Snail Hunt

I had been eagerly awaiting Spring.  Warmer days, seeds sprouting with very little encouragement and adventures in the garden with my boys - which we have been enjoying.  The one thing I had forgotten about is the nasty little invaders that awake and begin munch on unprotected seedlings as soon as darkness falls.

I was even silly enough to think my seedlings and poly-garden on my front steps would be safe.  Why would slugs and snails venture up onto a deck?  Well they did, and in 2 nights they wiped out a dozen smalls basil plants I had in a small trough, right down to the potting mix, then started on a smaller pot of basil - then the poly-garden!  Time to wage war.

Last night I ventured out into the garden by the cover of darkness and found them in masses.  I must have dispathced over 40 huge snails and twice as many slugs in the main garden.  The biggest and fattest snail I found was on the now empty trough on my front steps - it even smelt of basil when I squashed it.  Little bugger.

This is a cheap and very effective method of control and I have a tip for you, when the heat of the day has passed give the area around your garden a light sprinkle with a hose - this will invite the slugs and snails out sooner becuase they don't have to wait for the evening due to fall to ease their journey into your beloved garden.

Our Emmy Lou is still sitting on her eggs.  Every day I open her brood box and gently lift her off her precious eggs, I think she welcomes my visits now too, she doesn't growl, hiss or try to leap out of my arms.  I check her for lice and mites, stroke her head until she awakes from her nesting slumber then let her have a feed and scratch around in the garden.  There is a strict time limit of 30 minutes so her eggs don't go cold.  It's funny to see how she's changed while she sits on her eggs, Emmy Lou holds her tail very wide and upright (like a male turkey).  When our dog goes near her or the box she goes bananas, squawking and fluffing up her feather.  I think she's going to make a good mumma.

I very gently lifted each of her 11 eggs this morning.  The all feel quite light except for 2 - which I suspect will be duds.  We shall see in about 8 days time - very exciting.

We've had another hen go broody, but it is too close to Christmas to let her sit (we would like to spend a few weekends at the beach), so I have removed her from the nesting box and she going to be seeing out the next 2 days in a box under a tree.  The theory is that if she has nowhere to sit and make a nest she should stop being broody - we shall see.  She is very angry hormonal hen at the moment - I hope she'll forgive me.  She can have a turn in the brooding box after Christmas.