Life with soapstone--patina pictures galore
bayareafrancy
15 years ago
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polie
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agodecomom2008
15 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Mealy bugs galore!
Comments (25)Hi Daniella! It sure is ok to disagree, a healthy discussion helps us all. :^) - When you say "Otherwise just watering your garden with a spray hose would be enough"... actually it is definately enough, if it's done right, and with the right nozzel. This is a fact, and I don't say it lightly or without plenty of experience in different settings. I doesn't look like you have really tried my method in detail. You are taking your experience dealing with them in a similar way and extrapolating out, guessing, that the method won't won't work. But you really can't say that until you've actually tried the full method. BTW, are you sure you are talking about mealy bugs? When you say jumping bugs that you squish with your fingers, that doesn't sound so much like them. Mealy bugs are slow moving, and have bright white, very soft bodies. They also have white, sticky, mealy nests and hide within those nests in the tight crotches of leaf axils and in the tight bunches of new leaves. So it's hard to get at them with your fingers, and you would just end up with a sticky, messy, nest goo in your hand. (see link below for pic) Just to be clear, I did not mention straight alchohol. Yes it works fast, but it is also too time consuming for most people unless you have maybe one little indoor plant. It also doesn't address the root cause of the infestation. Stop to really think why you get an infestation some years and not others. Like you had mentioned, they are always out there on native plants to some degree, so why do they just explode some years on cultivated plants, and why not other years, even though the "seed" bugs are still out there? If your native plants have some, that may be normal, but if natives have full-blown infestations, then that's an indicator that you're not growing them in true native conditions, even though they may technically be a native somewhere else in your state. Mealy bugs are a "control" bug. If a plant is going too far outside it's bounds, they will knock it back down to keep it in check. Without bugs like this we would soon have only one species of plant on the earth. So if you have an infestation, it's an indicator that growing conditions are not right. The plants managed to survive for eons without our poisons, so when you get an infestation, treat the cause instead of just treating the syptom with poison. Here is the real key to why the method works: mealy bugs hate to get wet. Some bugs simply hate humidity, like spider mites, and that can sometimes be harder to fix with just a hose. Mealy bugs are different. They're affected by water, but not really plain humidity. With average simple watering they are able to survive inside their white sticky nests which are very water resistant. But when you blast through the nests with that very sharp spray, they loose enough of their white coating to be in mortal distress. 2-3 waterings like that kill most of the adults. Without the protection of the nests you blasted off on the first day, most of the larvae are soon dead too. Within a month of blasting them out of those tight hidden crotches, you will have full control (they're everywhere, so we'll never get every single bug). :^) - Tom Here is a link that might be useful: mealy bugs...See Moreslugs galore
Comments (4)I think that the giant slugs are up in the Pacific Northwest. Maybe as far south as California? Univ. of Santa Cruz has the banana slug as its mascot(??), at least according to the shirt Travolta wore in Pulp Fiction. (My husband ordered one for one of my sons for Christmas a few years ago)...See MorePA Dutch foods galore
Comments (9)Ruthanna, it's been many years since I have gone to the Folk Festival. Maybe it's time for a trip back! I enjoyed the posts about the festival and the photos took me right back to my childhood when I would visit family in that area. My great aunt could even speak the PA Dutch dialect. I remember hearing it on a radio show, too. The picture of the plate of food with the ham and beans looked like a dinner from my grandmother's table! Thanks for reminding me about this, although I have to avoid that food if I am not planning to spend my days in the fields or raising a barn....See Moredrywall questions galore
Comments (9)Thanks, Stanlie and Molly, for your cautions-- I'd normally totally agree with your suggestions, but our life at this moment is very conducive to "getting it done" quickly for the following reasons: 1) We have our first baby right now (10 months old), and will probably have 1-2 more in the next five years. In other words, we'll be baby- or toddler-occupied for quite some time, and not wanting to expose them to dust or lead or other hazards. We'd normally love to DIY, but given the baby, that's a little unrealistic. 2) We are currently living rent-free in my parents' basement, and can stay there while the drywallers, floor refinishers, etc. work. Our belongings are all in storage. This actually makes estimates cheaper, as they don't have to cover or maneuver around all kinds of furniture and such. 3) The house we're buying has ugly walls but has been VERY well maintained electrically-- they've been changing wiring out as shorts develop, but the house is grounded and safe, etc. Current owner estimates 80% of wiring has been replaced, and the rest is not causing problems. (Of course, this is prior to inspection, but I'm inclined to believe her- she's a family friend.) 4) We're moving from a downtown metropolitan neighborhood to small town Arkansas. This gives us a little cash to work with. 5) Utility bills are cheap for this house. Last year's January gas bill was $108. Nothing creaks, the wallboards are 1" thick and laid side-by-side-- solid walls of wood. Given that, and the fact that there's still some original wiring inside the walls, I don't see a real need to insulate. Finally, this is our third old house (and our oldest-- previous were 1928 and 1948), so we do have some idea what we're getting into here. Thanks again for your input. I'm still thinking over the drywall matter. I'd hate for the house to look altered, and it seems like it might even if we use the thinnest type of drywall (3/8 inch, I think? or was it 1/4?)....See MoreJefferson Street Designs
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