What did you do in the garden today?

[Molpet]

For mice,rats and pretty much everything that chews holes in my walls I put down glue traps with a little bit of a peanut butter flavored granola bar and no more rodents. I of course have some really thick skin because I have whacked them in the head to make sure they didn't just suffer. Granted it's not for everyone but I hate them little jerks.

I have two buckets, that fit inside each other, half full of water. Put trap in bottom bucket upside down and quickly put other bucket so it suffers less.

Mouse traps work well. We caught six in the garden the first year. And one in the garage last week. It isn't much different than trapping mice.

The traps disappeared if I didn't have them tied off.. I assume raccoons coyotes and such.
They disappear in the house too. But I find those under something usually with no rodent. Shrews, cannibals, or one leg caught is my guess.

 

[saysfaa]

Our traps were set inside the garden fence or inside the garage. The coyotes can't get to either. Raccoons could go over the fence if they really wanted to but I can see why it isn't worth it - 5' high fence with quite a bit of wobble to the wire parts. The wobble makes it harder for them to climb.

So far, all the rodents in the snap traps were caught with broken spines so it was a quick end.

 

[NanaK]

VoleX. Safe to use around chickens, pets and in the garden. Only designed to kill voles.

Have you used it? I tried the mouse X in the house and they haven't eaten it. I moved it to various spots, it's been about 5 years and it's still there. At least the cornmeal and baking soda got eaten.

Thanks! I'll try them both!
I noticed yesterday a vole has also tunneled around one of the figs we planted last fall.

One thing for sure, he will get no more carrots. They are in the fridge.

 

[Sally PB]

I caught voles as well as mice in the snap trap in my green house. I'm pretty sure voles are the pests that have eaten bean seeds when I plant a row. I have no love in my heart for the pests!

This site had some interesting information on the blighters.

https://www.gardenia.net/pest/voles...are herbivores and,ponds, and other wet areas.

 

[NanaK]

I'm thinking about setting a couple snap traps in this bed too. Got to find something to keep out the feral cats and wild bunnies. It has hoops and netting now. I'll figure out something.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

 

[saysfaa]

I should be starting seeds now. I don't have the umph to do it. Usually, it is stress reliever. This year, the thought of it is adding stress.

Dh and I will both be gone for a week at very bad timing for the starts. I think I can rig up watering but lighting is a problem. I don't have a good south window or enough grow lights. Other years, I moved them from east window to west window.

Then, I expect to be gone for several weeks at the drop of a hat when a kidney becomes available for ds-i-l. Or early in the summer, if one of my kids qualifies as a living donor (they have minor health issues to clear up in order to qualify) and if sil can wait that long or sooner if someone clears as a living donor sooner and he can't wait longer. Results are better if it can be done before he goes on dialysis.

Or. the latest is worse. Maybe. The transplant center found markers for pancreatic cancer. A family friend had that so I'm trying not to look anything up until the referral people get done looking into it. If we have to deal with it, we will but there is enough else going on to not deal with that unless we have to.

Maybe I will just plant cover crops this year. And marigolds.

 

[jerryse]

Overnight rain and cooler temps. Tied the record high yesterday. Mouse bait is not 100 percent for me. I had to resort to traps to get them all. One catch alive repeating trap caught 3 and a bucket with water caught 2. Sunflower seeds as bait. No activity now. If they are there they will do anything to get sunflower seeds.

 

[Molpet]

I caught voles as well as mice in the snap trap in my green house. I'm pretty sure voles are the pests that have eaten bean seeds when I plant a row. I have no love in my heart for the pests!

This site had some interesting information on the blighters.

https://www.gardenia.net/pest/voles#:~:text=What Attracts Voles to Your Garden?&text=Vegetation: Voles are herbivores and,ponds, and other wet areas.

I never thought about them having diseases.
I know there's different types of voles. Out in the old pasture by the creek are a chunky type, maybe meadow voles. The blue heron likes to eat those. The ones in the garden are mouse size. There's usually a garden snake that hangs around the garden and I hope he eats all the voles.

 

[NanaK]

I should be starting seeds now. I don't have the umph to do it. Usually, it is stress reliever. This year, the thought of it is adding stress.

Dh and I will both be gone for a week at very bad timing for the starts. I think I can rig up watering but lighting is a problem. I don't have a good south window or enough grow lights. Other years, I moved them from east window to west window.

Then, I expect to be gone for several weeks at the drop of a hat when a kidney becomes available for ds-i-l. Or early in the summer, if one of my kids qualifies as a living donor (they have minor health issues to clear up in order to qualify) and if sil can wait that long or sooner if someone clears as a living donor sooner and he can't wait longer. Results are better if it can be done before he goes on dialysis.

Or. the latest is worse. Maybe. The transplant center found markers for pancreatic cancer. A family friend had that so I'm trying not to look anything up until the referral people get done looking into it. If we have to deal with it, we will but there is enough else going on to not deal with that unless we have to.

Maybe I will just plant cover crops this year. And marigolds.

Very sorry your family is dealing with this. I pray for peace and health for your family.

 

[Molpet]

I should be starting seeds now. I don't have the umph to do it. Usually, it is stress reliever. This year, the thought of it is adding stress.

Dh and I will both be gone for a week at very bad timing for the starts. I think I can rig up watering but lighting is a problem. I don't have a good south window or enough grow lights. Other years, I moved them from east window to west window.

Then, I expect to be gone for several weeks at the drop of a hat when a kidney becomes available for ds-i-l. Or early in the summer, if one of my kids qualifies as a living donor (they have minor health issues to clear up in order to qualify) and if sil can wait that long or sooner if someone clears as a living donor sooner and he can't wait longer. Results are better if it can be done before he goes on dialysis.

Or. the latest is worse. Maybe. The transplant center found markers for pancreatic cancer. A family friend had that so I'm trying not to look anything up until the referral people get done looking into it. If we have to deal with it, we will but there is enough else going on to not deal with that unless we have to.

Maybe I will just plant cover crops this year. And marigolds.

Prayers for swift healing.