Michigan

[Opa]

Two years ago I spent the summer battling voles. Since I had a lot of straw available I mulch my garden with it to a depth of about 8 inches. Little did I know that I was creating an ideal environment for the nasty little creatures. I don't think we found a single carrot or beet that they hadn't at least chewed on. The majority had over 80% completely eaten away. From the beets and carrots they moved into the sweet potatoes. I had some of the largest ones I have ever raised but discovered that they were merely hollow shells. With some only enough remained that you could tell there had once be a potato. Once the potatoes were gone their appetites were still not sated. The nasty little devils found they had a love of tomatoes. I built special vole traps and soon lost count of the number I killed but the destruction seemed to continue unabated.

It wasn't till fall that I found out that the straw had created ideal living conditions for a vole population explosion. When I finally decided that our harvest was over you have no idea of the pleasure I took from putting a match to the straw.

 

[Olive Hill]

OMG! It's even uglier than an Uggo!!!

 

[Mom 2em All]

i am so jealous of the Frizzle Uggo...there is hope. One of the babies I gave to SillyChicken may end up somewhat like that..it has kind of frizzle frazzle feather/fur...

 

[Olive Hill]

Opa - I can very vividly imagine the joy and relief in lighting that match and this is only the beginning of the season. I think this stings so bad because I've not mulched at all yet this year and there's even less ground cover around the garden than in previous years, yet they still waged war.

If someone had told me ten years ago that one day I would be physically ill over the loss of a garden, I'd have thought them crazy. Now? Not so much.

 

[Opa]

Mom... you have competition https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ed-neck-green-eggers-possible-fibromelanotics

I think I would be apprehensive about eating their eggs, it might cause hair loss and I don't need anything to accelerate my old man molt.

Eating the bird might cause body parts to fall off.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Okay I sent them a PM...they are BLUE!!!!!!

 

[Mom 2em All]

I think I would be apprehensive about eating their eggs, it might cause hair loss and I don't need anything to accelerate my old man molt.

Eating the bird might cause body parts to fall off.

 

[Mish]

the funniest part is all the replies in the thread say how beautiful they are. Must be point of view... although I do think the Uggos are cute.

 

[Mom 2em All]

MISH!!!
Look at their cute little black turkey vulture heads!
I love them.
My husband will kill me if I hatch out MORE..if I keep the incubator going even longer...
I could always threaten to step on his foot if he gives me attitude..

 

[taprock]

I'm just going to kvech for a moment...

I can't remember if I posted here about the mole/vole/dog fiasco of mid to late May, but ever since then I've been putting off the inevitable: going out there and taking stock of just how much damage was done, admitting how behind one disaster has made me.

I missed this! I believe the critters we have been seeing are voles and some of my plants have been nibbled. I did not know voles ate plants! We found several living out near the garden.

I built special vole traps and soon lost count of the number I killed but the destruction seemed to continue unabated.

What does a vole trap consist of?

Mom - I hope they get everything cleaned up and cared for with your DH's foot. Scary stuff. I tried to dig you up some milkweed with no luck, those roots go too deep. I will have to send you some seed pods this fall. We have them with both the pink and white flowers.

I went and tried to clean up the garden a bit. My tiller died and so it the hoe. One of my main weeds is milkweed. So I pull them up, check for caterpillars and eggs and then pitch them. I found a unique eggs on some. I looked it up and it is lacewing eggs. I didn't feel moved enough to go save them from the weed pile.