I used to go to the garden in the morning, water the plants, watch the bees, harvest some squash, zucchini, and tomatoes. It was nice. But it’s almost August and things have changed.
This used to be my morning attire for harvesting all kinds of goodness. Now they are my implements of doom and death.
When the squash bug infestation started I grabbed whole plants and pulled them out (carefully) and put them in the yard, then stomped each and every bug to death with my boots. Leave no bug standing.
But they persisted.
There weren’t as many, but they were still there, so I would put my gloves on and pinched their little guts out… SQUISH! Yuck!
Now they are pretty few and far between and I have gotten a little… okay, twisted in my methods. Now it’s my garden pruners that do the work. I’m quick and deadly accurate. One swift movement and instead of one squash bug, you have two distinct pieces. Mwahahahaha!
There are very few squash plants left, and even fewer bugs or eggs (I cut those out of the leaves and pound them).
I really need to get the garden expansion in and start planting for fall so I have something more… productive to do when I wake up. Still…
There’s nothing like the smell of decapitated squash bugs in the morning!
The Jones Garden Blog 
No tomato horn worms to kill? I capture all my bugs in an old milk jug and feed them to the chickens. And, yes, I do enjoy it immensely. 🙂
Nope, no horn worms this year. Actually my tomatoes are all done. I have one little plant sitting there, but it’s being overrun by sweet potatoes. I like the milk jug/chicken feed idea. I pulled one of the plants and shook it off in the chicken run but it freaked the chickens out so much that we got NO eggs that day. sigh….
Haha, I can relate I just offed a cabbage worm with my garden sheers the other day.
It’s oddly satisfying, isn’t it? 🙂
Hi Keith. I thought of this blog today as I squished and smooshed loads of bugs and nasty creatures while clearing out my strawberries. I figure if I get them now there will be less in the summer.
Cheers Sarah : o )
Good thinking, Sarah! Get em!
I thought I had invented ‘dealing with’ caterpillars using my gardening shears. Now I find everybody’s doing it. Feels good ay?
I is oddly gratifying. Hehehe…