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Owensboro, Ky.

I have always noticed around my garden areas mud hills that look like a chimney. I know that crawdads are making these chimneys as they tunnel in the soil and push out mud balls to clear their tunnels. Question is: will they do damage to my AG's. If they are something to worry about, how do you chase them off? Filling in holes and flooding tunnels doesn't work. Thanks for any advice. Peace Wayne

5/26/2005 7:23:20 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

You nust have some pretty wet soil in a low lying area to have Land Crawdads...Have you ever actually seen one?

5/26/2005 12:07:47 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Oh yeah, come up to hole real quiet and quite often you can see their claws at the top of the hole. Sometimes if you drop a pebble in the hole you can hear it splash. Any idea if they will do damage to my plants. Peace Wayne

5/26/2005 9:15:09 PM

Butler, Ohio

wow, that must be one wet patch!

5/26/2005 9:25:23 PM

Follansbee, Wv

How big are they? And how close to the plants are they? Can you dig them up?

You get a line and I'll get a pole, we'll go down to the crawdad hole...please tell me I'm not the only one who remembers that song...

5/26/2005 10:03:51 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Cant really tell size cause all I can see are claws. Extimate largest claw I have seen at approx 2" end to end. Hole closest to any plant is about 3' from stump. Amazingly enough the patch isn't all that wet. Patch is approx. 30' x 75' and long ways it runs down a hill. The lower end is bordered by a greenway that runs through soybean field. A greenway is an area set up in a field to drain water from field...planted in grasses. I am only 15 miles from Ohio river and water table is quite high here. Dont really know how deep the crawdad holes go. When pebbles are dropped in them the splash is not instant. Couple of seconds and then can hear splash. Wouldn't suprise me if they are 3 or 4 feet deep. Doesnt seem to be any damage to plants so far so I will just get a line and a pole. Yes someone else remembers the song. Peace Wayne

5/27/2005 8:11:33 AM

Oz

try a worm zapper ,,
it might get them to come out of the holes.
can you eat them???

5/27/2005 8:39:27 AM

ipswich, ma usa

Try some butter, cajon spices and a Bud. :)

John (5150)

5/27/2005 11:03:32 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Wayne, can you get a picture of one of these things? I have never heard of a terrestrial Crayfish if that is what we are talking about. Could these be some sort of land Crab? Like the ones sold as pets? How's about Mole Crickets? No....they don't have claws.

5/27/2005 9:37:11 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Gotta be water there if you can hear a splash...You sure your patch isn't over a sink hole or abandoned mine??

5/28/2005 7:25:50 AM

Kiowa,Co.

land shark!lol

5/28/2005 4:11:10 PM

Follansbee, Wv

South Texas has a large population of land living crawdads, Steve. In the spring, after a heavy rain, you can gather them up by the bucket loads in certain areas. They were red colored and very large. I'm not sure what their range was, but I lived in Rockport, and feasted on quit a few.

5/28/2005 5:33:16 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

Sorry Monty ...All I keep coming up with in my head ...Is
"I'm a going fishin...Momma goin Fishun and the baby's going fishun tooo!..taj mahal if I recall...late sixties...

5/28/2005 6:30:14 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Wayne I have seen a vacuum made from 2" PVC. Like they use at the ocean for these. I still can't beleive you can get pumpkins to grow in this sort of soil...I thought the spring in the corner of Aprils Patch was bad..lol

5/28/2005 11:09:36 PM

In the shade - PDX, OR

Crush 'em the calcium will be good for the punkins.

5/29/2005 3:35:09 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Some of you guys seem to think that I am growing in a mud hole...not true. 2 or 3 days without watering and the top 3 or 4 inches of soil are dust. The soil is very clayish, can always find moisture down 10 or 12 inches but not pools of water, just damp. Plants are doing very well here, 906 Tanner...planted in patch under hoop house w/heat on April 2, is now out over 16' main...pollinated first fruit...almost 12' out on 5/23. All other plants are growing well and looking very healthy. This afternoon I am going to try to catch one of the little critters, piece of meat tied on to string, dropped into hole...if they hang on and let me pull them from hole I will get pics and post asap Peace Wayne

5/29/2005 6:27:32 AM

Long Island,New York

Peter Paynter...send lobster traps ! Fast !

5/29/2005 9:30:42 AM

Butler, Ohio

Lobster traps..ROFL...good one G

5/29/2005 10:26:58 PM

Garden State Pumpkins

darn just clicked on to see if we got pictures of these critters yet?

5/31/2005 9:12:31 PM

Montoursville, PA

Hey.........use an eyedropper and feed 'em some beer. They will, in time, come to the surface, to burp. Then just grab them.

I'll be looking too........where are those suckers.

5/31/2005 11:28:46 PM

Ohio

I can remember these in a field infront of a camp we used to own,they are bluish green in color,and believe it or not the field was dry, we used to mow it,they would leave a nice size pile of dirt too. There was a nice size creek about 300 yards away from the field.

6/1/2005 12:18:34 AM

Ohio

I cant think of the name of em,!!!!!

6/1/2005 12:19:37 AM

Owensboro, Ky.

Went jiggin for crawdads on Monday. Piece of hotdot tied to string. Got several bites but couldn't land one. They tend to let go when they get to the light. Will try again soon with shovel handy to try and scoop them when close to surface. Peace Wayne

6/1/2005 6:32:40 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Hmmm I am thinking we need to wrangle up some taters, corn on the cob,and onionssss. Have an old fashion cajun crab boil. Some ones going to have to pick up some "Boudan"(sp?)(spicy hot mystery meat sausage)(Cajun Spam) I will make the Red Beans and Rice.

6/1/2005 9:18:06 AM