OK, sorry about those last two… I was a little tense. Sometimes, I resist accepting what is… and wish things were different than they are. That’s one of those “definitions of insanity” kind of things.
The fact of the matter is that, if I want to grow stuff, I need to work with what I’ve got– and sometimes, what I’ve got is crane fly larvae. So, I can pull my gooseberries (not a euphemism) or spray or spend my life picking them off… but they don’t care what I think. Whining about it isn’t going to help.
Same goes for leafminers, weevils, root maggots, cabbage loopers, earwigs, etc.
I’ll say this… I have never seen the pressure from pests as bad as it is this year. My lavender and strawbs have had spittle bugs on almost every stem. The leafminers have thrashed almost every leaf of every chard, spinach, and beet plant. It’s really quite… something. I’m not sure what’s led to it, but I’m really hoping it’s cyclical or unique to this year for some reason.
So, now that I’ve caught my breath (and eaten my first garden strawberry), I’m back to doing what I have to do. If I need to examine the back of every leaf, every day… well, then I guess I need to do that. Neem’s not that bad to spray. The row covers maybe looked a little goofy, but I got a perfect crop of turnips and daikon this year. To wit:
Comically Large Veggies
This, like the previous bee picture, came from someone else’s “social media” posting. That’s wifey at her sister’s house with some daikon and lettuce that I sent down. The funny part was when I tried to stuff them into a grocery store produce bag. Looked like a big, fat guy trying to wear his kid’s pants.
So, that’s not so bad, right? If I can keep my cool and get reasonable control of the plagues the lord has unleashed upon my people, a normal year should be a piece of cake.
Anyway, I need to remember that it’s not personal. Everyone I talk to is having the same problems. The knee-jerk reaction is to freak out, but I’m going to keep it together and try to make the best of it.
Does your change in attitude mean we can’t whine about our plagues together anymore? Because I was just getting started.
To wit: Last night, I noted that my edamame had sprouted. Yay, I thought, and got down on my knees to see. Upon closer inspection, I saw a little white sprout poking up out of the ground and moved some dirt out of its way…it wasn’t a sprout, it was a small white worm..as I moved more dirt away, another three worms appeared. I moved a clump away and the soil was literally teeming with little white worms. WTH? It was like a horror movie. Tried to do some internet research on what type of worm it is, but came up with nuttin’.
I’m scared to go out in my garden this morning…I have mountains of ants, thousands of pill bugs, scores of earwigs, little tiny black flies with translucent wings crawling on and through my beds, and -now- eensy white disgusting wormy things. sob.
I am so sorry to hear that you folks up in Oregon are having such pest problems this year. I really wonder what is causing this infestation. I have noticed a lot of ant activity, more than usual, and also a lot of earwigs this year, but so far, (cross my fingers) that is all the abnormal pest activity I’ve noticed around here this year.
Perhaps it has to do with the odd weather patterns we/you have been having lately?
I, too, seem to have more pestilence this year down here in San Francisco. Everything is covered with spittlebugs, and my nighttime slug hunts seem to just encourage them to reproduce more quickly. I’ve also got lots of these little tiny tan-shelled snails with blue bodies.
DK, are they potworms? If so (maybe google it), you’re actually happy. And, no, it doesn’t mean we can’t bitch. It just means that I’m going to deal and see if I can make the best of it rather than *just* bitching.
Jen, you are too kind. Yeah, I think it has to be the weather. This weird super cold winter, super hot spring is probably causing these beasties to overpopulate.
Kelly… dang. It’s all the way down there. Is this some kind of M. Night Shamalan thing? The spittlebugs are off the hook this year. Ah well, a little persistent hosing off, and they should fade away without too much damage.
I just discovered the joy of squishing leafminers in their tunnels. Wow. Is that ever gross.
Just googled “pot worm” – sadly, I don’t think this is what I have. Mine are much smaller and have a black discoloration running in the lower part of their icky wormy little bodies. Have pics, not sure if your former email address still works?
Heya… in case you don’t see my mail, I think they’re root maggots. KILL THEM!!! KILL THEM ALL!!!
Ick.