Die, slugs! Die! Recently I had an issue with what appears to be slugs going to town on the bean & pepper plants in my vegetable garden. It has been rather wet lately. It certainly could be other nefarious garden pests, but I may have a prejudice for these creepy little mollusks thanks to my shellfish & mollusk food allergies.
In with the shellfish thing, I’m weird about diatomaceous earth. It; seems like breathing it in can be sus, and it can be harmful to bees. I have crushed up some egg shells and strewn them about, but I’m not certain how effective that is. I try to always rinse them well & add to my compost anyway.
I decided to make some slug traps out of stuff from the recycling bin & a PBR. It was weird to buy 1 can of beer. I rarely drink any more & didn’t need a case or a 6-pack. I did finish off what was left of the 24 oz. can after I baited the traps though.
🚫🐌
I used two empty sour cream tubs, an empty cottage cheese tub, an iced tea jug, & a coffee container. We are perpetually excepting rain, so that’s why I made the covers. I made the cuts very quicky & very sloppy with my pocketknife because I’m impatient at times and of course decided to do this as the sun was going down.
I probably should anchor the covers somehow… but they have not blown away yet.
This morning, I counted 3 slugs overcome by a compulsion to consume delicious fermented hops.
Pour one out for the dead slugs, and drink to their memory as you listen to my Beer 🍻 playlist. Or, if you wanna get crazy, I have a Pabst Blue Ribbon 🥇 playlist. Why are there so many songs that name drop PBR? All I can think of that mentions Yuengling is Nerf Herder’s “New Jersey Girl.” Do any songs mention Straub?
What has proven to work well for you to repel garden pests? I have a small garden this year. I do like to keep the pollinators happy, and the birds n’ squirrels too.
I have been slacking on the bird feeder filling lately as we have had some stuff going on, but I made a sure to get ’em filled today. I grabbed some photos of what I bought & mixed as people are always asking what others use. I wish I could tell you I am consistent. I generally grab whatever looks good, or is cheap, or whatever is available. This is what caught my eye today.
I put all this in a Rubbermaid tote, stirred it with an unused garden stake, and went to fillin’. The powdered spices seem to be cheaper than the oils or the hot seed mix. I think they work well enough for me. I feed the squirrels & chipmunks on their own anyway.
I do have suet blocks hanging too, I got the C&S Hot Pepper Delight and the C&S Woodpecker Treat to hang in my double-block feeder. I like to get the orange or berry varieties sometimes too.
Urine Speaks Louder Than Words
The pissing gnome is still hiding among the pollinator wildflower mix under some of the feeders… they generally look like weeds until august. Got any tips on how to keep a nice-looking pollinator garden? I do like how it obscures the scattered seed… and I’m growing some errant sunflowers.
I learned through Google (with help from Gemini) that the male Carolina Wren will start to make several nests in suitable spots before courting a mate. He started putting in some materials a few days ago, but this is the first time I have seen him on camera since. (I put in the peanuts in the meantime.)
Apparently, if he successfully woos a female, he then lets her pick the most suitable of his locations, and they will continue to build the nest together. These alternate locations can be used to mark his territory, confuse predators, and act as a quick location to start from again should they decide to move.
Mine look a bit different from the final product, but I was able to test them out and provide some feedback. They have a built in solar panel in the roof, which keeps them mostly charged after the initial charging. I have had to give ’em a boost over the winter.
The feeder has been busy from the onset as I put it out to replace a traditional feeder that I have had for years. As for the nest… A woodpecker tried to make the entrance wider, and some black-capped chickadees have popped in & dipped right out. Other than that, the nest has not seen much activity until recently. Perhaps spring is the best time.
I did notice mine have the Birdfy 2 camera, and the ones pictured at Walmart’s website seem to have a different camera or at least camera housing. I do think the seed tray is a better design than my Birdfy Lite Feeder, as the seeds don’t tend to stay in the tray, get wet, & clump together.
I don’t think that works with the Walmart exclusive products, but in the links above I tacked on “?=ref/AiXeLsyD13” anyway just to see what happens. I have asked for a coupon code through GoAffPro, but have not heard back yet. So, maybe someday?
If you’re interested in the feeders, it’s a good product whether you use my link to buy or not!
You can check out my YouTube playlist mostly from my feeders(& some from the house cameras), and some other blog posts I have made about Birdfy products below.
If you have any questions about bird feeders, cameras, feed, birds, or Birdfy products, don’t hesitate to ask in the comments, via my contact form, or social media. (I’m AiXeLsyD13 pretty much everywhere.)
I have been feeding the birds forever, and enjoy watching all the critters on our suburban landscape… even down to the bees pollinating in my zucchini flowers. I have enjoyed the Merlin Bird ID app for identifying birds that I have observed at my feeder since we moved here over 10 years ago. There’s a nice flowering tree out back that you can see perfectly from the kitchen window.
I started out with it out back by the old feeder, and a picnic table squirrel feeder from Amazon. The deer got crazy close and I was afraid of them destroying it… so I got a pole and moved it to the side of the house, right outside the window… and now the cats enjoy it there, too. I had to get the Pro Perch add-on, too.
So, of course, I got another pole and another Birdfy camera without the feeder attached and a solar panel from Walmart(they’re weirdly cheaper there in person & sometimes on Amazon than they are online at Birdfy). I couldn’t now miss the action at my old traditional feeder & the new squirrel feeder.
I have since caught deer feeding on the corn and bird seed, squirrels, a chipmunk or two, and so many trash pandas in addition to all the birds.
I thought I’d share photos of my setup and some videos that I have taken since I have had people inquire about it. I can see myself getting a hummingbird feeder or the nest camera down the line. Ha ha.
I have dubbed the backyard area the Naughty Gnome Noshery, and I’ll eventually work out some signage. (My wife calls it “Bird Kennywood.”) I planted some pollinator mix around the base of the tree to hopefully obfuscate the seed casings & spent peanut shells… and provide some help to bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, & other pollinators. I hung one of my 3 insect hotels out there, too.
The Naughty Gnome Noshery
I ought to get a ground level camera for the rabbits, and I have seen the occasional red fox in the neighborhood, too.
I have gone through a few feed mixes, different suet block flavors, even suet pellets that no one liked, but I have arrived on mixing my own from a hot pepper or spicy sunflower mix, safflower seeds, and mealworms all mixed together (for now), with peanuts for the squirrels… but the blue jays and grackles like those, too. I have put out oranges and grape jelly to try & attract orioles to no success.
I do suggest getting both the Netvueand the Birdfy apps. I use the Netvue one for camera setup, and the Birdfy one to watch the videos. Sadly, the AI bird identification subscription service is per camera, not app… so I only have it on the first one, and I still use Merlin Bird ID a lot. I know my friend Jason has the Bird Buddy brand and he’s very happy with it. I’m sure there are lots of cool ones out there.
I’m just wondering what the hell birds are eating lately. I think today a pterodactyl took a dump on my windshield. One day not long ago, we had a rental van at work that looked like someone dumped a pretty full spittoon all over the side. What are birds eating that makes it look like tobacco spit?
I mean, I’m no expert but I’m used to 2 varieties of bird poop. I’m talking white bird poop, and the “oh, the bird ate berries” poop. All the bird poop that I’ve ever seen can pretty much clearly fall into one of those categories.
I even remember owl poop from elementary school science class. I know it’s a gross hairball that would have (hopefully) bounced off of my windshield.
Is this bat poop? Is someone just spitting tobacco on my car or the work van? Are the birds eating tobacco?
Bethany & I went to the National Aviary on Sunday, & I had the opportunity to photograph some really beautiful colorful birds. We also walked through the park afterward, and found a squirrel who apparently had aspirations of a career in modeling.
You can check out all the photos at Photobucket as a grid or slide show, or you can see them all here:
If you live in the ‘Burgh, you know we got some serious storm winds & some damage on Friday afternoon. The storm hit one of my favorite places to take photos, Dormont Park. So, of course I got some pictures of some trees knocked over and a utility pole down.
To see the whole album, check it out in slideshow or grid form. We were without power for about a day and a half… and no damage was done to our place, so it could have been a lot worse. I just thought the twisted broken trees made for some good photo subjects.
I reported the downed utility pole to Duquesne Light on Saturday right after I saw it… went back to look around today, it was still down… no caution tape or anything up, so I called the Dormont police. Hopefully they send someone in to clean up, there’s usually a decent amount of people in the park, hope no one would come across the stuff & get hurt.
Also, in the same set of photos… nothing really to do with the storm, we hit up Chick-fil-A for breakfast & the use of a power outlet to charge our phones on Saturday morning as our power was out, I happened to have my camera in the car… I saw some kind of hawk or falcon on a light pole near the Chick-fil-A in South Hills. At first I thought it was an owl, upon a second glance I really wasn’t sure at all.
I’ve written before(although indirectly) about the foul assemblage of half-rotting food that is Kuhn’s Market on Banksville Road. You may recall my description of Kunh’s as relayed to Giant Eagle while requesting that they carry some La Choy Teriyaki Sauce. If not, here it is again..
I actually make special trips to the Shop ‘N Save by WAL★MART in Heidelberg or I actually set foot in Kunh’s Market on Banksville Road to get the La Choy Teriyaki Sauce. Have you BEEN to the Kunh’s on Banksville Road? I’ve gotten moldy peppers from that place, as well as ‘turned’ sour cream, …and melted ice cream. I don’t want to go in there. But, I do. Why? To get the La Choy Teriyaki sauce, my friends. It’s THAT GOOD.
I know I’ve told countless others. I know my mother-in-law looks at me in disbelief because apparently the Kuhn’s on McKnight Road is just awesome.
See? You can read the full story on KDKA’s website. Yes, I get that the point of the article is the union trying to organize there… but they wouldn’t be trying to organize if conditions were good. If I had to guess, I’d say that store owners keep the coolers and freezers on lower settings to save a buck or two… but at what cost? I really haven’t ever heard anyone say anything nice about the place. We’ll buy canned or boxed stuff there occasionally in a pinch, but we’re always looking closely at the expiration dates. As far as the meat & produce & even the dairy products… I’ll go out of my way to another store, or just go without.
Edited – Discussion was happening in other forums, decided to re-post some of that here…
Eric Carroll
Nice: http://bit.ly/9MqDcy I KNEW they weren’t keeping stuff cold enough at Kuhn’s. That place is filthy too. January 28 at 7:20pm via Selective Tweets
Dave Warren
I almost never buy anything remotely perishable there. January 28 at 7:40pm ·
Nunzio Martin
Dude that place smells I never go there January 28 at 8:00pm ·
Dave Warren
I will go out of my way to find a Giant Eagle just to avoid Kuhn’s. January 28 at 8:06pm ·
Andrew Welsh
walmart* is cheaper January 28 at 8:20pm ·
Dave Warren
Wal*Mart is cheaper, when they have the items that I require. They usually do not. January 28 at 8:22pm ·
Andrew Welsh
dave i have to correct you, it is no longer “wal*mart” it is now “walmart*” the corporate logo moved the star to the end.
yeah luckily for me walmart* carries all that i need, and is always cheaper. but that’s just me.
Kuhns is great for running to the store quick since it’s 3 minutes from my house. January 29 at 1:11pm ·
Eric Carroll
Didn’t it used to be a ★?
Wonder how much time and money they wasted coming to that decision? Sun at 12:40pm ·
Eric Carroll Kuhn’s Market on Banksville Rd. Favorited on http://www.youtube.com
I keep telling people that this place is filthy. No one believed me. Ha ha. I know they don’t keep the coolers cold enough… ever. I have brought home melted ice cream. From KDKA, full news story & video here: http://kdka.com/local/Banksv… January 29 at 12:20am via YouTube ·
T.J. Freeman
BWahahahaha fuckin bird! …. alright well if thats a violation then you need to close the foodcourt starbucks and everything else dealing with open food in robinson mall cos i’ve seen many o bird flyin around that bitch. All that aside … that Kuhn’s is about the only place around there to get food unless you wanna travel to bridgeville or parkway center or south hills…. fuck the union … if yer worried about it then just dont buy produce or deli foods there. January 29 at 12:28am ·
Cody Starr
man i don’t care how dirty kuhn’s is ……i would eat those deli pizzas they make with dust bunnies for toppings….they are the bomb January 29 at 5:01am ·
Jeffrey Guerriero
eric, my aunts family owns those stores, I used to shop there when we lived in Dormont. January 29 at 12:51pm ·
Bethany Pastorius Carroll
Kuhns on Mcknight Road is wonderful however this one on Dormont is a shithole. We will only buy canned goods or boxed stuff and that’s only if its an emergency. We have bought sour cream- molded. A green pepper- mold in the inside. Ice cream- melted by the time we got home. We will go completely out of our way than go there. Disgusting place. Sun at 12:17am ·
Eric Carroll
Yeah, they put the “ew” in Kuhn’s down here on Banksville. http://wp.me/pwqzc-5b – There are two Giant Eagles very close by too… one in Parkway Center and one on Cochran Road. Sun at 12:37pm ·
Eric Carroll
I’ve had a lot of people weigh-in on Kuhn’s on various forums. I urge you all to reiterate or expand here: http://bit.ly/cb9WJX Thanks! Yesterday at 3:56pm via Selective Tweets ·
Andrew Welsh
i still fail to see the big deal, the health department said these “aren’t earth shattering and were corrected quickly” Yesterday at 6:42pm ·
Michael Perdue
I’ve always remembered Ferris’ in M-ville to be particularly bad. Yesterday at 7:15pm ·
Eric Carroll
Andy… The big deal is that I was right about them not keeping stuff at the right temperature. I like to be right. Ha ha ha.
Mike – you’re right… both old Ferris weren’t quite right. 4 hours ago ·
Eric Carroll
“KDKA-TV’s Paul Martino did an independent review of Allegheny County’s inspection of seven Kuhn’s stores last year. There were some violations, including salad stored at unsafe temperatures, contamination from raw meat, and more temperature problems.”
I told you that Kuhn’s was disgusting. « World (and Lunar) Domination
aixelsyd13.wordpress.com
I’ve written before (although indirectly) about the foul assemblage of half-rotting food that is Kuhn’s Market on Banksville Road. You may recall my description of Kunh’s as relayed … Sun at 12:43pm ·
Adam Rahuba
Foodland, Shop & Save, Kroger, IGA, Sparkle, Kuhns are all dirty. Can’t stand em. Sun at 2:12pm ·
AiXeLsyD13
I got a lot of comments on this on facebook… both in my status, and when I “favorited” the YouTube video… None when I posted the link to the blog though. Post Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 10:22 am
Mike_Hype
I have to disagree with you entirely on this one. I love that Kuhn’s and I stop there almost every Sunday night on my way home from hockey to pick up produce alone. Their apples are awesome, their bananas are always the exact amount of ripe to take home and store for the week. I have not yet found a Giant Eagle that even comes close to the quality of produce that I get from Kuhn’s. I was just there last night as a matter of fact. Rotten apples from Kuhn’s: 0, from Giant Eagle: 5. What’s worse than finding a rotten apple? Finding half a rotten apple. Post Posted: Mon Feb 01, 2010 12:44 pm
Dave NT
The Giant Eagle Market District pwns n00bs. Post Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 8:04 am
Mike_Hype
Sitting here eating one of the best apples that I have ever eaten, it happens to be from Kuhn’s. Post Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 12:55 pm
AiXeLsyD13
While finding half a rotten apple is indeed disgusting, I try too look at stuff before I bite into it… although I’m admittedly overly paranoid about food in general.
I’d have to say, I’m fairly confident that if we set up an independent study of the produce at several grocery stores surrounding the Dormont/Banksville area… Giant Eagle would come out on top. Post Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:28 pm
AiXeLsyD13
I need to figure out how to get paid for random useless shit. Post Posted: Tue Feb 02, 2010 3:37 pm
World (and Lunar) Domination 