I just don't seem to have the heart to update this thing these days.
It's not that there aren't nice things to report; just this weekend, for example, I
1. Went out to a lovely dinner with the the Robotos.
2. Soaked in the Robotos' hot tub. (Mmm, hot tub.)
3. Went on a hike with the Robotos.
4. More hot tub. (Seriously, the hot tub rules.)
5. Out to dinner with Richard's brother and sister in law.
6. Out to SIFF movie with same.
7. Had lunch outside on the Sound.
See? A fantastic weekend, but I have no interesting anecdotes to share.
UNLESS, that is, you are interested in hearing more about the pitched battles I have fought with the aphids and slugs. Well, at least one person is, so here you go.
In order from least to most effective, I have employed the following weapons against the creatures of darkness:*
1. Vaseline.
Supposedly, aphids and such are attracted to the color yellow. And if you cover a yellow surface with something sticky like Vaseline, it will mess up their soft little bug bodies.
It seems to work okay--they are definitely attracted to the yellow paper, but they don't stick to the Vaseline as much as I'd like. I hope that they at least fly away permanently crippled.
2. Smooshing.
Aphids are pretty dumb and don't really try to get away, so you can just squash them right there on the plant. On the other hand, this is is not really the most efficient method.
3. Various anti-aphid stews.
Following advice from Itzie, my gardening book, and the Internet, I have concocted various elixers that you spray directly onto the little buggers that kills on contact. Active ingredients have included lavender, coffee grounds, garlic, lime zest, hot sauce/red pepper, and castille soap, like Dr. Bronners.
Probably just the soap alone would do it, but I like cooking up a big stew o' killing on the stove for hours, then straining it carefully into my squirt bottle. It makes me feel like I'm killing the bugs SCIENTIFICALLY.
Also, it smells kind of nice.
4. Beer.
Man, do those slugs love beer. Just dig a small hole, put a beer-filled bowl in there, and sit back to watch the fun. (Although, in a taste test our slugs seem to prefer Fat Tire to Pabst. Oh, these snobby Seattle slugs!) I have caught literally dozens and dozens of them this way, and it's nice because although they do meet a beery doom, I don't have to feel too bad about it because it's freely chose suicide. Nobody's forcing them in there.
Well, okay, there was that one slug the other day that was sort of circling the rim in a noncommital way, and I might have gotten a stick and given him a bit of a push. But I'm sure he would have taken the plunge eventually.
I also caught a snail the size of a golfball, which made me feel kind of bad. Slugs clearly have nothing to live for, whereas snails have gone to all that trouble to build themselves nice little houses.
On the otherhand, anybody that threatens my tomato plants deserves death.
*Did you know that aphids are BORN PREGNANT? If you know of anything grosser than that, I feel bad for you. Death is a blessed release for these monsters.
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