I'm going to war

It’s that time of year where I have a 6’ tall rack full of plant starts under lights in the basement. This year my veggie garden starts seem even more important.

I go down every morning and turn on the lights. This morning, as usual, I checked to see what needed water. Along the lower shelf, I have some taller tomatoes and tithonia (Mexican sunflower- used to draw in the pollinators).

One of the tithonia plants seemed... off. Absolutely cut off and on it’s side. Hmmmm. Nearly every single tithonia on that shelf was mowed down. One tomato too- and it was a helluva healthy one. Nibbled off clearly with several leaves just...missing.

Total death: 12 plants.

I’ve never had destruction like this. It hit one tray of tithonia completely but left the one next to it alone. Some of the roots were pulled out, so I’m assuming a four legged creature with a long tail. Cats can’t get down there and dog absolutely won’t go down.

Given all the work I’ve put into them, I’m going to be moving the entire rack and plants upstairs. Traps are set. I’ll leave one tray of tithonia down, as I actually have plenty of those still not potted up.

I’d like to sleep in the basement tonight with BB gun in hand, but I’m not willing to be cold and I don’t have a BB gun.

Are four mouse traps enough?