Episode 5: The Pests, Fighting Off Garden Bugs in Maine
"Dirty Homecoming©" - Written, performed, and recorded by Mattie J. Bamman “If nothing’s eating your garden, then you aren’t a part of the eco-system.” In Episode 5: The Pests, I face something entirely new and destructive: garden pests. In 2019, we didn’t have a single bad bacteria, bug, bird, burrowing brute, or ravenous beast, but, in 2020, we got hit hard by cucumber beetles, squash beetles, and an invasive fruit fly, among other to-be-announced feral forces. Despite the destruction, I never let it get me down. Everyday working outdoors in nature is a reward in itself, and I will tell you now, we’re still eating our homegrown organic vegetables daily, so it didn’t cause lasting damage to our subsistence goals. Here's how we tried to repel them organically: Cucumber beetles: Tried an organic spray containing BT (only sprayed at night to avoid harming other helpful insects) without success. Handpicked into soap water in mornings, when the beetles were sleepy. Ulti
