Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hate and Rage

I had thought that I had a cutworm problem as a whole bunch of plants had been snipped off. Well yesterday it was mostly just the radishes that were snipped off. I went out last night at around 11pm and killed several cutworms that I found with a flashlight, and I figured I'd do the same tonight.

That was until I returned home from work to find every last one of my pea plants, all thirty or so topped. All thirty or so of my green bean plants defoliated, and all the rest of the radishes defoliated. There could be only one explanation and it had to be bunnies. I searched along the back fence, the only non-mesh part of my new enclosure and found their tracks where they had been wiggling underneath and into my garden. I was absolutely livid.

In retaliation I've meshed off the rest of the bottom of the wooden fence to prevent any further incursions from that route, all except the hole they've been coming in. There I've set a strangle snare, and then enclosed that corner with a fence of its own. I know there are at least two bunnies as I saw them in the back yard munching on some clover in the grass. I give myself a one in a thousand chance of actually catching one, but if I do I vow to make a nice tasty bunny stew out of it.

There is a part of me that would prefer to just deter the bunnies from coming into the garden, but by completely destroying all of my peas and beans they've escalated this from an annoyance when they ate the radish tops, to all out war. They've had a taste of the good life and I know they're keep trying to get back in. I wish the fox that has taken up residence in our back woods would finish them off, but if he won't then I'll certainly try myself.

EDIT: Before actually catching anything I looked up laws for capturing pest animals in Massachusetts and you're allowed to go about it in all ways except snaring and poisoning. Thus the snare will go unused, and I'll have to go look into live traps.

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