Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Bug Catcher ~ Tidbits

We have had an ample amount of tomatoes in the house lately, and the gnats are horrible.  One daughter found this idea on the internet and it works.  Simply put fruit in the jar and add a piece of paper.  They can get in, but not back out.  I added a drop of dawn soap down the center to kill them.  Today the jar has twice as many in it.  Best thing that has worked so far.  We even caught a fly in it.


Well, another birthday has passed here on Rooster's Crow Farm.  Our Vet-Tech Daughter turned 20 yesterday.  I wasn't allowed to take photographs (she just doesn't like that).  She had to work all day and return today.  We made homemade pizzas with the last of the picked green bell peppers (we may get more after this recent rain), and other organic toppings.  She loved it.  Of course we popped open a jar of homemade pizza sauce too. 

I haven't pulled all of the cauliflower plants just yet.  The recent rain, and hot days have given us a few more nice heads.  I made a dish with spinach, a few eggs, a bit of cheese, garlic, and chicken.  Delicious!  I left the chicken out until the end, so I could divide it out for vegetarians first.  What a hit!  I just googled cauliflower and chicken dish and found one.  The small bit of garlic with the cauliflower flavor was amazing.  I steamed broccoli for the side dish.  Yum.

Some of the tomato plants are getting pulled today.  I let the chickens out to attack them for me, giving me no more excuses to leave them in any longer.  However, they left me some tomatoes.  

Hubby has been working way too much overtime.  I have been completely forgetting my "nurse" responsibilities.  Like taking his blood pressure when he gets home.  



 

11 comments:

Mama Pea said...

I have the same homemade contraption for the fruit flies except I put an inch of vinegar in the bottom of the jar. Works like a charm. But, boy, have those little buggers ever held on for a long time this year. Gone, gone, be gone already, I say!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Mama Pea, bugs are horrible this year. I have a little black bug the size of a lady bug, with white spots, that's attacking my fall green beans. We are still getting some beans, but I have to fight for them. My chickens need to speed up bug control, ha ha!

Kim said...

I always use some fresh garlic when I steam or roast cauliflower. And then I add some cheese.

You just may need to get some Guineas they are great on the bug population. And great watch "dogs"!

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Kim, I have wanted guineas for years, but Hubby says no. Maybe someday he'll let me get a couple of them.

Lady Jane said...

This is a great idea!!! Thanks. LJ

RB said...

Wow! That bug catcher really works. Going to have to try that here. Is there a space at the bottom of the jar...and what kind of fruit did you put there?
Happy Birthday to daughter.
Surprised hubby is working overtime after having a heart attack. I hope he's being careful.
Have a great week, and a safe one too.
God bless.
RB
<><

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

RB, we first put a splice of orange in it. The next time I tried it with a rotten tomato.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

LJ, one of my kids found the idea on the internet. Works great too.

Linda said...

I thought it was just me with all the fruit flies. I put a wide bowl/dish with vinegar and a drop of Dawn. It worked so well fruit flies were a quarter inch thick! And, the occasional fly found its way in. Then, I kept discovering new sources the fruit flies were attacking. Finally, I think they are all gone. I put garbage in plastic store bags and took it out about six times a day. That worked to help cut down on their sources of food and breeding.
pparsimony

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

Linda, I had to take my scraps out to the compost almost immediately. The gnats were terrible this year.

Sam I Am...... said...

I have them in the house too and I'm not even canning! I've never had them like this so I am going to try your method! Thank you!