Recent content by skaldron

Unfortunately, the ants don't actually eat the aphids. They eat a sweet, sticky substance the aphids produce. The ants are opportunists. Ladybugs, and especially their larvae, are aphid predators. Ants don't like boric acid, if you're looking to get rid of them. Mark

good call. another tell that they're aphids is if there are also ants present, they farm the aphids for honeydew.

I'm not equipped to house any roosters at the moment so I'm looking to re-home these two. Both are about 15 weeks old. The Dominique is from McMurray stock and seems to be a good breeding candidate. The BSL rooster is very friendly, almost pet-like. He follows me around, chatters, and is...

If it's mint, the roots will also smell intensely of mint. Mint grows from a dense matt of rhizomes. Pull some up, does it have a big mass of feeder roots, rhizomes like grass, or a giant taproot? Mark

flea beetles are smaller, no discernible leg parts unless you get a magnifying glass. they also leave tiny shotgun pellet-like holes in leaves, they don't cluster like that on the stem. whatever it is, you might try some diluted neem oil. i knocked out some serious aphid populations on fava...

it looks like holy or blessed thistle, those things get huge. we've got lots of those and a more common, smaller variety in NJ. bees/bugs like them but they can be seriously invasive. Mark

Hi, I've been playing guitar for 20+ years, new to chickens. Check out my band, Malvador, we're an all-original outfit influenced by Mr. Bungle, Gogol Bordello, metal, classical, everything really. Mark

Check out the Technic mod installer if you haven't already. It installs its own version of Minecraft with lots of add-ons and mods. Mark coltivi.blogspot.com www.malvador.com

I think in my case the birds were having difficulty getting enough nutrition from their food. I wanted to feed them a mix of grains and legumes because I was still a little wary of factory-produced pellets and crumbles. I inadvertently ended up giving them food that was designed for older birds...

Anybody interested in a free Dominique or Black Sex Link rooster? I'm not equipped to keep roosters right now, this is my first year keeping chickens. They're both about 15 weeks old. The Dom is McMurray stock and seems good for breeding purposes. The BSL is like a pet, very friendly and...

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My condolences, I'm so sorry. Makes you want to declare war on predators. We have some intense fox pressure here in Morris County, and bears. It's looking more likely that I'll need to invest in some electric fencing to go with my Alcatraz coop. Best wishes. Mark

Hi, I've got a 15 week old hen with a twisted neck. I first noticed the problem about 5 weeks ago. Her head and neck are contorted at a gruesome angle most of the time, she usually just kind of stands or sits with her head on the ground, sideways. I thought that crook neck was a problem for...