Monday, August 30, 2010

PESTS

Usually the definition you will get for weed is "a plant in the wrong place". My definition for pest is "an animal in the wrong place". This morning I have had to deal with 4 categories of pests.

First, I found some fleece that Rosemary had given me that had not been washed and it had moths in it. I had to shake it outside and look up herbal concoctions to keep them at bay. Now, I have to put that on my list of "things to do".

Next, I went down to do clicker training and looked carefully at the grain that has been looking less appetizing. Probably meal worms and I will have to get some fresh today and store it better.

I looked at my white sheep and they looked black. Tiny black flies or gnats of some kind on all the sheep and Beau-- millions of them. I will put fresh pheromone stuff in the fly trap and see if that helps.

And then, as my mind was focused on all of these, I neglected to close one of the gates and Beau and Amelia wandered out. More animals in the wrong place! Amelia has not started clicker training yet but Beau has been doing great the last two days so I decided to try the follow command with Beau. He was on his way up to the house and I clicked the clicker. He immediately looked up at me. I went closer to him and held out my hand. He followed for a short distance and got his click and reward. Great, I thought, and tried it again planning to go further. Unfortunately, Beau decided he was done with clicker training for this morning. They, not too much later, came back on their own as they saw the others heading to the barn for a nap.

I don't mind moths but get very depressed finding them in fleece. I don't mind meal worms but I don't like mealy grain. I don't even mind gnats or black flies if they don't bother my animals. I LOVE my animals but when they are in the wrong place it takes time out of my day that I need to devote to other pests.


1 comment:

  1. Reminds me of when we had a squirrel in the basement last year. He didn't understnad that that was not his place to be. Drove my landlord crazy trying to get him out-rather to stay out. He had found a nice cosy place to nest.

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