Pests: Fake and Real

Dandelion
The dandelion is more than an obnoxious weed; it is, rather, an important wildflower, and not a pest at all. It is one of the first to bloom providing a much needed food source for the honey bees and other native pollinators. It is also one of the last to bloom as the season ends and winter is knocking on the front door. It is the last meal many pollinators have.

The honey bees have been loosing for the last couple years to a mysterious disease called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD for short. Researchers still don't know what is causing this fatal disease which has wiped out countless hives. It could be the result of a mulitude factors including chemical sprays, a new invasive mite or fungus, or any combination of environmental factors.

At the same time, researchers have noticed a noticeable decline in native pollinators, mason bees for example and other pollinating insects. All of these pollinators are responsible for much of the food we eat. Some suggest that as much as every third bite of food we eat is the result of pollinators like the honey bees and native bees.

This has been a long hard winter for the honey bees in northwestern Pennsylvania, according to Charles Vorisek, the president of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Beekeepers Association. In a recent email (May 7), he told me that the thirty member association has lost 66 percent of the hives. That means that out of 471 hives, only 161 survived. Vorisek called that pitiful. And he is right, that is a serious drop and should concern home gardeners, larger farms and homeowners.

The pollinators are needed for many home vegetable crops particularly the vines such as cucumbers, squash, pumpkins and melons. The pollinators also help boost yields with carrots, broccoli, onions and they are needed for seed savers for such vegetables as leafy greens and lettuce. Tomatoes and peppers do much better when they are also pollinated by the bees.

According to the USDA, the dandelion is one of the healthiest foods around. It can be used in a variety of ways. Some prefer the roots, others the leaves, and some the flowers. It can be used in salads, soups and stews, brewed as a coffee or a tea, used to make wine or a rustic beer. For more on the health benefits of the dandelion, see this link. For more information on recipes, click this link.

Dandelions, as an early spring flower, are important for the pollinators like the honey bee and native bees. They are more important than a neatly manicured lawn which doesn't do much for the food we all eat. Some sprays and chemicals used in dandelion control are deadly to all insects good and bad; there is no reason for a scorched earth policy against this ancient herb/wildflower. Besides chemical sprays are a waste of money; guess what will return next year minus the insects?

Certainly, the dandelion grows where it shouldn't and where it is not wanted. There are natural controls, organic and natural sprays, and hand digging. Sometimes, mowing the lawn before the dandelion goes to seed helps, but the wildflower does have an ability to escape the mower blades, although frequent mowing does help. It helps to remove the seed heads before the seeds start to spread; cut the dandelion as it goes to seed. Those seeds go everywhere, ask any kid or remember when.

There is just no reason to kill everything just because of an early yellow flower. The dandelion is an imaginary pest, it is a good plant when under control.


Mosquito's :the Real Summer Pest

The ancient mosquito is probably summer's worst pest and a dangerous insect. They can transmit any number of very serious diseases, some of which can be fatal, to humans, pets and wildlife.

One of the first steps in getting rid of these things is to eliminate standing water in pots, pails, old tires, anything that holds water. The mosquito, and there are hundreds of different species, all need water to breed.

Other actions to take include planting plants which help to repel the mosquito. Click the above mosquito link for more plant information.

Okra - a pod with a dandelion-like reputation.

While not considered a pest but regarded as not edible by some and a highly regarded vegetable by others, it is a good garden plant. Okra can be used as a defensive garden weapon against the dreaded Japanese Beetle, click the okra link for more information.

I plant three every year. It is an attractive plant and besides I like it in stewed tomatoes and other dishes. They aren't even in the cold frame just yet. It has been miserable cold, windy and too rainy.

Wildlife

Some animals in the garden area are good, like the turtle pictured above. Snakes, toads, frogs and birds are also good. But then there are others which can be pests.
Unwanted animals from cats to possum's also like to tromp through vegetable and flower garden's; some can cause a lot of destruction. Read about my solution, which I sort of stumbled upon and had some fun writing. How to Keep Wildlife Out of the Garden.

Good Blogs to Read and Follow

On Your Way to the Top

New York's Southern Tier

Urban Veggie Garden

Simply Snickers

Vincent di Fondi

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HubPages

Weather Myths: Jack Wax and Dandelions

Global Warming and Snowstorm Myths

January is doing what January is suppose to do – snow, cold, wind, dead batteries, frozen water pipes, shoveling sidewalks, driveways and roofs. And it doesn't look like it's going to ease up anytime soon, if the forecasts are on target.
There's been a lot of comments about the cold and global warming. A comment heard frequently all week goes like: “What happened to global warming?” or a similar version of the question with some added political comments included.
The cold weather doesn't mean global warming is some sort of giant trick or a myth being played on the world community. Quite the opposite; the cold weather is an indicator that our weather is changing. The hard facts of science are real, our climates are changing; the myth is actually trying to debunk global warming, or pretending it doesn't exist.
Perhaps, a better phrase instead of global warming, would be “freaky weather changes”. Overall though, the changes are getting more and more dramatic if one looks at the long term instead of a particular cold frontal system.
A good article from the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Co. has an interesting perspective on what appears to be contradictions in the weather. Basically, according to the report, the record high temperatures are far out pacing the recorded low temperatures throughout the US. Facts are facts; myths remain myths.
Sure, we have occasional bouts with cold weather, but one has to look a little beyond the present, and delve into our ancient past. Besides, winters use to be a lot more ferocious than they seem to be now. That is no myth.

Jack Wax and the Groundhog


Groundhog Day is Tuesday, February 2nd, something of a sign of approaching spring. But the real indicators are when the sap begins to flow in the sugar maples trees and the fires are lit in sugar shacks all across the north.
Jack Wax is rustic maple sugar candy and one of the best candies ever made. It's pretty simple to do and can even be made at home. Basically, boiling the sap until it is close to being syrup, is poured on the clean snow or in a hole in the snow. It quickly hardens like a taffy. Nothing better on a chilly winter day and much better tasting than some other spring related celebrations.
Maple producers work hard and are generally family owned and operated. In northwestern PA, the big event of the year is a “Taste and Tour” weekend. It is an open house where everyone is invited to dozens of participating sugar shacks to learn about maple syrup, how it is made (pictured above) and to taste free samples of maple products.
If you get a chance to talk to a producer or two, the conversation will likely lead to the subject of the earlier and earlier runs of the sap. For the sap to run, the trees need warm days above freezing, and cold nights when the thermometer dips below freezing. It use to be the run happened in mid-March, nowadays it's more like mid-February. Someone say “global warming”?
The weekend for the event is March 20 and 21st, and there will be the first ever Maple Festival organized by the association at the Edinboro Fire Hall the same weekend. For more information, Northwest Pennsylvania Maple Association.
If you can't make it, or are looking for unique gifts, there are links in the Web site with listing of sugar shacks and products available.

Wild Horses


Thanks to Linda Nickerson for the information and the protest regarding the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) round-up of wild horses in Nevada. The government sponsored helicopter round-up began on December 28th and is expected to continue for the next two months during the harsh winter weather (no, I won't mention global warming).
Protests over the cruel winter round-up and the use of helicopters are beginning to spread across the nation and Linda has an article with some more information, click here.
If your concerned about our wild horses, or interested in the BLM adopt a horse program, Linda is a great resource. For her article Linda used the photograph above which is from the BLM. It's a nice photograph, wish the round-up was a little nicer.
One of Linda's blogs, “Simply Snickers”, is posted below in “Good Blogs”. Thanks, Linda for sharing. Maybe we can get you some, Jack Wax.

Dandelions:


We are all familiar with these early spring bloomers. Kathleen Richardson, who is also listed in “Good Blogs” below, contributed these photographs, after reading a Helium article “Defending Dandelions”.
Kathleen's son took these photo's while he was stationed in Alaska. Dandelions are a global plant and are good eating and considered an herb. A friend from Portugal says they call them dentes de leano (thinking means tooth of the lion). Read Kathleen's blog, “On Your Way to the Top” listed below about how she remembers them.
Dandelions don't make Jack Wax, but they can be used to make wines, jellies and tea.
Many times, the dandelion is considered a weed, another myth, and is sprayed with deadly chemicals. The flowers, however, are an important food source for our native bees, and the gentle honeybee and their populations are in serious decline. For more information read, Defending Dandelions.
A special thanks to Kathleen for contributing the photographs, bet a piece or two of Jack Wax won't tip any scales.

Good Blogs

Vincent di Fondi – Vincent is retired, enjoying the good life in Costa Rica and has just published his first novel. Lucky, Vincent, doesn't have to shovel.

On Your Way to the Top – Kathleen's homespun insights and adventures.

Veggie Garden – Dan is a backyard gardener in nearby Ontario. He is listing some insights about seed companies and getting his spring garden ordered.

Simply Snickers – This is a great blog with a lot of fun things, insights and projects by Linda

Travel Destination – Kathleen also writes a Helium Zone blog about New York's Southern Tier.

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HubPages

You may also be interested in some of these links at Associated Content. Thanks.