Replies

1. picking them off and squashing

Ewww! LOL.

I've been thinking about the chicken idea. We're rural and that's doable, plus I could get eggs as a bonus. I'm going to read up on keeping egg laying hens. Thanks.

Have used the mineral oil on corn silk for years. I apply as soon as the silk is showing on the ears. Back breaking job but worth it as corn is my very favorite vegetable and I just hate to find those ugly earworms. I used to apply it with an eye dropper but that is so labor-intensive as one dropper full only does a few ears and I plant a lot of corn, so then I started putting the oil in a dish detergent squeeze bottle. Much easier that way. Tried many ways of freezing corn and found I preferred it best just cooking a few extra ears whenever we had corn, cutting it off the cob and popping it in the freezer. The oil kills the eggs before they develop into worms. I still have to apply the dreaded Sevin to the stalks to kill the borers. Sevin is deadly to bees, so I always use it before the pollen sets on and attracts the bees.

We used to have several hives of bees and one year a neighbor called and mentioned that he didn’t have many bees in his garden. I told him we had thousands of dead bees in front of our hives which indicted someone was using Sevin indiscriminately. A long silence, then a long oooooh told me who was using the Sevin.

I think you would be making a very wise choice.

Portable hutches work great and their design is limited only by your imagination like some of these:

Fancy or plain, the chickens don't seem to mind.

I get my chickens from Ridgway Hatchery I bought my first from them in the '50's and their family run hatchery has always been very good as far as I am concerned. As an example, this last order I received a call that Mrs. Ridgway canceled that shipment and they would go out in 3 days - she inspected the chicks and was not satisfied with them so she was not going to ship them. Received them from the next batch and they were great - 100 Buff Orpingtons - Lost "0".

There are quite a few other good hatcheries out there but I can only relate my experience with Ridgway Hatchery

I've been thinking about the chicken idea. We're rural and that's doable, plus I could get eggs as a bonus. I'm going to read up on keeping egg laying hens. Thanks.

I think that's a capital idea! Fresh eggs are *SO* much better than store bought. And you can makes lots of pies and cakes!!! ;-)