User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Re: Garden Patrol/Friends and Garden Pests Watch

18°F this morning outside -- far too cold to even think any Garden Patrol is roaming around.

But I have my Winter INDOOR Garden Patrol diligently on duty Image
image.jpg
image.jpg
Now, I have been noticing SPRINGTAILS in my containers. There was a whole mess of them under one the other day, and my hanging basket for Whippersnapper tomato comes alive with these tiny white hoppers every time I water. :x

So I decided to do a bit more research about these critters that I have always considered harmless nuisance detrivores.

First look in wiki yielded this :o
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail

They also contribute to controlling plant fungal diseases through their active consumption of mycelia and spores of damping-off and pathogenic fungi.[53][54] It has been suggested that they could be reared to be used for the control of pathogenic fungi in greenhouses and other indoor cultures.[55][56]
...I think this warrants more research.Image

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Wow! I never heard that before. Awesome!!

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

...I didn't know where else to put this...

Look what I found when I lifted a block off of another concrete block -- a FAT, sleek field vole. It has obviously been eating stuff from my garden :evil:

Image

When I first lifted the block the little fattie was ducking under the center division, from one cinder block hole to the other as I stood there holding the heavy block. :shock: I set the block back down, went in the kitchen for the iPad, then lifted the block again ...and he was still there, again ducking from one hole to the other.

I put the block aside, picked up and opened the camera app, then had to fiddle with exposure because it was too dark in the hole and he blended right into the shadows. By the time I got the exposure adjusted, the critter was GONE! :? I was nonplussed, but turned off the iPad to resume work. Only minutes later, there was rustling in the cinderblock. When I peered in, he was back, ducking from one hole to the other....

This time I was able to snap a few pics to share. ;)

ButterflyLady29
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1030
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:12 pm
Location: central Ohio

I have those pesky things here too. I doubt I would have brought back a camera. But that is a really good picture.

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30504
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Some kind of predatory action going on. Unfortunately I think the victim is a fellow member of the Garden Patrol -- a robber fly -- but I don't recognize the predator. Does anyone?

Image

User avatar
pinksand
Greener Thumb
Posts: 869
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2012 2:13 am
Location: Columbia, MD

I have no idea what that predatory insect is, but will be curious if someone can ID it!

I just saw your vole post... I keep going back and forth between thinking I have moles or voles. I’ve noticed their tunnels the past couple years and I did have a plant die last year and when I pulled it up it seemed to have a lot of root damage. I’ve looked up the difference and determined it was moles from looking at the shape of the entry holes… then some of the holes looked more vole like. Finally I got a glance at ones face before it tucked back into the hole and decided it was a mole because it didn’t look like it really had eyes and the face was more pointed. Then another night I heard some rustling in the garden and got a full view since he froze when I shone a flashlight on him. His front feet didn’t look like mole feet so I decided he must me a vole. I put out little live mouse traps because I read you could catch voles in them so I placed them by the holes but I keep catching young mice instead! I also put castor oil granules in the garden since I’d read that will deter all of the above.

One day I was out planting and must have disturbed the vole/mole and he came running out! I got a good look and I swear it looks exactly like a mole, but with vole feet! It doesn’t look anything like your photo of your vole with the mouse like fur and face. These eyes aren’t really visible and the fur looks like velvet. The tail is very short and the nose is pointed and maybe a bit fleshy (not star-nosed). Do baby moles not have the wide shovel like front feet yet?

I’ll be sad if they’re moles and I scared them away with the castor oil because I’m more than happy to share my grubs with them!

Have you done anything about your voles or do you just let them be?



Return to “Organic Insect and Plant Disease Control”