Oh, I'm trying to be philosophical. I know borers need to eat, too. But my GORGEOUS squash plants!!! Every one of them!!! I noticed a stem sort of falling over, then a kind of pasty yellowy brown stuff, then a holey kind of slit in the stems...
I probably still have time to plant more squash, but what will keep this from happening again? I'm going to have a chicken tractor, which will hopefully get rid of things like these critters for the most part, but in the meantime...? What do I do? Start them inside and then collar them? I'd like to drench the lawn with kerosene just to show the little ba$#@^ds but talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face.
No, of course I'm not going to do anything like that. My mission is to find out how to punish organically. :}
Oh, it hurts.
back to the drawing board on the fall garden
LOL....I know the feelin'! Tell me,...I've never heard of a "chicken tractor".....are you talkin' about turnin' some loose in yr garden? I use to work with a bonafide "country boy" - born & raised on a farm near Caldwell.....he told me that his father used ducks to glean bugs from the garden....'cause the chickens will eat just about anything....including plants....
My opinion about borers....they can go find something else to eat....same as mosquitos, fire ants, etc. I WILL
eliminate them....in a kind & gentle way,...of course! :~)
Yeah, google "chicken tractor" and you'll be amazed. My son is planning to make me one that will look like a Viking long ship (he's very creative, and has made leather armor for Renaissance festivals and such). I can only have three, maybe four chickens, but can shift the tractor around so they can clean (and fertilize) the entire yard, one section at a time. It's big enough for them to have plenty of room. I might let them loose every now and then, but not when the tomatoes are ripening!
I threw the borer I found right beside a little toad that was watching and hope he ate it. When I get home this afternoon I guess I'll dig up the rest of the squash plants. They're destroyed, and they were doing so well. It just breaks your heart. But not your spirit!
And I agree on eliminating kindly. Except for the fireants. Can't raise up a whole lot of compassion for them. I've had a long talk with them, told them where I'll leave them alone, but they insist on setting up at the weepholes of my house. So I have a daily ritual of fireant sacrifice.
Ahhhhh....I never knew that technique was called a "tractor".....I've seen it used before. Learn somethin' new every day!
I agree about the ants!
I used to joke about bombing the fire ant mounds,....
"I love the smell of napalm(Diazinon, Dursban) in the morning" .... when we first moved here...they were bad....and I don't mind saying that I used whatever means necessary to control them. I do try to stay organic if at all possible........but sometimes,...as in the case of fireants,...you need something stronger.
The above mentioned "warfare" is no longer available...alas,....the new pesticides for fireants don't really get the job done....in my opinion. The ants suffer some loss of the colony....but move over a little and resume their invasion.
I have had great success with white vinegar used full strength to kill ants. One caution the vineger will kill plants, so you can't use it near a plant that you want to keep.
But it kills the ants dead. We poured a gallon down one nest and have not seen them again. I also spray it under flower pots where the ants like to gather, it works.
Josephine.
frostweed, I use vinegar for almost everything, including cleaning the kitchen. Sounds like a plan to me! I have gotten some fairly good results using the undoubtedly INorganic product called "Results" but I do think it just causes them to move along. I'll try the vinegar next mound I see.
Saturday I brewed a pot of coffee for some ice coffee and as soon as it was finished brewing, I took the HOT filter with the coffee grounds in it and put it on top of an ant bed in my flower bed. There were a ton of ants around and they were munching on the roots of my plants (I think)....anyways, it seems like the hot, hot coffee grounds killed them because I haven't seen any around since.
Cruel but effective -- the perfect combo when it comes to fireants.
This site explains how to look for the borer and then how to slit the stem to remove, and save the vine afterwards. Very good information.
http://everest.ento.vt.edu/~idlab/vegpests/vegfs/squashvineborer.html
There are also several very good organic products on the market for fireants--one by safer and another called 'results' and two others I have not tried yet.
CJ, thanks for the link. I hope I can save a vine or two and not let this incident defeat me.
dmj, I have been using Results and it does make them abandon the mound, but other (smaller) mounds appear and it's hard to tell if it's the original mound reappearing. At least it weakens and moves them; I'm not having as many big mounds as I was earlier on. I didn't realize it was organic -- glad to know it.
Edited to say I looked at that link and I'm hoping I still have time to do what they said, though I kind of doubt it. But I'll know what to do if there is a next time. Does anyone know of a good defensive measure? I hate to use pesticides but to lose an entire planting to an ugly moth with and uglier larva just doesn't want to be part of my game plan. I'm going to do some research, and if I come up with anything I'll post it.
This message was edited Aug 30, 2006 10:52 AM
When it comes to fireants, I am not the least perturbed at the use of a harsh but quick method. I fill the teakettle and set it to boil. When it whistles, I carry it out and pour the steaming water directly into the center opening. The mound crumbles and the ants disappear. An oversized mound may need a second kettle, but this is fastest and most thorough method I have found.
Except that the queen is still way down there somewhere in her chamber, still producing....
(music from Jaws, playing in the background....)
Don't think so. The water/steam penetrates far enough to say adios to her as well. The heat kills any plant growth in the immediate area, but there is no ant activity there at all. Had only one small mound this year.
Very interesting article on the imported fire ant from the U of Florida.
http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/urban/ants/red_imported_fire_ant.htm
Yes, it is interesting.........thanks!
I am amazed at how few fireants we have had this year. I must be doing something right. lol