Michigan

[DaughterOfEve]

Love the hummingbird moth info. I haven't seen the tomato worm or the moth in a long time. I can't grow tomatoes in the garden. I have greatly reduced the amount of bug killer I use. I only treat where outbreaks are found. My biggest problems are vine boring worms and squash bugs.

Welcome to the new eggs, I hope you find what you need on here. Lots of info and encouragement.

 

[Opa]

Welcome all you new folks. Would like to post more but still feeling a little shaky. Spent all day yesterday either sneezing, coughing, or sleeping. Ribs are so sore that even breathing is uncomfortable. I hate summer colds.

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Opa, take care of yourself and feel better soon

Welcome dcberger

This is the view we have been enjoying from our front porch everyday and right now the little buggers are going thru 2 gallons a week.

 

[Hopper]

Yup you are right learn something new every day! I love those hummingbird moths so I guess I will sacrifice one plant and move the rest I find! Gosh why do they have to be so big and yucky though?
I got some better pics of my "girls" I will post later and and maybe you all can help me determine if my girls might be roo's! Gotta go to a clients in Owosso - wahoo out of the office for a day! Have a good one all you crazy Michigan chick-a-ganders!

 

[LoveMyChicklets]

Quote:
Thank you so much for this pic! I have tomato worms up the wazoo in the garden. We've been picking them out, sprayed and still have them. I've kind of given up. The kids took some and put them in a fish tank with dirt, tomatoes, etc. We weren't sure if they actually turned into anything. Now I will have them put something in there for the "worms" to use to hang from

 

[fifelakelooper]

Welcome to the newbies on this thread. I'm not keeping up too well!
Opa...feel better soon!
We are getting RAIN here!! We are desperate for it so I'm thrilled. Haven't been having/seeing any evidence so far of tomato worms...my tomatoes are doing fantastic. I think it may be because this year we have barely had any rain and I used a soaker hose for the rows of tomatoes this year...no overhead sprinkling. I don't know if it was just luck or what but no blights,bugs , nada. I did find about 4 worms on the far side of the garden in my red cabbage early on.

Our company from Florida are really enjoying their visit here to our beautiful state. Love the temps!!!

 

[chickflick]

to all the newbies!! Hope you feel better soon, Sam. Summer colds are the worse. Gotta run.....

 

[Olive Hill]

HH -- Your hummers are beautiful.

Opa -- Feel better soon!

Keyt -- Encourage Aric to charge what he's worth. As a self-employed person who has been down that road, I know how nerve-wracking it can be to raise your prices and wonder if people will come. But I can honestly say I have never met one person who has done so and has regretted it. Including myself. Several years ago now I finally stopped listening to fear and did what every business coach, guru, expert, and mentor had ever told me and doubled my rates. Overnight. I haven't been slow since. Charge your worth and they will come. If you have a talent, there is no shame in capitalizing on it. Nothing good ever comes from undercutting yourself and your market. When you value your work, other people gain more respect for you and your work as well. And by extension are willing to pay more for it. But on that same token if you don't value your work, other people won't either. They only have your lead to follow. Hold firm and hang in there! I bet he'll be busy again in no time.

Of course this all depends on having a realistic idea of what you're worth too... which can be the hardest part. LOL! Those of us who offer services seldom realize what our service is worth to others because for us it comes naturally. But for those that can't do what we do and need it done, it's worth its weight in gold. That is still something I struggle with, but have gotten better at. It just takes time... and repetition.

 

[RaZ]

Quote:
Wow....is that what yours look like? The ones that I've seen here are ugly and all brown. My neighbor hit one with his sprinkler and brought it over for the girls to feast on last week. Plus, I've had one get caught up in my curly hair and it was really horrifying trying to get it out. I am not a fan....at all.

Update on my tomato plants - hornworms were it. I am not sure how I missed them yesterday but there was like 3 on one of my plants today and 2 on another. They ate all my little baby tomatos on my one plants

.... oh well. I will have to check them everyday to make sure I got them all.

There are 4 or 5 sphinx moths that get labeled as "hummingbird", including your plain brown one. I'm not sure that the hornworms were the ones that ate your baby tomatoes, the caterpillars typically only eat the leaves. It might be something else eating the fruits.

Edit -- Learn something every day...hornworms are known to eat the immature fruits. Just found that out from Colorado State University Extension.

 

[babigyrl22]

Opa - I hope you feel better soon. My dad called me the other day and he sounded so bad. He was suffering from a summer cold too

Keyt - I am in agreement with Olive. Have Aric charge what he is worth. If you can, back it up with references from other people he's done work for and don't be ashamed to ask people to refer him. Leave them with extra cards and you will be amazed how word of mouth gets around. Also, call your old customers to see how they are doing, remind them that fall is coming, and ask them if there is anything they need worked on, touched up, or tuned up before winter.

Hillbilly Hen - Very cool picture of the humming birds!