Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Getting Rid of Squash bugs with Diatomaceous Earth



Good Morning sweet ladies, 

I don't think I have been that worn out as I was yesterday. What a yucky day! Not all of it though, just the morning! Then last night the girls were coming home and saw marching up our driveway...  a Momma skunk and her 4 little skunks.........not on my Farm!!!!!! They called the house from down the lane and said......."we need reinforcements"!!!!! They went under the telphone poles, that we have laying on the ground......we waited......they didn't come out, but our chickens were fine this morning. 


Sooooo my sweet girl Tress treated our family to buttermilk pancakes this morning......a wonderful way to start the day......I treated myself to some homemade raspberry jam.....and ate off a pretty antique plate. We should do something a little special for us each day! It sure makes me feel special when I do a little fun, I usually don't do it just for me.....everyone can have a pretty plate!

I have been fighting squash bugs and cucumber beetles (little yellow bugs with black stripes on the back).......not real bad, but they are getting to my flowers that would turn into pickle cucumbers and little white pumpkins, which are my "favvv....orrr...ite" pumpkins! So far I have only got one from my plant. I did some research on what to do. I read all kinds of things that should work, so I took a few of the different things and put them all together! Going to hit it from every angle right? I made this up.  I am calling it

Tomato Leaves Juice
Take a handful of tomato leaves (don't ever eat leaves very piousness)
crushed garlic cloves
citrus peel minced
Boil it over the stove in some water. I really don't have measurements.....just through some stuff in the pan. Bring to a boil.......let cool. Then pour through a small strainer into a measuring cup and then into a spray bottle.
I sprayed my plants. It seemed to work but the little bugs came back.


Then we had to return a seed cart to the farm store and while there I asked if they had any diatomaceous earth. They did and I bought some.....not expensive at all. 60 cents a pound....I can do that! I had heard that that might work. 


The farm guy said to use a sifter,  sift over wet leaves......
and it should take care of the squash bugs......
he wasn't kidding! They are gone!!!!!!!
I never knew! Make sure it is food grade around animals and poultry.....a friend just told me!

This morning I went to check on my plants and the little yellow bugs were back, not as bad, any ideas out there?

Listening to a song this morning.......it makes a difference how we live........hard......yes.....impossible.......no

nothing is impossible with GOD Matthew 19:26! 
Yahoo, I don't have to do it on my own! 


This song made me think of my neighbor who's dog came over yesterday and killed some of my chickens.......trusting he saw Jesus on our little city on a hill and that he received mercy and grace the same way I do every day in my life from the Lord for my wrongs!





The Proof of Your Love.....by For King and Country (brother's of Rebecca St James)

If I sing but don't have love
I waste my breath with every song
I bring an empty voice, a hollow noise
If I speak with a silver tongue
Convince a crowd but don't have love
I leave a bitter taste with every word I say

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

If I give 
To a needy soul but don't have love then who is poor?
It seems all the poverty is found in me

So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
Oh, let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love

When it's all said and done
When we sing our final song
Only love remains
Only love remains

Let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love
Let my love look like You and what You're made of
How You lived, how You died
Love is sacrifice
So let my life be the proof,
The proof of Your love


Today has gone lots better then yesterday......so thankful!

Hugs to your day....from my farm,

Linda

4 comments:

  1. You didnt get a picture of the momma skunk and her 4 babies? :(

    Erika

    ReplyDelete
  2. before we moved i once saw a mama skunk with 5 babies on a city street all going down a sewer drain 1/2 block from where we lived!!! it was something i'd never seen before! i kept vigil for a long time around my neighborhood!!!just thought you'd want to know!! so sorry about your chickens - i hope you solve the 'buggy' situation!!
    ^)^ linda

    ReplyDelete
  3. Linda, you always have such sweet things to say even if it is about skunks and bugs. A while back my neighbor went on a hunting spree killing skunks, they were so bad around here. I've always used good ol' soap and water in a spray bottle on tomato plants. Works pretty good.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Make sure you sprinkle DE on the ground around the plants. Check the back of each leaf for a gathering of eggs. It is recommended that you use neem, DE and a disinfecting soap (I use a light mix of dr. bonners peppermint)
    Now its back to fight aphids!

    ReplyDelete

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