It's the Aphid Invasion!

I have no idea where they came from, but they are sucking my pepper seedlings dry. By the time I discovered them (when I said: "hey, what the heck? My plants are all curling and going sideways!"), I had a major infestation going on. I hate aphids. They are horrible. Given that I can't release a bunch of ladybugs in my house to combat them, I am left with twice daily spritzes with insecticidal soap. Derived from neem oil, it says it will kill all sorts of garden pests including the infamous aphid. So far, I can't tell if they are dying in place, or waiting for another nice, warm scenty shower. They are too small to pick off, and seem to lie in wait for emerging seedlings. Then, they converge on them like a white herd of rabid vegetarian vampires, and suck my poor little plantlets dry. Aphids suck, quite literally. The weather has been bright and sunny, and ridiculously cold. I am a bit nervous, as my first batch of chicks (the meat birds) are arriving early this week. Day old chicks do not do well in temperatures in the low teens, during overnight shipping. Here's hoping the postal service exercises some considerate housing of chicks in a warmer area than the outdoor loading dock on Monday or Tuesday night! I've planned the next couple of days to prepare for the imminent arrival of new farm life. This weekend, I strapped on my new respirator mask and cleaned out the chicken shed. I did the fiddly work of hanging and adjusting dual heat lamps, both with 250 watt bulbs, over a thick pile of wood shavings and a pair of outdoor grade thermometers, to start warming up the place (currently, temps seem to be holding steady at about 100 degrees). The new light source seems to be giving the dogs across the cornfield fits. I don't think they stopped barking last night! The end result after a couple hours of labor, is that I now have deluxe brooder accommodations for the fifty or so little birds to call home for the next four or five weeks. I'm hoping by then the weather will have improved, snow will have melted, and I can park half of them out by the back garden in a large chicken tractor to continue to (1) grow to harvest size and (2) help me build a layered chicken poo-and-straw raised bed, 3 feet by 10 feet. Once the chickens are gone, I can move the tractor to an adjacent location, and let the new bed weather for a month. It will be the location for some seriously happy cabbages this summer! The best part is, I'll repeat the process once more in mid-to-late summer, and have a second new raised bed ready for spring planting next season. Nothing like getting your food to work for you.