Amidst the usual whittling away at my to do list these days, I am dealing with some interesting issues as a result of the local flora and fauna.
The flora happens to be tomatoes. We have lots of them. The vines are growing all over the place, whereever they are planted -- and beyond! My DH thought it would be a good idea to plant them in different garden spots around the place, so that's where they are flourishing, and twining around everything else that is planted there as well. (We are newbie gardeners, in case you hadn't realized that already; I think we will have a better plan next year.) Since they were planted at different times, they are ripening at different times, which is good, but it still means there are daily more and more tomatoes, red ones, yellow ones, and still lots of green ones of both varieties, and not enough time to eat or process them all.
But process them I must, because they are drawing in some of the local fauna -- fruit flies. Once you get them, they are hard to get rid of! The tomatoes are also linked to another buggy culprit, mosquitos. Ever since the bad rains and flooding we had around here, the mosquitos have been horrendous. When we go out to pick tomatoes we come back bitten and scratching and 5 lbs lighter for loss of blood. Good thing they aren't malaria mosquitos, is all I can say!
There is also a creature that remains unidentified, which comes up on our deck and takes bites out of the almost-ripe tomatoes we are ripening in the sun. I think it's a squirrel. He is probably in cahoots with the rabbit that takes bites out of the tomatoes before we pick them. That's in spite of a fence around the garden patch!
One more exciting bit of fauna we have recently discovered is a mouse. I have not yet seen him, but my DH tells me there is one, and we have seen the evidence that the mouse likes our kitchen. I am not one who is afraid of mice, though I will yelp if I catch sight of the sudden movement of one when I'm not expecting it -- but it's not good to have them in the kitchen, because they eat things they aren't supposed to and leave a mess!
I wonder if I can train those mice to eat fruit flies...?
On second thought, I think I'll just go look for the traps, process the tomatoes, and consider using some bug spray.
And Hubby has just informed me that we may have frost tomorrow night! So now I am in a quandary. Shall I cover the tomatoes, and face more days of processing and fruit flies, or leave them to their fate?
I guess a few fruit flies are worth the trouble in exchange for lovely canned tomatoes in the middle of winter, and fresh tomatoes on the table that I don't have to buy in the store!
But process them I must, because they are drawing in some of the local fauna -- fruit flies. Once you get them, they are hard to get rid of! The tomatoes are also linked to another buggy culprit, mosquitos. Ever since the bad rains and flooding we had around here, the mosquitos have been horrendous. When we go out to pick tomatoes we come back bitten and scratching and 5 lbs lighter for loss of blood. Good thing they aren't malaria mosquitos, is all I can say!
There is also a creature that remains unidentified, which comes up on our deck and takes bites out of the almost-ripe tomatoes we are ripening in the sun. I think it's a squirrel. He is probably in cahoots with the rabbit that takes bites out of the tomatoes before we pick them. That's in spite of a fence around the garden patch!
One more exciting bit of fauna we have recently discovered is a mouse. I have not yet seen him, but my DH tells me there is one, and we have seen the evidence that the mouse likes our kitchen. I am not one who is afraid of mice, though I will yelp if I catch sight of the sudden movement of one when I'm not expecting it -- but it's not good to have them in the kitchen, because they eat things they aren't supposed to and leave a mess!
I wonder if I can train those mice to eat fruit flies...?
On second thought, I think I'll just go look for the traps, process the tomatoes, and consider using some bug spray.
And Hubby has just informed me that we may have frost tomorrow night! So now I am in a quandary. Shall I cover the tomatoes, and face more days of processing and fruit flies, or leave them to their fate?
I guess a few fruit flies are worth the trouble in exchange for lovely canned tomatoes in the middle of winter, and fresh tomatoes on the table that I don't have to buy in the store!
In honor of possible frost, I shall use my new autumn icon, made by ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
wizzicons. Now that's some flora worth talking about!
wizzicons. Now that's some flora worth talking about!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-09-10 10:33 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2007-09-10 11:27 pm (UTC)From:Send DH to the hardware store to buy a large painters tarp (ie:Plastic)
or place lawn size plastic bags over those tomatoes. If you have a real frost kiss those love apples goodbye.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-11 07:23 pm (UTC)From: