The Frogs Knew It....

Yesterday, I stepped outside in the hot, hot afternoon (heat index 100) to hear the small toads trilling in the ditches. It was the first toad song in at least a week and I was struck that they would be singing in the afternoon and in that heat. Then I heard thunder in the distance. Rain was coming. The toads knew of it before any of the signs reached my preoccupied senses. They sang with anticipation. Unfortunately, the rains missed our farm again - offering only a spattering of drops before moving on. The toads went silent; no mating today.

The beautiful Japanese Beetles arrived on schedule, smack on the days when the Chinese Chestnuts bloomed. All things Asian on one timetable? I always admire the first few, with their iridescent coverings. Then they begin munching and mating and I go on the warpath. It's them or my garden. War!

I have gathered the components for my semi-famous Japanese Beetle Trap/Automatic Chicken Feeder and will assemble this morning. I read somewhere - years ago - something about hooking a standard Japanese Beetle trap to a pipe (rather than the plastic bag included in the kits) and letting the trapped beetles rattle down the pipe to one's chickens. When I finally had some chickens of my own, I remembered this dimly, and made one of my own. To my amazement, it works like a charm. The beetles are lured into othe top of the trap and fall into the PVC pipe attached to it. The chickens quickly learn the sound of a beetle falling down the trap's pipe and dash over to gobble it up as it falls out onto the ground. As the love drunk beetles swoop about the pheromone tabs, the chickens leap to try grabbing one out of the air. True amusement for chicken watchers. We renew the pheromone, pour a couple glasses of wine and settle into the coopside lawn chairs for a half hour of evening entertainment.