Ack! My Garden is Under Attack!

clay19

First the slugs (who I think need another keg party this weekend )

Then a squirrel stole TWO of my best red tomatoes off the plants (plus, I found teeth mark in another green one....guess he didn't like that one).

Now I have a lot of worm (from the rain, I guess). I know worms are good....they aerate the soil.....but Stella is poking at one which is at least 8 inches long.

Any advice? Since Stella is sitting down now watching the worm, I'm thinking of putting my cats on foot patrol to guard my tomatoes. At least this way they'd earn their Fancy Feast

(yes, I know it's a rough world when I have to live in WT and sit in my lovely yard typing to you from my expensive laptop under my umbrella whilst watching my cats play with worms. Oh, and I've lived in WT for 11 years, so you can skip the part where you call me a gentrifier )

pb

Maybe I need to build a scarecrow. Anybody have any pics of the President or something equally scary?

opossumqueen

pull the tape out of an old video and string it around. this is helping keep the deer, etc. out of my dad's garden.

modsquad

Honestly, anybody after Daniel Boone is a gentrifier, but I digress. Scarecrows or one of those rubber owls do work but you have to move them around every couple a days. At least for the squirrels. Rock salt for the grubs, or Kosher if you like. Sell the worms to the people on the fishing thread. Oh, I'm sorry maybe this is another Hate Bush Thread.

lostingreenwoodhts

Slugs: EscagrGo from Garden's Alive (non-toxic peletes)

Squirrels: Dear-X from Gardener's Supply (netting ala fish wire)

Worms: leave them alone, good for the garden!

nitcomb

Only last year have the squirrels started attacking my perfectly ripe tomatoes. I've set up a fence of bird mesh around my tomato bed (available in rolls from home cheapo, blowes, and the like) the last 2 seasons and it seems to be working.

donyc

Yah, I think I need some mesh fencing. Little bastards!

livetotravel

You could try this...

boris

OMG! I heard something out there and came too late. Half a tomato on the ground. Fuckers are going down!

First, a keg party for the snailitos. One beer for them (Amstel...they liked it better than Bud) and one beer for me (Negra Modelo.....which I opened by mistake for them and then thought "I'm not giving them my Negra. No way")

getoffmybox

[quote=Livetotravel]You could try this...



Now, this could work because it even scared me!

arlette

lol.....nothing scarier than Bush.

idlewild

Call Andrew Zimmern. He'll eat till you're pest free.

bullyboy

Slugs, snails, squirrels -- we got 'em.

Plus the starlings who devour our neighbors' figs.

What is this, a soup kitchen for varmints?

michaeleoneil

OMG! Little fuckers stole my big, fat, turning red tomato in the past 3 hours. Somebody is going down!

My friend told me to hang CDs to scare them away. I hope they see their shiny reflections right before they steal my tomato and recognize the look of fear, because somebody is going to get hurt if they keep stealing my tomatoes.

(!&*#&&*!^&!)(

bullyboy

Crime is up everywhere...

sandman

I just sprayed cayenne pepper and vinegar over my plants. Next little stinker is going to get a hot surprise!

bullyboy

"Mmmmm, delicious. Just the way I like it. Love that spicy kick!"

brooklynescapades143

ack! if I see one of THOSE bastards on my tomatoes, they are getting the salt treatment

veets

Think DRIED BLOOD. Probably available all over but I bought a bag of this stuff in June at Leopoldies (5th ave bet 7th and 8th streets) and haven't seen a creature near my potted plants. Not protective against slugs and such.

moufaisbad

After doing a bunch of Googling, I tried a few things

- cayenne pepper and vinegar sprayed on the tomatoes (I just have to remember to wash them well)
- hanging some CDs in my plants (the reflection is supposed to keep things away)
- putting some water bowls out.

I read a lot about squirrels being thirsty and wanting the tomatoes for their water content. I left two small plastic bowls full near the tomatoes. One was bone dry and the other was empty with a hole chewed through the bottom.

If all they want is water instead of my tomatoes, I'll give it to them happily. The just better keep away from my Beefsteaks!