Organic Pest Control

First day outside - enjoying the sun in the mini-greenhouse.

We have a couple new additions to the garden this spring!

My wife surprised me at Easter with a pair of Pekin ducklings, something I wasn't expecting. They will be living in our garden patrolling for pests after the plants have matured and then spending the winter in the high tunnel.

I read in Eliot Coleman's books, The New Organic Grower and Four-Season Harvest that ducks make excellent pets and are better than chickens for pest control. They love potato beetles and slugs as well as other garden insects and won't destroy mature plants while feeding.

Since we got them last week they have doubled in size, it's amazing how fast they are growing. They are already starting to show their personalities, they tilt their heads when you talk to them and seem to answer back with their little chirps!

I guess my next project will be building a duck house!