Saturday, May 17, 2014

I'm Plum Fed Up with the Poopers!


This little fellow and I had it out today.
I won, but the damage had been done.
He decided to rest in my dwarf plum tree
which had fruited only once since I planted it.
It was covered with bees in the early Spring
so I was hopeful


Then I saw the poop.
And looked up.


Not so good.



Even worse.
Ya know, there were only a couple of plums on this tree.
Couldn't I ask for just a couple of plums???

 Needless to say, the worm had a dinner date with the chickens
and chicken was not on the menu.


Moving on to the larger garden, I checked on the tomatillos.
Holes.  Uh oh.
I turned the leaf over and saw what I didn't want to see.


Eggs.
I ran back to the house for the duct tape,
wrapping it around my hand backwards
and began gently pulling off the eggs.
I saw the mama, I think it is a three lined potato beetle,
red, yellow and black striped.
She got away, but I got the kids.


As I was looking at my rose on the garden wall
I saw more poop!
And this!
 I don't get fat, green worms on my roses.
What the heck is this guy?


So then I spot this butterfly.
Pretty, isn't it?
Well I'm sure it too will be soon be pooping 
on my delicious fruit, vegetables and pretty roses.
  A mulberry tree is sprouting up just behind her
and it's somewhere that I can let it grow!
I'm sure she'll find it and her wiggly little offspring
will munch and much until I end up with a 
mulNOberry tree.

What's a gardener to do?


5 comments:

Harry Flashman said...

I guess you'll have to use pesticide. I know nobody wants to do that, but what else is there?

Gorges Smythe said...

The old-timers used lime-sulphue spray on fruit trees, and I don't know that it's harmful. I think it's more for mildew and fungus, but I think it repels some insects too. You might want to look it up and see.

LindaG said...

We lost the battle last year. We have yet to see how this year goes.

Maybe search the internet for what feeds on your pests, and if possible,get some?

*hugs* ♥

Sunnybrook Farm said...

The insect lovers of the world will send you an award for feeding the most insects!

Lady Locust said...

Wow, you are way ahead of us. My peonies are just in the bud form & fruit trees in bloom. You might just turn the chickens loose in the garden. If you can't have the food, at least it should go towards something you can eat (eggs &/or the birds themselves.)