This week the moles have moved in and are creating havoc with their tunnels! 😫
We have them from time to time, but they are usually in Mr. G’s “turf” garden (lawn) and not in the mulched areas (my gardens)!!!! But, this year they are all over the mulched area. Some areas look like a rototiller has gone through!
While I was out in the garden this morning I was a bit overwhelmed by all their damage and then a💡light💡went on! GRUBS. LARVA. JAPANESE BEETLES. Are they going for the Japanese Beetle Larva. We have not had many Japanese Beetles for several years so I am sure that there were more tasty morsels in the “turf” garden. But not this year! We had thousands of Japanese Beetles on the roses and of course they are in the “mulched areas.” While I sent many of the Japanese Beetles off to their heavenly reward via a bubble bath, there were many I did not get … so you know what happened. They have been here since the middle of June and while I am no expert on Japanese Beetles and am not quite sure how big the larva are at this stage – I’m sure if I were a hungry mole, size wouldn’t matter — plus we have a ton of red worms.
Even if they might be helping with the JB population, they need to go! I can tell you this … Mr. G has that “Rambo” look in his eyes and I am thinking of going to Pet Smart to get the very best kibbles on the market to entice all the neighborhood cats to come help us with this situation. If you have more information, thoughts or tips, leave them in the comment section — please!
On a happier note, since the JBs are are gone there are more blooms!
BLOOM THYME THIS WEEK…
Bokays from this week…
As I finish this post a storm is moving in and I am grateful for the rain, grateful for blooms and grateful for garden friends.
For a month now, I’ve been battling what I have believed was an armadillo (or two). Have set traps to no avail. Nowin an area where moles often work, I am seeing the same thing you describe. I usually use Triazinine spread on grass and on some mulched areas in late April to kill the larvae (and adults too, I think) of mole crickets, which breed like rabbits here and which attract both moles and armadillos. Last week my garden center recommended another product. Days after application, I saw a number of dead mole crickets in the areas where I spread it. I’m getting more tomorrow and treating both grass and mulched area. My rose beds have had little damage, and I suspect that is because I treated them well last spring. Until I read this, I had attributed the unusual onslaught to our drought (I live in North Louisiana) and predator desperation. This is near the end of the mole-cricket breeding season, so maybe what I have is both armadillo and moles. I recommend a larvacide or a combination larvacide/insecticide spread twice annually per package directions.
I hope you can get things under control soon.
Love Lady Ashe, such beautiful form and colour, an artist’s dream!
Maybe it will be one of your paintings!
Well I don’t know if we have Lady Ashe over here, so if you are happy for me to use your beautiful photo and if it is not too much trouble to email it to me please, I would love to paint it!! The photo you sent me of Olivia Rose Austin is now one of my favourite paintings!
The Santa Clara Valley happens to be one of the best places in the world for roses. However, they start to look tired by now. Our roses probably started earlier than yours, but do not go as late, and certainly do not look as prolific as your do now.
Beautiful bouquet!
Many thanks!
Love your roses! The are so healthy and beautiful! After living in Texas for many years, I have finally moved back home to the Cincinnati area. Can you please tell me what you use on your roses for black spot? I love roses but, they have been challenging to grow in this area. Thanks.
your flowers are beautiful, to say the least, moles and voles, I have a love hate relationship with them, they are beneficial in eating larvae and pests but alos love the roots of some of my plants, so to combat them we had to pull plants and put tiny holed fencing around the roots to keep them away, my rambler had a lot of growth they have a French name, anyway I lost a lot due to roots being chewed. almost lost my Theresa bugnet, they destroyed my rosa regosas and they are barly hanging on, lost a lot of their growth too, what used to control htme in my yard is a stray cat, hawks and owls, and my dog. my dog was part hunting dog and she and my other dog worked together to kill groundhogs moles and chipmunks. but alas she had to be put down the little dog is not as brave in hunting anyting bigger than a chipmunk and she is usually not fast enough to catch them like the other one was. I have no clue on how you can get rid of them or reduce their numbers.
Love/hate … a great way to look at it. My neighborhood cats are helping us a great deal. These little varments keep us on our toes and never lets gardening get boring!!! Nice to hear from you!
Just be glad you don’t have blister beetles too. They arrived here when my autumn clematis began blooming two weeks ago. They also went into the “swim to eternity pool” AKA bucket of soapy water. Good luck with the moles. Roses are making a come back, so enjoy! D.
I am glad … no blister beetles so far. Keep fighting!!!
Oh, beautiful roses? Can remember their smell by just looking them!
Ieke