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market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] Mice in hoophouse

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  • From: Lucy Goodman <goodows AT infinet.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Mice in hoophouse
  • Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 16:50:33 -0400




A ps thought on rereading your message...I would suspect cutworms if your seedlings are planted in the soil and it's warm enough in whatever zone you are in. Cutworms are evil also and can graze down a row decapitating plants in no time. I usually find the cutworms in the top inch of soil near the plants. Then I collect them to feed to the chickens, who are running from predatory birds who should be stalking mice and so it goes down on the farm.....this sort of senario leads to my number one rule of organic farming....always overplant to account for the cut that the bad guys take.


no cut worms as each plant has a cutworm collar on it that goes from ground to the first leaves. made the collars out of old drip tape cut into 1" or 2" pieces and slit down the side. plus we have seen the critters under the mulch.

And now a mouse/mice have gotten into the plant room and have decimated melon seeds, pepper seedlings, lettuce seedlings etc about everything but eggplant, celery, parsley and sage. so today is spent replanting everything. I am glad I jumped the gun on the peppers. we have now put all the melon seeds in the kitchen on top of the fridge. I have never seen a mouse in the house plus there are two cats in the house. Did find a half dead mouse in a trap in the seed room so perhaps the problems will be over for a few days.

Lucy




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