More bugs… Oh, and bears.

Thar's a Bear

We had a wonderful short vacation in the Smoky Mountains last weekend. Four nights in a cabin called “Nature’s Haven.” Very nice, well, except for the bears.

We saw the first bear on our second night in the cabin. A juvenile who looked a little rough around the edges.

Younger bear leaving the trash bins

The third night we saw a very healthy bear… very close up. Our youngest, Gracie, was getting ready to go to sleep on the futon in our bedroom– the first floor bedroom that backed up to the driveway. We had just put her under the covers. She said she was going to look out the window for a while, to spot bears… and “Oh, there’s a bear right there.” she said matter-of-factly.

So Jim looked. Sure enough— not 5 feet out the window, standing in the driveway was a full-grown, healthy-looking bear. The next thing we heard was the stomp-stomp of someone running up the stairs to the deck, followed by muffled exclamations and the flash-flash of a camera.

Turns out my brother-in-law, Larry, had been standing in the driveway next to the bear right about the same time Gracie noticed the big furry beast. Larry turned, saw the animal and made a quick-step exit from  the driveway. Lucky guy. The bear just ambled off, perhaps enjoying the paparazzi.

The bears are having a good year in the Smokies. We had a wonderful time too for our long weekend: hiking, horseback riding and water-parking. If you go, just don ‘t let the kids play out on  the front stoop unattended.

mystery golden bug eggs

Back at home I was gratified to see my plants survived a very dry week with no watering.  I pulled more squash bug nymphs and eggs off the zucchini vines. Still no zucchini. I found new and even more interesting eggs (above) on the bean leaves. I am hoping these might be assassin bugs, or something more carnivorous. If they are, they’ll go right back into the garden. If not, they are doomed. Will let you know what hatches in our plastic water bottle.

Another critter that has been enjoying our backyard is a mole. This one is either very persistent and energetic, or has had a family and is now four or so moles. Samantha has been digging after the animal(s). They must smell really good because our yard is suffering from Samantha’s hunting.

Samantha's mole excavation

But the worst part is that mole(s) have entered my raised bed. I don’t know if it’s the digging around the roots, but my peppers are dying at the spot the mole exited. This spot is where I left a beer trap last week. When we returned, the mole had come up right under the beer trap. Maybe it was looking for the tasty slugs in the trap, or maybe it just wanted a beer with its dinner. Not sure, but I’m not happy.

dying pepper plants near mole mound in beds

So I went to Ace hardware looking for a solution. Poison was out of the question because of Sam and our edibles. So I brought home this “trap.” It might be more aptly named the “stabber.” Emma is not happy with this solution. There is hope. The mole has not triggered the mechanism yet. Emma is rooting for the mole.

mole trap is set

On a happier note, the sunny side-garden is flourishing with beans, a few tomato plants held up by the pole beans (I love this) and lots of creeping honeydew melon vines.

Sam and melon vines

beans stake the tomatoes

beans climb up window

delicious heirloom beans

Squash bugs— caught!

The eggs were so interesting. Almost pretty. I found several patches on my vigorously growing squash leaves. Little brown eggs all laid in nice rows and patches. I brought some inside for us to marvel at under the binocular microscope (easily the best gift my Dad ever got my family— well, except the big telescope).

Eggs on squash leaf

I placed one leaf into an old wine bottle and retired the rest to the compost pile on the off chance they were not beneficial bugs.

bugs in a bottle

Then we waited about a week before they hatched. The girls and I were very excited and interested to learn what these little guys with the pretty green abdomens were.

Hatched bugs

 

Good thing these had been removed from my squash patch because, according to one well illustrated ag. extension site, they are the dreaded squash bug nymphs I’d hoped would not return to my garden again this year.

Squash bug nymphs in a bottle

 

 I’ve been going out every-other morning to remove more batches of eggs.  The bad news is there appears to be little that can be done at this stage to keep the boring adults from getting into the patch and delivering the same wilt disease we had last year. Last year we still had several good zucchinis, in spite of the wilt, but this year, we have melon growing right beside the zucchini squash. I am concerned the beetles might bore into them as well. We’ll keep an eye out.

Peas ‘n such

What fun we can have in the garden in just one morning.

The morning of June 14, 2009

I have to admit I am enjoying the peas.

They look pretty cool growing vertically with those leaves ringing the lanky stems. They look skinny and bedraggled at ground level, then get more plum and sturdy the higher you look. The pods are already fattening up.

Jim tells me you pick them when they are “poofy” looking. You break open the shorter side and pop the peas into a container with a strafe of your thumb across the inside.

We’ll try that later this weekend.

Sweet peas

 Grace nabbed an early pod and ate the peas before we even knew it. I munched on the pod and was surprised how palatable that is. Later I found some blogs that talk about picking peas before the “poofy” stage and eating the whole pod— like snow peas. Gloria Ballard, our local paper’s gardening guru wrote a nice post. Just now I saw this wonderful post, indicating we could have started even earlier planting the peas, and that the plant fix nitrogen. I think that means that after they are done, we could till the vines back into the ground to fertilize for next year. I’ll see if I can confirm that’s what we do.

I’m reiterating what I learned and wrote about earlier, The trellis observation was that we wound the string for the peas to climb on beginning too high off the ground. I would add: the peas could have used a string about every 6 inches, rather than the 12 inches or so we spaced the notches for the twine.

Jim and I have already decided to do a much larger pea crop next year. I will be looking for advice about keeping some little furry garden pest from digging them up before they “hatch.” I’m guessing it might be prudent to start them indoors next time. Hmmmmm… can I start some more inside now? or don’t they do well later in the season. Anyone know?

The garden is kept safe from squirrels most of the time by our faithful backyard warrior.

Samantha, yard warrior

 

The warrior spies her foe through our kitchen bay window, which looks out over our bird-feeding station. The furry foes visit this station with abandon. They know that 80 percent of the time, the yard warrior is trapped inside the house while we are at work. The only times everybody gets a good run– are evenings and weekends. I wonder how often the squirrels come and dance all over the feeders in a seed and feed frenzy during the weekday? I’ll bet its a lot.

Poor Sam.

Sam on patrol

 

 

Cousins and wormies and peas, oh my

Our niece and nephew, Elyse and James, are in for a visit while their dad– Jim’s brother– is off to a wedding and their mom is visiting friends. James is goin’ on 2 and Elyse is nearly 4. They got up Reeeaaaal early this morning and were helping in the garden.

Worms on Kale

 

Elyse and James help

 

A worm!

 

Fetchin' water

 

Big smile, James

 

Grace slep thru' it all

Emma and I caught a few more pretty flowers with the camera. You can see our sweet pea blooms! I have just a handful of peas in a pod. Now if I can keep the kids from picking them too early… 

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