

Putting butterfly netting over all the Brassicas makes it harder to remove the caterpillars! Very scratchy on sunburnt arms. About the only productive thing I did today.

vegpatchmum wrote:Can anyone recommend an effective organic bug killer?

What bugs do you want to kill? Cabbage white caterpillars can be killed with a bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis. Smaller pests such as aphids or red spider mite can be parasitised or preyed upon. "Smaller fleas have lesser fleas upon their backs to bite 'em." But not every bug is a pest. Know your enemy.

Hello Beryl
In the good old days we would have shot, trapped or poisoned anything that wanted to share our food crops. All we can do now is to try and discourage them!

John

PS I am not advocating a return to the old days.

They did have a large arsenal back then, DDT, malathion, nicotine based sprays and smokes... it's a wonder any of us made it through. Victorian days? No, I'm talking the 60's and 70's here!

We have come a long way from that thank goodness.

MW

Yes, but with the larger stuff, pigeons and rabbits, they eere seen as a food resource rather than a Disney character. So tue ones that didn't get eaten got wary.

Yes I think the birds and squirrels are getting cannier every year. Lasy year an acquaintance of ours lost their entire apple crop to squirrels one weekend while they were away. I have just picked our first pea crop before our now half tame pheasant tries to steal them but on checking quite a few of them have maggots inside. Where do all these little blighters come from??.

im sure the pigeons lined up on the garage roof eying up the tayberries beneath have more than a passing resemblance to vultures


if we ate the pigeons that were stupid enough to sit still long enough to catch , the pigeon population would get cleverer as only the wary ones would breed..so on the whole wed be doing them a favour.....
must run that idea past the teenage daughter and record the reaction.

FelixLeiter wrote:

vegpatchmum wrote:Can anyone recommend an effective organic bug killer?

What bugs do you want to kill? Cabbage white caterpillars can be killed with a bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis. Smaller pests such as aphids or red spider mite can be parasitised or preyed upon. "Smaller fleas have lesser fleas upon their backs to bite 'em." But not every bug is a pest. Know your enemy.

'Twas caterpillars in the polytunnel - fingers crossed I seem to be on top of it now with judicious use of salt water spray and squishing

VPM
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