Arizona’s heat is here. Hot and growing hotter and hotter. Here is where we worry that the red spider mite takes the corn. (worry, worry, fret, fret).
Ladybugs are not the enemy of red spider mites. Red spider mites live in the grasses along the ditch banks and pasture just waiting (sort of like a tick) for the corn to get hot and dry and stressed. The MOMENT they figure out the corn is in the right stages they attack, hoping on and sucking the life blood out of the candy called corn.
We are cutting hay, two fields down and one more to go. We try not to get all of them in the same stage of processing, first one field, and wait a few days, then another field, and the last field about a week later from the first field. This allows for better crop management with the possibility of no crop lost.
The heat is fun for the grandchildren; many hours are spent outside playing with the ducks, and in the duck pond. (The drainage ditch from our fields)
This works for the kids and the ducks. And for Mom-mom who has to keep her eye on all the activity.
Life on a Colorado Farm 
Ohhhh..you got baby ducks! So cute. The kiddo and the ducks.
LikeLike
I love your ducklings. What an adorable photo.
LikeLike
Looks like it´s busy on the farm! Hope you get a good crop of corn!
LikeLike
I’ll keep my fingers crossed that the spider mite stay out of your corn! There’s always something to fret about isn’t there?
The hay looks great – we finally have a little hay weather. I am traveling north tomorrow to pick up the big 1100lb round bales. That will help for awhile.
Your Grandchildren are precious and those little ducklings are pretty cute too. Looks like a fun way to spend a hot day 🙂
LikeLike
Lets hope the spider mites are lost in the ditch and won’t have a clue. That’s what’s done up here, haying in stages. I just felt bad for the ones that had hay down here last night 😦
LikeLike
Your hay looks good. So does the farmer. Best wishes on the spider mite fight. Those are some cool bathtub toys!
LikeLike
Darling shot of granddaughter and the baby ducks!
LikeLike
Oh this pic of the ducks reminds me of my oldest g.daughter. She took a bath with the duck in the bathtub, it was so cute.
Now there is some kind of bug hatching in my garden. Found them this morning.Gr-r-r-r-r ! I think it is JApanese beetles.I am about to give up !!
LikeLike
oh, that is so adorable: the grandchild playing with the ducklings! so blessed are you to watch such joyous activity all day! she is super cute!
LikeLike
Those ducks are sooooo cute, I love ducks… Red spider mites???? They dont sound nice, do they bite? Spider is bad enough, then you add mite to it! Yeeks!
LikeLike
well I hope that heat is headed up this way! Summer will be over before it’s begun! Our hay is begging to be cut (first cut in our case) but the forecast has not been cooperating. SO much rain, and SO cold! I don’t know how the hay even managed to grow that tall in this cold, we have been sleeping with winter blankets and I’ve worn shorts less times than are worth counting. Brrrr!
LikeLike
lol.. first day of summer here too ! I’ve been saying so “where’s my dang summer”? innkeeping, horsekeeping and dancin’ as fast as i can
have fun splashing around in the “kiddie poodle” as we called it as kids
gp
LikeLike
hi! i didn’t know that about the spiders and corn. does it happen to small patches or just big fields?
our house is now on the market so within the next day or two i’ll be working on our blogs.
Vikki at http://www.backyardgrocerygardening.blogspot.com
LikeLike
Spider mites! ACK!! Too many worries and bugs.
Love the adorable photo of your grandchildren with the ducks.
LikeLike
It hasn’t been too hot the last few days but it came with a price, rain on our hay! Grrr!
LikeLike
Hey, Good luck with the Spider Mites..little buggers, wait and attack..hope your management practices work well! Cute ducks..fun to see grands having fun! 🙂
LikeLike
How precious, ducklings and a little!
LikeLike