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#1
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Venting about varmints
Oh, I hate groundhogs.
What with the drought and all this year, they have been desperate. The young ones that have been driven out are the smallest I have ever seen, small enough to go *through* the chain link webbing on the neighbor’s side of the vegetable garden, bypassing the shock wire at the top. A setup that had worked for a dozen years or more has been breached! Have been sweating buckets and expending cash like crazy. First to protect the raspberries from birds, which I’d never needed to do before, because normally they are spending all their time eating mulberries. But there were no mulberries in the neighborhood this year, because the freeze that came after the March heat wave wiped them out. Now the pint-sized groundhogs have mowed their way though ¾ of my edamame. Worse, a burrow was started inside the garden. I dug that sucker out until it dead-ended. I guess it was started yesterday evening, since the rain early this morning had wet down the newly dug out earth. I’m going to reinforce the chain link on the neighbor’s side from the inside of the veggie garden and have set up a trap. Apples didn’t seem to work on this one so I’ve added watermelon. I need something it wants more than the soybean leaves…or hope that it will give up and move on if only I build a better fence. Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. -- Pat in Plymouth MI "Yes, swooping is bad." email valid but not regularly monitored |
#2
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Venting about varmints
In article
, Pat Kiewicz wrote: Oh, I hate groundhogs. What with the drought and all this year, they have been desperate. The young ones that have been driven out are the smallest I have ever seen, small enough to go *through* the chain link webbing on the neighbor’s side of the vegetable garden, bypassing the shock wire at the top. A setup that had worked for a dozen years or more has been breached! Have been sweating buckets and expending cash like crazy. First to protect the raspberries from birds, which I’d never needed to do before, because normally they are spending all their time eating mulberries. But there were no mulberries in the neighborhood this year, because the freeze that came after the March heat wave wiped them out. Now the pint-sized groundhogs have mowed their way though ¾ of my edamame. Worse, a burrow was started inside the garden. I dug that sucker out until it dead-ended. I guess it was started yesterday evening, since the rain early this morning had wet down the newly dug out earth. I’m going to reinforce the chain link on the neighbor’s side from the inside of the veggie garden and have set up a trap. Apples didn’t seem to work on this one so I’ve added watermelon. I need something it wants more than the soybean leaves…or hope that it will give up and move on if only I build a better fence. Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. Agriculture, it builds character. Good luck with all your problems. -- E Pluribus Unum Know where your money is tonight? It's making the lives of Wall Street Bankers more comfortable. Welcome to the New America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg |
#3
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Venting about varmints
On Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:02:01 -0400, Pat Kiewicz
wrote: Oh, I hate groundhogs. What with the drought and all this year, they have been desperate. The young ones that have been driven out are the smallest I have ever seen, small enough to go *through* the chain link webbing on the neighbor’s side of the vegetable garden, bypassing the shock wire at the top. A setup that had worked for a dozen years or more has been breached! Have been sweating buckets and expending cash like crazy. First to protect the raspberries from birds, which I’d never needed to do before, because normally they are spending all their time eating mulberries. But there were no mulberries in the neighborhood this year, because the freeze that came after the March heat wave wiped them out. Now the pint-sized groundhogs have mowed their way though ¾ of my edamame. Worse, a burrow was started inside the garden. I dug that sucker out until it dead-ended. I guess it was started yesterday evening, since the rain early this morning had wet down the newly dug out earth. I’m going to reinforce the chain link on the neighbor’s side from the inside of the veggie garden and have set up a trap. Apples didn’t seem to work on this one so I’ve added watermelon. I need something it wants more than the soybean leaves…or hope that it will give up and move on if only I build a better fence. Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. I commiserate thoroughly. I bait with lettuce or carrot or other salad greens. Boron |
#4
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Venting about varmints
Pat Kiewicz wrote:
Oh, I hate groundhogs. .... Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. sorry for the health problems. with all this heat and humidity it sure makes it tough to get out and get much done. it looks like we get a break back to more normal temperatures for at least a few days soon. it amazes me that some creatures will risk their lives repeatedly for a bean sprout when all around them they can eat many many hundreds of lbs of green legumes (i wouldn't mind at all). i'll likely be setting traps and hunting all season a lot more than i'd like. in the meantime i'm hoping for the snakes to keep working on them too. songbird |
#5
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Venting about varmints
Billy said:
Pat Kiewicz wrote: I’m going to reinforce the chain link on the neighbor’s side from the inside of the veggie garden and have set up a trap. Apples didn’t seem to work on this one so I’ve added watermelon. I need something it wants more than the soybean leaves…or hope that it will give up and move on if only I build a better fence. Spotted the groundhog feeding on the pile of mulberry shoots we cut down on the neighbor's side of the fence. I think some tree trimming is in order...and will put some of the freshest growth into the trap, too. Maybe another line of shock wire lower down on the fence. If I have enough insulators left. And shock wire. Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. Agriculture, it builds character. Good luck with all your problems. At least the gardening problems aren't life threatening. So far. At least my body had the sense to break down in February, after I'd ordered my seeds but well before I had to start them. (Staved off a potential relapse recently but this isn't helping!) -- Pat in Plymouth MI "Yes, swooping is bad." email valid but not regularly monitored |
#6
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Venting about varmints
In article
, Pat Kiewicz wrote: Billy said: Pat Kiewicz wrote: I’m going to reinforce the chain link on the neighbor’s side from the inside of the veggie garden and have set up a trap. Apples didn’t seem to work on this one so I’ve added watermelon. I need something it wants more than the soybean leaves…or hope that it will give up and move on if only I build a better fence. Spotted the groundhog feeding on the pile of mulberry shoots we cut down on the neighbor's side of the fence. I think some tree trimming is in order...and will put some of the freshest growth into the trap, too. Maybe another line of shock wire lower down on the fence. If I have enough insulators left. And shock wire. Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. Agriculture, it builds character. Good luck with all your problems. At least the gardening problems aren't life threatening. So far. At least my body had the sense to break down in February, after I'd ordered my seeds but well before I had to start them. (Staved off a potential relapse recently but this isn't helping!) Well, we knew we weren't going to get out of this alive. Enjoy it while you can, for as long as you can. My semi-retirement consists of working Fall and part of the Winter, but it's been one thing or another in the Spring for the last 2 years. Last year I was able to make accommodations, but this year I'm just recovering from being sliced & diced (March, April, June). The plants I germinated, have mostly died by now, through neglect. I just have gotten my runty tomatoes in the ground (6 weeks late), store bought lemon cucumbers planted on an unused trellis, and store bought basil, potted up. It will be a small garden this year. I really feel though that the anticipation of the garden has kept one foot moving in front of the other for the last several years. The beans will go in today :O) Non illegitimous caborundum (so they say ;O) -- E Pluribus Unum Know where your money is tonight? It's making the lives of Wall Street Bankers more comfortable. Welcome to the New America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg |
#7
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Venting about varmints
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#8
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Venting about varmints
Billy said:
Pat Kiewicz wrote: At least my body had the sense to break down in February, after I'd ordered my seeds but well before I had to start them. (Staved off a potential relapse recently but this isn't helping!) Well, we knew we weren't going to get out of this alive. Enjoy it while you can, for as long as you can. My semi-retirement consists of working Fall and part of the Winter, but it's been one thing or another in the Spring for the last 2 years. Last year I was able to make accommodations, but this year I'm just recovering from being sliced & diced (March, April, June). Ah, I have been *very* lucky--I was admitted as a surgical patient, but managed to avoid the knife. The plants I germinated, have mostly died by now, through neglect. I just have gotten my runty tomatoes in the ground (6 weeks late), store bought lemon cucumbers planted on an unused trellis, and store bought basil, potted up. It will be a small garden this year. Small garden is better than no garden. I really feel though that the anticipation of the garden has kept one foot moving in front of the other for the last several years. No matter what my mother ever said about me, there is no way you can be a gardener without being an optimist. Unless maybe you are totally delusional. The beans will go in today :O) Lost even more of the edamame (the north end of the fence had yet to be reinforced). But we nailed the damned groundhog, who fled to the south end. Almost like we planned it that way. One last push this morning to reinforce the north end. Good thing this happened during the Shutdown week. Too bad that it has been so. damned. hot. -- Pat in Plymouth MI "Yes, swooping is bad." email valid but not regularly monitored |
#9
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Venting about varmints
Pat Kiewicz said:
Lost even more of the edamame (the north end of the fence had yet to be reinforced). But we nailed the damned groundhog, who fled to the south end. Almost like we planned it that way. One last push this morning to reinforce the north end. Good thing this happened during the Shutdown week. Too bad that it has been so. damned. hot. North end reinforced. The 'low' temperature overnight was 80. Finished up when the temperature was already 98 (heat index 108). Picked the first tomatoes (SunSugar). Will have some eggplant next week and the first corn is silking. (But will the heat ruin the kernel set?) Summer squash getting ready to bloom. Crossing my fingers on the edamame. Even if it is able to bounce back, the whole staggered planting/harvest scheme is out the window. -- Pat in Plymouth MI "Yes, swooping is bad." email valid but not regularly monitored |
#10
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Venting about varmints
Billy wrote:
.... My semi-retirement consists of working Fall and part of the Winter, but it's been one thing or another in the Spring for the last 2 years. Last year I was able to make accommodations, but this year I'm just recovering from being sliced & diced (March, April, June). survival is not overrated. i'm glad you're still kicking. The plants I germinated, have mostly died by now, through neglect. I just have gotten my runty tomatoes in the ground (6 weeks late), store bought lemon cucumbers planted on an unused trellis, and store bought basil, potted up. how well do cucumbers do on wire cages? ours are looking ok. the cages are to keep the critters from gnawing them back to the nub. i'm hoping they'll grow quickly enough now that they are established to give the surrounding buckwheat a challenge. if it doesn't look like they are making a decent go of it i'll have to trample some buckwheat. It will be a small garden this year. I really feel though that the anticipation of the garden has kept one foot moving in front of the other for the last several years. The beans will go in today :O) Non illegitimous caborundum (so they say ;O) el flatus das indouendo. tomorrow i hope to get started on the garlic harvest (if the weather cooperates). good luck with the gardens and your health. songbird |
#11
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Venting about varmints
In article ,
songbird wrote: Billy wrote: ... My semi-retirement consists of working Fall and part of the Winter, but it's been one thing or another in the Spring for the last 2 years. Last year I was able to make accommodations, but this year I'm just recovering from being sliced & diced (March, April, June). survival is not overrated. i'm glad you're still kicking. The plants I germinated, have mostly died by now, through neglect. I just have gotten my runty tomatoes in the ground (6 weeks late), store bought lemon cucumbers planted on an unused trellis, and store bought basil, potted up. how well do cucumbers do on wire cages? ours are looking ok. the cages are to keep the critters from gnawing them back to the nub. i'm hoping they'll grow quickly enough now that they are established to give the surrounding buckwheat a challenge. if it doesn't look like they are making a decent go of it i'll have to trample some buckwheat. Cages are what I normally use, but the trellis isn't being used for zucchini replicante this year (I need to germinate the seeds, but I think it is too late now. It will give the cukes some extra sunshine because it is taller than the cages. It will be a small garden this year. I really feel though that the anticipation of the garden has kept one foot moving in front of the other for the last several years. The beans will go in today :O) Non illegitimous caborundum (so they say ;O) el flatus das indouendo. tomorrow i hope to get started on the garlic harvest (if the weather cooperates). good luck with the gardens and your health. songbird Tomorrow should be squash day. My health is a crap shoot. I'll just enjoy what I can for as long as I can. I need to get back into some kind of shape after 2 years of indolence, because the harvest will be here soon, and my job is very sedentary. -- E Pluribus Unum If God wanted us to vote, he would have given us a candidate. Welcome to the New America. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA736oK9FPg |
#12
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Venting about varmints
In article
songbird writes: how well do cucumbers do on wire cages? ours are looking ok. the cages are to keep the critters from gnawing them back to the nub. Mine (western Ohio) are doing excessively well on cages. I haven't grown cucumbers in several years and I think I should have thinned a lot more. I ended up having to add extra cages adjacent to the original ones for the overflow vines to sprawl onto. I think they are densely packed vines up to about 5 feet. The first picking was last week, but the blossom load says that I should get my pickling plan figured out pretty soon or I'll be in trouble (and my coworkers will get sick of cukes quickly). I wish the tomatoes were as promising. I like cukes on cages because they don't get nibbled by the ground level bugs. Sow bugs are only supposed to eat dead stuff, but mine think anything at the mulch level is dead. -- Drew Lawson And I know there's more to the story I know I need to see more I need to see s'more, hear s'more feel s'more. I gotta be s'more |
#13
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Venting about varmints
On Thu, 05 Jul 2012 15:02:01 -0400, Pat Kiewicz
wrote: Oh, I hate groundhogs. What with the drought and all this year, they have been desperate. The young ones that have been driven out are the smallest I have ever seen, small enough to go *through* the chain link webbing on the neighbor’s side of the vegetable garden, bypassing the shock wire at the top. A setup that had worked for a dozen years or more has been breached! Have been sweating buckets and expending cash like crazy. First to protect the raspberries from birds, which I’d never needed to do before, because normally they are spending all their time eating mulberries. But there were no mulberries in the neighborhood this year, because the freeze that came after the March heat wave wiped them out. Now the pint-sized groundhogs have mowed their way though ¾ of my edamame. Worse, a burrow was started inside the garden. I dug that sucker out until it dead-ended. I guess it was started yesterday evening, since the rain early this morning had wet down the newly dug out earth. I’m going to reinforce the chain link on the neighbor’s side from the inside of the veggie garden and have set up a trap. Apples didn’t seem to work on this one so I’ve added watermelon. I need something it wants more than the soybean leaves…or hope that it will give up and move on if only I build a better fence. Arghh. I've got enough troubles (health). Damn. Damn. Damn. I've got to find out what is eating the tomatoes and cantaloupes. I think I am going to put the cantaloupes and pumpkins in stockings and see if it slows the critters down. Hope whatever it is isn't tall enough to reach very high in the tomato cages. DH finally was able to run the trimmer in the garden and I can now get to most everything now. Not that all of the weeds are gone, but at least I can see them. Weather is supposed to be cooler starting tomorrow. Guess I will get out and see what I can do. At least I am feeling better this summer than last. Now if it would just stay cool enough to get some yard & garden work done. -- USA North Carolina Foothills USDA Zone 7a To find your extension office http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/index.html |
#14
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Venting about varmints
The Cook said:
I've got to find out what is eating the tomatoes and cantaloupes. I think I am going to put the cantaloupes and pumpkins in stockings and see if it slows the critters down. Hope whatever it is isn't tall enough to reach very high in the tomato cages. Do you see tooth marks on the melons and pumpkins? Big chisel marks usually means groundhogs Small chisel marks could be rats or squirrels Teeny, tiny chisel marks would be mice or voles Ragged, broken chunks could be deer Opossums will go after ripe melons and tomatoes (partly for fluid) and raccoons have a sweet tooth, and will go for ripe melons. DH finally was able to run the trimmer in the garden and I can now get to most everything now. Not that all of the weeds are gone, but at least I can see them. Weather is supposed to be cooler starting tomorrow. Guess I will get out and see what I can do. At least I am feeling better this summer than last. Now if it would just stay cool enough to get some yard & garden work done. It's cooled down to normal-hot. I pulled four heaping full 5-gallon buckets of weeds, plus the dying pea vines. So far the fence is holding and some of the soybeans are sending out new leaves. If only it would rain...serious rain...steady rain most of the day...*sigh* -- Pat in Plymouth MI "Yes, swooping is bad." email valid but not regularly monitored |
#15
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Venting about varmints
In article
, Pat Kiewicz wrote: The Cook said: I've got to find out what is eating the tomatoes and cantaloupes. I think I am going to put the cantaloupes and pumpkins in stockings and see if it slows the critters down. Hope whatever it is isn't tall enough to reach very high in the tomato cages. Do you see tooth marks on the melons and pumpkins? Big chisel marks usually means groundhogs Small chisel marks could be rats or squirrels Teeny, tiny chisel marks would be mice or voles Ragged, broken chunks could be deer Opossums will go after ripe melons and tomatoes (partly for fluid) and raccoons have a sweet tooth, and will go for ripe melons. DH finally was able to run the trimmer in the garden and I can now get to most everything now. Not that all of the weeds are gone, but at least I can see them. Weather is supposed to be cooler starting tomorrow. Guess I will get out and see what I can do. At least I am feeling better this summer than last. Now if it would just stay cool enough to get some yard & garden work done. It's cooled down to normal-hot. I pulled four heaping full 5-gallon buckets of weeds, plus the dying pea vines. So far the fence is holding and some of the soybeans are sending out new leaves. If only it would rain...serious rain...steady rain most of the day...*sigh* Turtles have been known to enjoy the garden bounty too. -- Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden http://marshallmcluhanspeaks.com/ |
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