The Old Folks Home

[Peep_Show]

After careful consideration, it is apparent my veggie compound is suffering from a vole invasion. Tunnels and mounds in my raised beds. Tomato plants in chicken wire cages getting nipped at ground level and dragged back through the wire. So I've fashioned some little tiki torch-looking apparatus out of a dental floss pick and cotton ball soaked in pepperment oil (apparently the main deterrent ingredient in vole repellants) and stuck those near the stems of the remaining tomato plants. Thus far so good. I'll see if setting traps works, too, but right now my concern is to not suffer more plant loss.

We've got cool mornings here of about 55-60 where we open the screened windows and doors to the house to let the fresh air in, and the daytime highs about 80. If we're lucky, don't have to turn on the air-con. Thunderstorms expected on Monday.

Beer can -- Does the ashes work for snails, too? We have no slugs, but plenty of their shelled cousins.

 

[ronott1]

Wow. Put a little blurb out on the Poultry Swap page for our state and in 15 minutes all my available chicks were spoken for. Tomorrow is pickup day, but this one -- blue-feathered Olive Egger -- went off yesterday to a repeat customer.

View attachment 2128974

I've now got a waiting list for the next hatch on 5/24.
Love it when the birds support themselves! Now, if only the dogs would catch a clue...

Nice!

 

[ronott1]

Mine drink from a variety of sources, but my favorite is alchemilla mollis leaves; they catch the rain and the dew, and the chickens are very good at sipping from them.

I could dream of that! They do drink some rain water in the Winter but since we go 6 months for nearly not rain, we have to put water fountains out in the Dry season.

We do not get more thatn a tenth of an inch from April to October

 

[ronott1]

We are to hit 80 tomorrow worst of that is 68 the next few days
mine love dirty water there is a remenant of the old water tank .. in the corner of their front yard I fill it when I fill their buckets

Today is 95 but will likely be hotter it was 95F here yesterday. We may hit 100F today!

 

[ronott1]

I made some like that. In the winter I put in aquarium heaters plugged into a thermo cube that only comes on if it's cold out.

I read an article that said one type of nipple worked better for freezing weather.

It does not freeze here so I do not remember which one LOL!

 

[ronott1]

Pack the keyboard in rice.

Then you get to clean out all of the rice!

 

[sourland]

Just checked the planter boxes on the front porch. The soil is frozen. The pansies will be fine, but I think the Dahlias are goners. Plants that we move inside will stay inside until tomorrow.

 

[bruceha2000]

Today is 95 but will likely be hotter it was 95F here yesterday. We may hit 100F today!

Better you than me!!!!! (Though for the next week I'll take 10 or 15 of those degrees each night.

I have a video somewhere on the trap, just takes a flat rock some string and sticks. Easy to make and set. I actually love chipmunks. But when they start to dig up and eat every seed you plant it becomes WAR!

I had to look the trap up. This video seems quite good at describing the way to build one.
Paiute deadfall trap

How cold, Cap ? Dropped into the 20's here last night. Dog pan on the deck had 1/4" ice skim on top.

It was that cold here last night as well, I'm way north of you and am surprised you got that cold

 

[sourland]

It was that cold here last night as well, I'm way north of you and am surprised you got that cold

Predictions did not have us dropping that low - only into the mid 30's, but evidently it was colder than that. Checked planter boxes on the front porch, and the soil is frozen Pretty sure the dahlias are goners, but the pansies will be fine. Plants that I moved inside will stay here until tomorrow when it is supposed to moderate.

 

[Perris]

We do not get more thatn a tenth of an inch from April to October

good grief! Do you go and stand in it when it comes in October?