From: Snag_one@msn.com   
      
   On 7/7/2020 5:54 AM, songbird wrote:   
   > Snag wrote:   
   >   
   >>     Were eating my beans up pretty badly , but I'm somewhat controlling   
   >> their numbers now . I sprayed the plants - blue lake pole beans - before   
   >> they flowered with some fruit tree spray (checked with my Plant Guru   
   >> first , she said it was OK) that has permethrin and neem oil and that   
   >> worked fairly well . Once they flower I can't use pesticides because of   
   >> the bees , so I'm drowning the bugs in soapy water . What I'm doing is   
   >> holding a gallon size ice cream container with an inch or so of soapy   
   >> water in it under the leaf they're on . I touch or shake the leaf , they   
   >> land in the soapy water and drown . Early in the morning is a good time   
   >> as is late afternoon/early evening - but you can find them just about   
   >> any time of day . I'm not preventing all the damage , but I'm reducing   
   >> it enough that it's not a big deal . And this year the beans are loaded   
   >> loaded with blossoms and teeny tiny beans . I am optimistic ...   
   >   
   >    if you put the JBs in soapy water they will drown   
   > but you will be surprised by how long that can take.   
   > longer than an hour or two.  they must go into some   
   > hibernation state.   
   >   
   >    i was taking them and throwing them at the end of   
   > the driveway for the birds to eat.  after a while   
   > they would start crawling away.   
   >   
   >    i haven't seen any yet this year but they will be   
   > around.  i greatly reduced the number of how many   
   > are around by getting rid of the wild grape vines.   
   > i see some vines are starting up again so i'll   
   > have to get back there again and cut it back.  always   
   > fun on a slope.   
   >   
   >   
   >>     Also , the tomatoes are doing very well , loaded with fruit and   
   >> blossoming like crazy .  We've started picking cucumbers and a few   
   >> peppers (California Wonder red/green and Anaheims) and the bees are   
   >> doing very well , putting up lots of honey . Everything seems to be   
   >> going well this year - I think it's partly because I'm spending more   
   >> time out there and partly due to fertilizing with generous quantities   
   >> of rabbit droppings ...   
   >   
   >    it's been so hot here i'm not sure how many fruits   
   > are setting yet, but i do see some and plenty of   
   > blooms.  lack of rain keeps me watering every two or   
   > three days.  the beans are not doing all that great   
   > but they'll perk up once we get a few good rains.   
   >   
   >    i'm starting to see some flowers here or there.   
   >   
   >   
   >    songbird   
   >   
      
      I usually let those beetles stay in the water overnight , I'm kinda   
   tracking daily numbers . We got 3/4" of rain this afternoon ... one of   
   my Roma plants currently has 16 tomatoes on it , from bean-sized up to   
   some pretty big ones , but nothing ripening yet . We've got a lot of   
   wild grapes here too , but it would be nearly impossible - and   
   definitely impractical - to get rid of them all . Those black beans only   
   germinated about 7 or 8 seeds , and I didn't water them quite when they   
   needed it so only 4 plants survived . Seed for another try !   
   --   
   Snag   
   Illegitimi non   
   carborundum   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)