It’s hard to believe that this fat green ugly caterpillar could turn into a moth one day!
Tomato Worm That Ate Too Many Cherry Tomatoes
First one I’ve seen in the garden, or anywhere else, all year long and it was a big one!
I ripped off the whole cluster of cherry tomatoes so you could see how big it was. The cherry tomatoes are in a quart-sized container.
You can see it ate the end of the stem, the last tomato and half of the next fruit.
By the way those Sungold Cherry Tomatoes are delicious!
This particular “worm” might have become bird food. I took the piece of stem with the big bugger still hanging on it and tossed it down the gravel lane.
Now we’re on the lookout for missing leaves. Seeing a whole leaf gone or leaves and stems missing is a sure fire way to tell that tomato worms are in the tomato patch.
Oh, if you see one with a bunch of white cottony oval eggs on it, leave it hang. Those eggs are from predatory wasps that keep the tomato worm numbers in check.
People can sometimes be oblivious. Animals are much more in tune with their surroundings, aren’t they? Peppermint Leaves Full of Essential Oil
We brought home two new kitties a few months ago from the local animal shelter. At that time we had no idea that we had a mice problem. Any time a mouse gets in the house, it’s a problem for me!
Hadn’t heard any scratching or scurrying of little feet. Didn’t see any mouse turds left about the place. Nor did the dog detect anything and he’s a great mouse hunter.
The second night the new cats were here they were both fixated on the dishwasher. They stood guard and wouldn’t leave the area, so we knew something was up.
Once I heard the scurrying around under the washer I knew it was a mouse. I wonder how long he’d been visiting without us knowing.
I knew what to do. Several drops of peppermint oil were placed on a couple of cotton balls which were then placed behind the skirting at the bottom front of the dishwasher.
Within 10 minutes a mouse popped out! No kidding. It was like the little critter couldn’t take the smell any more!
Too bad for the mouse but the house cats earned their keep that night. They played with the poor thing all night as it was still alive in the morning. The cats let it live until I tried to collect that mouse, then they killed it. I finally put a cup over it and a stiff piece of paper under it – junk mail is good for something after all! – scooped it up and took it outside to be thrown in a ditch well away from the dog’s view out the window.
Peppermint Essential Oil with Dropper and Cotton Balls
It was amazing at how fast the mint odor affected the mouse hiding under the dishwasher.
I was hoping the smell would make it leave the house the way it came in, but no. The poor thing was doomed once it came out from hiding.
We’re leaving a few of these peppermint oil-soaked cotton balls around places where mice may enter the garage or house.
If you’re having issues with mice, try the peppermint oil trick and let us know how it works for you. Amazon offers Pure Organic Peppermint Oil Spray in a spray bottle with dropper, similar to what we used from a craft supply store.
it was stated that peppermint oil would drive a mouse away. (Also enjoyed Dr. Bader’s 
book.)
in a spray bottle with dropper, similar to what we used from a craft supply store.