smerchly Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 Now I have a new customer who likes my big juicy red delicious apples ......He (she) has joined the rest of the neighbourhood critters ( birds , squirrels , rabbits & possums) that have been seen raiding the apple tree . Earlier this season , it was moles & a rat that were dining on the ground falls .....but they have met their maker due to some tasty "additives" to the yard menu ! So far .....no black & white kitties have taken interest in my tasty delights ...... .....they're one of my best fishing partners lately ....... ....this little guy /girl is just a young coon and I am going to try to trap it tonight ....got the trap set with some shrimp and an old frozen-too-long perch fillet . The neighbourhood dogs will kill it or it will become road kill with all the heavy traffic on my street . If I can catch it , I will take it to the Short Hills area to the creek there . I hope it can make it on it's own through the winter months ahead . There is probably more near my back yard ,so I'll keep the trap baited for a while . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted October 17, 2015 Report Share Posted October 17, 2015 No worries smerch he /she will be fine over the winter that is a great pic of the coon looks very healthy must be all them fine apples he has been steeling lol i wish i had a cam like yours man it takes good pics .Your new business Smerchly's critter catching they will keep you going Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted October 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 This apple tree is over 40 years old & has produced tons of apples . It's over 30' tall and I never spray it with anything . So far I have collected about 12 bushels of apples that are very sweet and juicy ......some had a worm living in the core but have since vacated . We make apple sauce , strudels ,& pies and I have given away bushels to neighbours & friends for eating and many bushes for deer feed . The down side is many hours spent collecting them and disposing the split/rotted ones in the green bin .....the garbage guys can hardly lift the bin ! Gunner ...my camera is just a pocket camera ....Samsung WB700 ....14.2 MP ....18X optical zoom ....double image stabilizer .....dropped it in the lake once , lucky it still works ! "Smerchos Critter Catching Co. INC"......sounds like a plan ....... ......checked the trap ....notta .......checked the tree ....no coon ......left the scene just after dark ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunner-2 Posted October 18, 2015 Report Share Posted October 18, 2015 any coons yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted October 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 any coons yet? any coons yet? Nada ! I'm sure there's more than one ....possibly a couple of young and a mother coon . I guess it didn't see or like the fish'n shrimp dinner I prepared for them .....or maybe they like the apples more . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2015 Well , the coons have re-appeared a few times ....dog goes bananas when he sees/smells them after dark . The apples are just about done after at least 20 bushels have fallen (some hand picked) . This warm spell has brought forth an army of lady bugs , they like the sweet juice of the apples . I'm not sure why they vary in colour , think they are the Asian lady bugs . If they are harmful to the environment I can kill them all quickly with dish soap & water mix that I use to kill hundreds of yellow jackets that dine on the apples . ...the teeth marks on some apples are squirrels...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 The high winds have finally brought down the apples . This mild spell has enticed the yellow jackets & lady bugs to gorge on the sweet apple nectar . I took a close look at the lady bugs and can say they are ALL females . I have left a dozen half eaten apples for them to get their fill before the colder temps arrive . The Asian lady bugs are supposed to be beneficial for the gardens as they also eat aphids . This apple is completely covered with the little ladies ....very perty I'd say..... I've killed hundreds of these stingy Y.J's ....my dog will try to catch them as he does with house flies , so I do them in first . They seem to get along well with the ladies ..... ......just giving you guys something to read on a slow night here ....... ....where's the fish ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ron4blues Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Watch those 13-spot Asian lady bugs: they will bite. But they do kill aphids! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Watch those 13-spot Asian lady bugs: they will bite. But they do kill aphids! 13 spots Coach ? I'm not superstitious - , and I don't want to destroy them if they are beneficial to my garden plants . They do bite , but nothing like those yellow jackets that can sting multiple times . My Sunlight dish soap & water solution kills them in seconds ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knightfisher Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 Holy lady bugs, that's a lot on that one apple. Amazing. What's that bluish critter on the pic below the bugs ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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