Maybe a mini-sprayer irrigation system wired to a motion sensor would keep seedlings moist AND deter chickens while the seedlings are small.
Kyla,
That article suggests dealing with
very heavy Japanese Beetle infestations with a spray containing Spinosad. That seems to have very low toxicity to mammals, and relatively low toxicity to pollinators
after it dries for a few hours.
Also, it is so different from other insecticides that it doesn't seem to have any cross-resistances with them. Thus insects that have developed resistance to insecticide A,B and C won;t have any resistance to Spinosad. And insects that are resistant to A, B and Spinosad won;t have resistance to C. If farmers alternate insecticides cleverly, insects tend to only develop resistance to the insecticide that you used LAST year, and loose much of that resistance before you get around to re-using one.
I think the best news is that it breaks down very rapidly in the soil.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu...