Thanks, makes sense, what about the black hole on the bottom? Same thing or something different?

Any pointers on getting the birds to leave them alone?

I’m definitely not a vegetable guru and wouldn’t have had a clue if I didn’t witness the birds pecking at them so I’m not sure about the black hole.

We had a couple plastic owl decoys from a previous bird issue that failed miserably then but I put them on the top of t posts this time and it’s keeping the birds for now. I’m sure they’ll be back at them in a few days but for now it’s working.,

I put up 2 scarecrows last year and it didn't seem to phase any critters.

That’s the results we had with the owls last year but for the moment their working, I think a pellet gun might be the best option for a long term solution.

Mockingbirds are the worst. As soon as you see your tomatoes start to turn red(blush) pick them and let them ripe inside. They also love little pequin peppers. I've had them pick a plant clean in just a couple days.

Those pesky Mockingbirds have been eating the wife’s Donkey Tails like skittles, their the only birds we have issues with.

Dogs and cats

I used a bigger bird

I may need to get one of those.

We have mocking birds. They keep me up all night but don't bother my garden.

Same! Might have to cut me one out with a jigsaw when I get back from vacation.

A few XL Jalapeños, they’ll be in the smoker tomorrow wrapped in meats by noon.

I have had my first run in with the invasive Brown Marmorated stink bugs, just about wiped me out this year, most the vegetables, plums and peaches,

Been in contact with my county extension agent and they made the confirmation and are researching into it, The USDA made just has a few Texas counties confirmed including Dallas and Tarrant, now Wise,

They invade like grasshoppers in high numbers.

This was in March day after first treatmentm there was probably over 1000 earlier that am when I hit them with soapy malathion

This was a few put in alcohol so I could get photos to the Agent for confirmation, If you haven't had them (you'd know), you wont like it

What is plan going forward for control?

From what I've gathered so far, USDA, Rutgers U and U of Georgia are doing test with their natural predators, small wasp, to see what other native bugs could be impacted.
In the mean time, pretty much the same pesticides work on them as for the native stink bugs, I think the main thing with these is the numbers and plants they will attack, found them in my Okra and snap beans yesterday,

Since I have bees, I'm extra careful with pesticides, so I've been spraying them individually with dawn ultra and half oz permethrin in a zap spray bottle. When they where on my fruit tree early in the year, I used Malathion in a hoes end sprayer just at dark

If you're bored
https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/brown-marmorated-stink-bug

https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/terrestrial/invertebrates/brown-marmorated-stink-bug

https://njaes.rutgers.edu/stink-bug/

The old people raised bed garden experiment has been a success! Freezer full of vacuum sealed corn on the cob, peppers, squash and melon; shelves full of canned green beans, pickles, relish, whole maters, mater juice, okra gumbo, mator preserves, and green mater salsa. Gonna add a little soil, add an irrigation system and get ready for fall planting! When do yall start your fall garden? (AND retirement is AWESOME!)

This is awesome! You're killing it TT. Great work good sir. Keep it up.

Am I watering too much? Went out this morning and these are growing all over my garden.

Nothing to worry about. That's a good sign. Your soil is active and have organic matter breaking down which intern are supplying extra nutrients to your roots. Seeing shrooms is kinda the fungi version of seeing earthworms, it's good to see. Now just don't get all liquored up and lick them like Bullfrog wants to do.

Good deal! Figured the growth was a good thing but have never seen them before like this. I'm talking my entire garden row after row has them clustered like this.

Thanks Derek!

Yea he is! I'm about to jump into canning. Mostly salsa, but will be canning other things as I grow them. I'm also interested in the Fall Garden info as well.

So TexasLefty brought me some pequins that he picked in the wild down in Realitos. I got a few started and chose the best one, re-potted in a Texas Lowe’s bucket with 29 Shiner bottle caps(his birthday’s June 29) and I used a mix of what I call my “magic dirt” that I’ve been using since all this pepper stuff started and a small amount of Mykos at the roots to make sure those keep doing well. Here in a few weeks he’ll take delivery of a cool little plant and have all the peppers he can pick and eat soon enough, whenever Texas decides to abort “Hell” status heat levels

Little sucker’s already makin’ little flowers like crazy