Gardening With Chickens and Other Trials of Farm Life: Julie '1'

I'm fighting the battle of the mice at my bee hives, they have commandeered the top bars as a great place to raise their families. I first discovered the interlopers when I went over to check the bees, opened the roof and stared in shock and horror at two mice staring back at me in shock and horror. We were transfixed for a few moments and then we all sprang into action, I was trying to pound them with my bare fist and they were spinning their wheels getting to the edge and launching into the air, I do not know if they stuck the landing. I sent their empty nest sailing after them and swept the top bars clean of their little black turds. I checked the other hive, after arming myself with an extra top bar, there was one mouse in the middle of building a nest but it was like playing Whack-A-Mole, I wasn't quick enough and she followed the other two into the depths of the plum thicket. After cleaning up that hive, I figured they got the message.

They didn't, mice don't get the message. They took this as just a slight interruption in their plans to start a family and were very persistent. I'd throw open the lid and go to whacking, they'd dodge and duck and leap to safety. I knocked four nests out and they still came back. I'd had it, this was war and I set 2 mouse traps in each hive. The first day there was nothing but this morning, VICTORY! One big dead mouse because he couldn't pass up the lure of the marshmallow! I re-set the traps and did a happy dance back to the 4-wheeler.

Mice and especially rats are not welcome around here, the cats do a pretty good job of policing the area around the farm. When I got back from the bee hives, I went to the barn to feed the horses and found this pair laid out on the cement just for me to see and appreciate. A dead rat and mouse, artistically placed for maximum exposure, I'm surprised who ever got them did not tuck a little parsley around for garnish.

We have two especially deadly hunting barn cats, Stinky, don't let this photo fool you.....

....or Bruiser LaRue.

There is a common myth that the best hunter is the hungry hunter when in fact, a well fed cat is a better hunter. Bruiser is just returning from the cat house in the background where he loaded up on cat food and was heading back to the barn to keep it free of vermin.

My friend, Elizabeth, has a ferocious hunter, Mitty, a very pampered little boy who could lounge around the house all day if he really wanted to. But Mitty gets her up at the crack of dawn so he can go out and patrol his domain, leaving bits and pieces of his prey for her to see as proof that he is holding up his end of the bargain. She really hates it when he leaves a bunny or mouse head right outside the patio door, kind of like the Godfather, "I make-a you offer you can't refuse!"

And then there is Zoe.....