4th of July

[Bird]

Aaah, you folks in the cool climates sure make me jealous this time of year. I've already harvested, mowed the cornstalks down, and tilled them in.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Bird,

We had fresh corn for dinner Sunday. Will pick most of it by the week end. Garden was planted late, so only the cool weather and rain in June allowed us to have anything. Cantalopes about the size of baseballs now.

 

[Bird]

Wen, I have some cantaloupes that are big enough, but he grasshoppers are eating holes in them before they can ripen; don't know whether we'll have any to eat or not. And I mowed down the black-eyed peas yesterday. The vines looked surprisingly good, but the grasshoppers just had them covered up and they were eating the pea pods more than the vines. It seemed just the opposite with the green beans; they ate all the foliage off the vines first. And they're even eating through some of the pumpkins.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

I put out the non/toxic bait this year in the garden, and it seems to be helping so far. I am tempted to put out the Seven/Molasses bait, but it is hard to keep pets from eating. I lost too many fruit trees last year and hope to not repeat that performance this year.

 

[Bird]

I guess I've just been stubborn about not using anything on the garden just to see how it would do each year. And it's just as well that the gardening season is going to be a short one this year. My wife's tired of canning, the freezers are full, literally hundreds of pounds of tomatoes are rotting on the vines just because we don't know anyone who can use them, plums are falling on the ground because we already have all we can use frozen, so if I let it go now for this year, it'll save me some work in the heat, and keep the water bill down./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I guess I was lucky last year and only lost one plum tree, one Mimosa, and a couple of small shade trees. Of course, last week I did spray a heavy dose of Malathion in and around the shop and around the house; just not in any of the garden.

Bird

 

[jyoutz]

Bird, Thought I would share two grasshopper bait ideas with you, both of which seem to work. If you can find Nolobait, then get lots and use it. This stuff is 100% safe -its a bacteria coated onto bran flakes. The bacteria will infect the grasshoppers and be spread throughout the population. Supposed to last several years, and its logical that this would work. Naturally this bacteria is harmless to humans and animals. It just affects certain insects. Another bait, which works quickly to reduce populations is to make your own. Get a 50 lb. sack of bran flakes at the local feed store. Then dump 5 lbs. of Sevin powder on the flakes and shake the sack. Pretty cheap poison grasshopper bait and it works too. Just shake some bait on the ground in areas where the hoppers are feeding. I like to combine both baits to: 1 -reduce the population, and 2 -infect the rest of the population with disease.

 

[Bird]

Thanks, jyoutz, I've heard of the Nolobait, but haven't seen it anywhere.

Bird

 

[W5FL]

My local nursery has nolo bait. That is what I put out, but it cost $17 for a can big enough to do about 1/4 acre. For 10 acres that is $680. Wonder if there is a less expensive supply. The seven bait I saw was listed as poisonous for birds and pets, so have been concerned as to whether to risk it.

 

[jyoutz]

Wen, I don't think that you need to spend that much for the Nolobait or worry too much about harming other animals with the sevin. You really don't need to scatter it over every inch of every acre. What you do is find a group of shrubs or someplace where the hoppers roost for the night (that's right, they do it just like birds). Then bait them at those few spots. Use only enough each time so that's they eat it up and there's not much left after one feeding. Hoppers love bran flakes and if you bait them, they will go for it (both the Nolobait and my homemade stuff use bran to carry the pesticide). Just try to place it so that the bran doesn't get too wet.

 

[jyoutz]

I really don't know where you get it, they sold it here at local feed stores a few years ago. Haven't had a problem since and haven't looked for it. Just contact your local AG extension agent. They've all heard of the stuff