Ponds and guns
 

LOL! I'm all for innovative solutions.
I once wrote an article for Helen Nash's
now defunct Pond and Garden magazine about disabled
pond keepers. This was one hint I didn't uncover.

DH has taken to a weed flame thrower in a big
way. He has been flame throwing what is left of
the old frog bog. He uses it all over the yard
and only managed to set the wooden fence on
fire once.



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Ponds and guns
 

On Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:00:23 CST, wrote:

LOL! I'm all for innovative solutions.
I once wrote an article for Helen Nash's
now defunct Pond and Garden magazine about disabled
pond keepers. This was one hint I didn't uncover.

DH has taken to a weed flame thrower in a big
way. He has been flame throwing what is left of
the old frog bog. He uses it all over the yard
and only managed to set the wooden fence on
fire once.

I got one of those weed burning devices that uses a propane bottle and
has a long wand. I didn't catch the fence on fire, but I got the lawn
going pretty good. Got my shoes pretty good too as I tried to stomp
out the fire on the lawn. I got the fire out OK and everything but I
decided that burning weeds was not for me.

But that isn't what made me decide to shoot weeds. I was shooting at
paper targets with a pellet trap and all when I got a little bit bored
with the paper target and aimed at a nearby weed. At first I was just
happy to hit the weed anywhere, but as I got better I learned to shoot
at the base of the weed, and I found I could do considerable damage to
it. For sure, the "grab at the base and pull it out" method is
perhaps the most effective, but not nearly as fun.
--
Galen Hekhuis
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

Ponds and guns
 

Galen Hekhuis wrote:
On Wed, 21 Mar 2007 12:00:23 CST, wrote:

LOL! I'm all for innovative solutions.
I once wrote an article for Helen Nash's
now defunct Pond and Garden magazine about disabled
pond keepers. This was one hint I didn't uncover.

DH has taken to a weed flame thrower in a big
way. He has been flame throwing what is left of
the old frog bog. He uses it all over the yard
and only managed to set the wooden fence on
fire once.

I got one of those weed burning devices that uses a propane bottle and
has a long wand. I didn't catch the fence on fire, but I got the lawn
going pretty good. Got my shoes pretty good too as I tried to stomp
out the fire on the lawn. I got the fire out OK and everything but I
decided that burning weeds was not for me.

But that isn't what made me decide to shoot weeds. I was shooting at
paper targets with a pellet trap and all when I got a little bit bored
with the paper target and aimed at a nearby weed. At first I was just
happy to hit the weed anywhere, but as I got better I learned to shoot
at the base of the weed, and I found I could do considerable damage to
it. For sure, the "grab at the base and pull it out" method is
perhaps the most effective, but not nearly as fun.
--
Galen Hekhuis
Illiterate? Write for FREE help


If you don't get the weed at the root then won't it just grow back ??

Ponds and guns
 

On Wed, 21 Mar 2007 13:54:41 CST, ©anadian Ponder "
wrote:

If you don't get the weed at the root then won't it just grow back ??

Yeah, but I just don't shoot 'em just once. I nail them again and
again, and most of the time if you fuss with them enough they
eventually give up. Sometimes I have to actually yank them out by
hand, but I do a fair job with the gun. Lots of times I use a scope,
and can place a shot right at the base of the stem if there is one.
There are some things like grasses and stuff that spread out and make
it pretty hard to find the base, and those have to be dealt with by
alternative means. Some do grow back, but that just gives me
something to shoot at later. It isn't the only way to weed, but it is
a way to get to those hard to reach areas (which for me can be just
about anywhere).
--
Galen Hekhuis
Illiterate? Write for FREE help

Ponds and guns
 

On Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:43:08 CST, "2pods" wrote:


Is that the little yellow pellets or the silver crimbly ones ?

I got what in the US would be called a BB pistol to shoot at the bird table
roof which scared the pigeons trying to eat stuff for the smaller birds.
However, it wasn't powerful enough when there was the slightest puff of
wind.

I think I should try an Air Bazooka.
I wonder what that would do to Blanketweed ?
;-)

Peter

I got the all metal type, there was a kind with a plastic part,
different colors for different calibers, but I didn't want a whole lot
of little plastic parts lying around the pond. I can't really say
that having a bunch of spent metal pellets is such a great idea, but
at least I don't notice them and they haven't been a hassle so far.

As to power, there are pellet guns and there are pellet guns. Some
are pretty useless, you can almost blow as hard. Others can pack
quite a punch, and it is not uncommon to find fairly inexpensive
pellet guns with a muzzle velocity exceeding many .22 firearms. I
think I remember from reading that there are restrictions to power in
air guns in many countries, so they may not be very effective in some
areas. Granted, the pellets are lighter than those made of lead,
but at 10-25 yards I find it takes a fairly stiff breeze before my
shots are bothered much. Besides, windage is one of those things
shooter has to address.
--
Galen Hekhuis
Illiterate? Write for FREE help