Bugs

I was never a bug person.  I never will be.  I have nothing against bugs and fully realize they have their place in our world.  They are an amazing part of the food chain and we'd be lost without them.  But I've been bitten and stung too many times.  And today, I have to carry epinephrin injectors to counter some bug venom so let's just just say, I'm not a fan.

Bugs can do as they please outside, but if you are going to live IN my house, you have to kick down towards the mortgage.  No $$ and out you go.  That's the rule.  Harsh?  Yes.  But it's expensive here in CA and I don't see why I should have to share my comfy little corner of the world with something that could potentially bite or sting me.

Most bugs get scooped up into a cup and set out on the front porch.  Those less fortunate, typically the bigger bugs, become a snack for one of my hens.  Cruel fate, but it's over quick and they probably never saw it coming.  And to those who still think chickens are stupid, you should see the stampede my chickens do when they see that red plastic cup in my hands.  Red plastic cup = BIG BUG!

Bugs, whether good or bad, are a part of nature and we're all going to have to deal with them on some level sooner or later.  My goal is not to rid the world of bugs, but to maintain a healthy balance.

Apparently, the last bag of feed I bought had moths.  Sooner or later, just about everyone who brings home these 50lb sacks of feed will have to deal with this.  Most likely, they were on the bag of feed and not actually in it.  Regardless of how they stowed their way into my garage, Monday, I saw one moth flittering around.  Tuesday, there were several and by Wednesday I had a full on infestation.

I tried to swat and smash them but there were too many.  One solution would have been to let the hens at them.  Unfortunately, the moths were mostly in the air and in the bag of sunflower seeds and I know had I put one up there, she would have just gorged herself on seeds.

Fortunately, these types of moths can be controlled rather easily with sticky traps for moths.  I'm not sure exactly what kind of moth I had.  Searching the internet brings up images of Grain and Indian moths that look very similar to what I have.  It really doesn't matter as they all fall into this flour or panty moth category.

I picked up one of these from the hardware store on my way home last night.  They are triangle shaped sticky traps that come with a small lure impregnated with female moth pheromones.

There are a few different brands but they all work on the same principle and I haven't found the one is better than another.

Within a few minutes of setting it up, I had a dozen moths.  This morning, both traps looked like this:

That little 1/2" red square dot on the left inside the trap is the pheromone lure.  They come sealed in a foil wrapper to keep them fresh.  You just tear open the packet and drop it into the trap.  It simply sticks to the sticky trap like the moths will once they come fluttering in. 

These work great in the kitchen too.  I'll typically leave one tucked in the cabinet with the flour and grains to nab anything that might decide to stow away into my home with the groceries.  They are inexpensive, non-toxic and they really work.

My only caution with these traps is that they are STICKY!  I would take care to keep them out of the reach of children and pets.  You can set them up high or even run a string through them and hang them.  I can see how a hen would be attracted to all those tiny little bugs and I'd hate to see her get her beak or feathers stuck on one of these.