SVB in Lehigh Valley, PA, just now. I almost caught it too. Sneaky thing got away. I'd never seen one before. I saw where it laid an egg (which I crushed), so at least I know what the eggs look like for inspections. (They're round and sort of a dark brown.)

My 2nd planting of squash has almost all germinated now, going to cover it soon. A couple of zukes and both yellow squash from first planting are wilting - I think the SVB got them, even though I injected Bt and hilled up around the stems. Picked my first Little Leaf pickling cuke of the year today - have about 5 more coming this weekend. Not the production is was last year, though no PM/DM this year I don't know what's going on - have lots of cuke beetles but cukes aren't wilting. Have 1 cantaloupe that's getting webbing, the watermelons are flowering but I have no hope of getting any before frost (likely will be within 60 days). Still waiting for first ripe tomato (cherries don't count) - but I haven't seen any hornworms!

It's true Jean - your husband's reality. As a business you can make money but for 10 hens at home each dozen eggs would be about $300 a pop until you paid off the coop at $899 and the freight to a home at $365, not to mention buying the chickens. Started 17 week old laying poulets are about $12 each but the shipping on them is $49 (they do come with their shots however). Then there is the feed and having to work it each day to keep everything extremely clean and fresh. You have to keep chickens away from wild birds and their droppings, not to mention the predators, but oh the romance of having a barnyard and a self sustaining life (without the hard work of course because you are rich enough to hire a few people to actually run the place). He he he... My co-worker had chickens and their chickens lived outside during the day and sometimes at night, but had a shed they could go into if they wanted. They lost some to predators and sometimes the eggs were just laying around on the ground and other times the hens would lay in thick shrubby growth at the edge of their woodlot (in the brambles). Betcha egg gathering was the pits there! She said they shot a opposum one time that was raiding a favorite hen's nest - the hen woke them up screaming her bloody head off and running to beat the band (they are fast she said) and with the flashlight they saw the possum on the nest eating the eggs. Boom - bye bye possie. Awww...... poor possie - he only wanted some fresh eggs too!

Thanks. It is indeed always something :) I'll keep an extra vigilant eye out for these here in Fairfax County VA.