Honeydew Gel for Hornets?
Comments (14)
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years agoRelated Discussions
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Comments (34)Katy: It is my understanding that most of the ornamental grasses are well-behaved clumpers, and if, over time, they seem to get too massive, they can be divided in late winter like most perennials - although some of the bigger grasses (6' and over) can be a REAL challenge to divide. . .in my own garden, I have never done it except when I specifically wanted more plants. There IS one exception to the clumpers, however, as I learned when I gave a division to a friend and it nearly overwhelmed her garden in barely two years - Phalaris arundicacea picta. . .It's a shame, because when it's properly contained (mine was in a designated 4'x4' area with landscaping timbers on all four sides) it's a quite lovely, cream-and-green leaved beauty, about 18-24" tall - if it starts looking a little brown and tatty in mid-August, you shear it to the ground, and lush new growth appears with alacrity, handsome until frost. So, IF you can contain it securely, it's worth a try. In my response the other day, I failed to mention another favorite, shorter grass - Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) - stands about 2'-3'high, with dangling oat-like seed heads atop slender stems. It likes moisture (heavy mulch helps AND it can take at least half-shade; this one does seed somewhat, but never so heavily that you can't weed out the seedlings - although I find it a particularly labor-free way to get new plants ! This grass, because it is so upright, blends beautifully with shorter perennials in a mixed bed. Track down a copy of Piet Oudolf's "Gardening With Grasses" if you can; this Dutch master recently completed a public garden, using primarily grasses, at Battery Park in New York City, that simply takes your breath away. . . Carl...See Morebest treatment for magnolia scale NOW
Comments (42)@EliGray Hi Eli, When I sprayed the scales they loosened their grip (I'm assuming die) and fall off or you can spray them off with the hose. You're correct, it's been 2-3 yrs. since I started spraying WD-40. The scales came back in less numbers last summer and I sprayed them again. I sprayed conservatively because too much will dry out and split the bark. The following summer (this summer) I have been unable to find any scales. The tree is growing very well. It's about 12ft now and grows full. No more black drops of scale honeydew (secretion) on my patio and no more wasps. I'm very happy. My only problem now is how to control the growth. The tree is getting too big. I'm not familiar with pruning a magnolia. I'll have to do some research. Like I've said before, I understand the hesitation and environmental concern of some here in this forum when it comes to using WD-40. However, I was at the end of my rope with the scales and wasps. I don't claim to know what WD-40's active ingredient is. All I can tell you is that it worked for me. Try a test patch and see for yourself. Of course the choice is yours. Best of luck which ever way you decide to go....See MoreHornets in August: Trim with Foresight!
Comments (41)"between the big sniff and the big chomp." LOL Deanna, you always make me laugh! The last time a bird flew into my house, she ended up staying for eleven years. It was a lost roller pigeon who flew onto the porch, and into the house when I opened the front door. Unlike your bird, this one was looking for her lost loft, or a reasonable substitute. As far as the wasps, I'm glad to have them gone, but I ponder what I would have done had bees nested in my daylily bed rather than yellow jackets. Given the seriousness of the honeybees' decline, I would have probably tried to locate a bee-keeper willing to capture the hive and remove the bees to his own home. Had they been bumble bees I might have at least considered leaving their nest and just avoiding the area for the rest of the summer. I once had bumble bees build a nest under my back porch and had to call an exterminator to kill them. The bees had to travel right by my collie's favorite lounging area on the back porch to get into their hive, and he used to snap at them as they buzzed by. Once he caught one and was stung in his mouth. Thankfully he was not allergic or it could have killed him. I was never stung once, and my dog was stung only that one time when he snapped the bee out of mid-air, so I gained a lot of appreciation for these bees' sweet disposition. If I had had a snapping beast at my front door I would probably have retaliated, not withstanding the fact that the porch had been my dog's domain before the bees decided to co-opt it....See MoreLime Tree - Underwatering? Overwatering? Nutrients? Other?
Comments (1)Needs a bigger pot.. probably to dry in a pot that small for a tree that large. Take it out of its pot to check the root ball. If it is dry you will need to soak it under water until all the air comes out and put it in a new pot. The new pot should be aboau 4 inches bigger diameter and 4-12 inches deeper. Plant in 5-1-1 soil mix and drentch. Wait about a2 weeks before feeding the tree but water as neccessary when the tree gets on the dry side. Steve...See Morerhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
11 years ago
morz8 - Washington Coast
11 years agorhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years agomeadow_lark
11 years agoThank you all for your responses...
I read about fipronil, and I'll not be using honey dew. It is toxic to fresh water fish... and we have small creeks on both sides of our property.
Just to make it clear... I have confirmed with our county extension office that they are in fact, European Hornets...
Getting stung is not the issue for me. Issue # 1: They are girdling my Seven Sons of Yang! (see attached pic) This damage is specifically from these hornets! I have wrapped the main trunk of the tree with burlap, and now they are stripping the back from the branches, and I've got substantial die-back. Issue # 2: They are killing all of the butterflies in my yard! (Especially the swallowtails.) They literally hover over the buddleias and other plants. When the butterflies land... Bang! They are right on top of them, taking them down to the ground, where they proceed to sting them over and over until the butterfly dies and/or breaks into piece. The hornets do NOT fly off with part of the butterfly, as if to use it as a host for it's eggs. It's simply kills it and leaves it there on the ground.
Our property is wooded - I can't figure out how to post 2 pics, so I'll post a 2nd pic just after this one... The wild life is wonderful! Any other suggestions on how to deter these hornets will be greatly appreciated.
(Note: Last year I tried laying out honeydew, catelope and other melons... as well as sugar water in cups, hoping they would not bother my tree... They had a party, eating and drinking from the all-you-could-eat buffet, and then proceeded to stripping the bark off of my tree with more vigor than ever!)
THIS IS WAR!!!!!
meadow_lark
11 years ago2nd pic showing our back yard. We have 6.5 acres... Less then 1 acre is yard... the rest is wooded with creeks.
Gorgeous place to live... EXCEPT for the DANG HORNETS!
morz8 - Washington Coast
11 years agomeadow_lark
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10 years agobigpaws12
10 years ago
Kimmsr