papadekaitlyn
Chillin' In The Garden
I find that a Q-Beam and a .22LR works pretty good...
The only problem I have is not being able to shoot bloom end rot...
The only problem I have is not being able to shoot bloom end rot...
Darn tomato eating critters!
- Thread starter Backyard Buddies
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Backyard Buddies
Garden Ornament
papadekaitlyn said:I find that a Q-Beam and a .22LR works pretty good...
The only problem I have is not being able to shoot bloom end rot...
I DID mention that I live in the city, didn't I?? I can see the headlines now. . . "OC Woman Loses it Over Lost Tomatoes"
"Fires gun feet away from neighbor's home."
Yeah, um, NO! I think I'll stick to chili peppers, rubber snakes, and rat traps! But thanks for the laugh!
OaklandCityFarmer
Deeply Rooted
So I asked my grandmother about this situation and she recommended peppermint!
Peppermint oils deters rats I found out.
I'm sure this should be fine for spraying, just do it in the evening so the oils don't burn leaves. I'd spray a barrier if possible and see what happens. I'm sure you could find peppermint oil in stores. I know they sell natural peppermint soaps, this might be a good solution. I'd test it as a barrier first before applying it to any plants.
You might even thinking about making a peppermint tea, if you have plants and spraying that. Or maybe even crushing peppermint leaves and sprinkling them around your tomatoes.
I'm going to experiment with some stuff and see how it goes!
Peppermint oils deters rats I found out.
I'm sure this should be fine for spraying, just do it in the evening so the oils don't burn leaves. I'd spray a barrier if possible and see what happens. I'm sure you could find peppermint oil in stores. I know they sell natural peppermint soaps, this might be a good solution. I'd test it as a barrier first before applying it to any plants.
You might even thinking about making a peppermint tea, if you have plants and spraying that. Or maybe even crushing peppermint leaves and sprinkling them around your tomatoes.
I'm going to experiment with some stuff and see how it goes!
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- #14
Backyard Buddies
Garden Ornament
Hey! I like this idea. I did some quick reading on it and others are saying it works as well. Lavender is also supposed to be good. I don't have any mint in my garden now, but the nursery is close by. I'll have to pot a few (I remember what happened when I just stuck it in the ground!) and get it working. I'd far rather scare the suckers away than to kill them, so I'm looking forward to giving this a try.
So, are lavender or mint unpleasant for chickens? Gotta keep everyone happy, well, except for the rats of course!
So, are lavender or mint unpleasant for chickens? Gotta keep everyone happy, well, except for the rats of course!
OaklandCityFarmer
Deeply Rooted
Mine don't seemed to be phased by the plants at all. The have nibbled on them before but nothing more.Backyard Buddies said:
Tutter
Deeply Rooted
Just for future reference, if you do end up setting traps at any time for rats, you need to tether them.
You can use 16 gauge wire, or, here's one for recycling, take a household plug that you've cut off of something, and split it into 2 lengthwise, and use that.
The wire should be attached to the wooden part of the trap using a small, dark nail. Be sure to put it away from the mechanism. Rats are fast, and anything that impedes the mechanism will tip it off.
Push the nail carefully in at first, with something on the tip of the nail to make it go in easier. You just want to not split the wood, and the starter hole helps.
Find something solid to attach it to, and there you go.
But I have to say, there's nothing to ruin the day like finding one of those traps. Blech.
You can use 16 gauge wire, or, here's one for recycling, take a household plug that you've cut off of something, and split it into 2 lengthwise, and use that.
The wire should be attached to the wooden part of the trap using a small, dark nail. Be sure to put it away from the mechanism. Rats are fast, and anything that impedes the mechanism will tip it off.
Push the nail carefully in at first, with something on the tip of the nail to make it go in easier. You just want to not split the wood, and the starter hole helps.
Find something solid to attach it to, and there you go.
But I have to say, there's nothing to ruin the day like finding one of those traps. Blech.
Grow 4 Food
Garden Ornament
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Papa
You NEED LIME!!! that will stop your bottom end rot!
You NEED LIME!!! that will stop your bottom end rot!
ahbee01
Chillin' In The Garden
Backyard Buddies,
No one suggested the tomato horn worm, they did that kind of damage to my maters in the past.
Look at the bottom of your plants, you will find round green balls, or round black balls on the ground, that is their poo!
If it is green, the worm is most likely still on that plant, if it is black, it has moved on! Best to spot them in the dark with a flashlight, they eat at night, and it is like hunting an animal that doesn't want to be found!
They really don't want to eat the maters but they do, and when they realize that is what they are munching, they move on, thus the half eaten maters!
I plant basil around my maters, horn worms hate it, and it has helped a lot!
Sad thing the worm is a pest, but the moth it turns into is beneficial. The moth will pollinate early in the morn when say your pumpkins' flowers are open, and no other bugs are up yet!!
Let us know if you find the critters!
Brenda
No one suggested the tomato horn worm, they did that kind of damage to my maters in the past.
Look at the bottom of your plants, you will find round green balls, or round black balls on the ground, that is their poo!
If it is green, the worm is most likely still on that plant, if it is black, it has moved on! Best to spot them in the dark with a flashlight, they eat at night, and it is like hunting an animal that doesn't want to be found!
They really don't want to eat the maters but they do, and when they realize that is what they are munching, they move on, thus the half eaten maters!
I plant basil around my maters, horn worms hate it, and it has helped a lot!
Sad thing the worm is a pest, but the moth it turns into is beneficial. The moth will pollinate early in the morn when say your pumpkins' flowers are open, and no other bugs are up yet!!
Let us know if you find the critters!
Brenda
- Thread starter
- #19
Backyard Buddies
Garden Ornament
Thanks Brenda. I'll go on a poo hunt tomorrow. For now, I've sprinkled them with the cayenne pepper, put out a vinegar soaked rag on a stake, sprayed them with Oakland's toxic bug spray, planted basil and marigold - and so far so good. I've not lost any tomatoes since doing so. It's hard to know which one worked, but I'm just glad that it seems to have done so. I just picked another tomato today and have another couple that'll be ready in a couple of days. 
For now, I've sprinkled them with the cayenne pepper, put out a vinegar soaked rag on a stake, sprayed them with Oakland's toxic bug spray, planted basil and marigold - and so far so good. I've not lost any tomatoes since doing so. It's hard to know which one worked, but I'm just glad that it seems to have done so. I just picked another tomato today and have another couple that'll be ready in a couple of days.
OaklandCityFarmer
Deeply Rooted
Talk about over kill.Backyard Buddies said:Thanks Brenda. I'll go on a poo hunt tomorrow.
I'm glad it's working though.
