My girls earned their keep today!

[cookinmom]

I have about half a dozen tomato plants planted on one side of the run, and noticed that some of the leaves were looking all lacy, being eaten by something. So I investigated and found lots of little blue caterpillars with red heads. Don't know what they were, but I had 18 beady little eyes watching my every move, and 9 hungry beaks scrambling to get each tasty morsel as it came through the wire! Looks like the girls save my 'maters! I'll have to share with 'em when they get ripe.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Yummy!

 

[Queen of the Lilliputians]

Good girls! I noticed that my girls eat those nasty gypsy moth (tent) caterpillars. WOOHOO!

I tried to give some the nastiest, grossest bug I have an invasion of.. SLUGS! They pecked at them a bit, but that was it.

Hope they change their minds, and decide they want a "slimy yet satisfying" snack! Our three resident wild toads seem to have gone MIA over the winter, and the slugs are everywhere (the weather isn't helping!).

-Meghan

 

[Frozen Feathers]

Meghan

A trick my Aunt swears by to get rid of slugs is she fills a shallow dish up w/ beer and it kills off the slugs. I don't know how it works, but it does. Might be worth a try.

 

[akyramoto]

Quote:
i wonder if that works on snails?

 

[justusnak]

I not sure if the beer works...but DUCKS love em!!

 

[BirdBrain]

There's your answer!! Get a duck!! Get lots of ducks!!

 

[mudhen]

Yes, beer in a dish does work to kill snails too!
I vote for ducks too!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Make sure you cover that beer dish up or your chickens might have a beer bash.

Edited to add: Then again, maybe the chickens will like the slugs better, once they're marinated!