The GW Search engine did not send me to the numerous postings some of us have written in years past. Too bad as lots of interesting gypsy moth data is lost. This question has come from Western New York where I suspect residents are being updated. My suggestion would be to contact Cornell U. for the latest reports on the fungus Entomophage maimaiga which is being tested in the upper mid-west with success over the past few years. Further suggest that this contact be made through the Geneva Experiment Station in Geneva, NY (a division of Cornell) as I have found the staff there helpful directing me to the best sources. As to the question of what the average homeowner can do to protect trees.....etc. Two thoughts: 1. The old method of using burlap and Tanglefoot (easily ordered on line if not available in your stores does help in the early stages of the infestation. You want the thick, gooey type, not the spray-on variety of Tanglefoot. I prefer to use several widths of blue painter's tape side by side rather than burlap. It is easy to apply and coat using a tongue depressor with Tanglefoot, easy to remove and replace when needed with no harm to tree bark. 2. The gypsy moth battle involves everyone in town. The first step is to have an expert appear on the local news and write articles teaching how to identify the tan/yellow egg cases that the female moth lays at the base of trees and underneath everything such as woodpiles, kids swing seats, porch overhangs, etc. usually within a height of 3-4 feet from the ground. Every homeowner should be watching for these egg cases and should receive instructions on how to remove and destroy them. Egg cases are scraped off with a putty knife into a container and then the spot where the case is removed is painted with a bit of winter strength dormant oil. This is an old time method and if a suburban community will turn out in late summer/fall seeking and destroying the egg cases, each in his own neighborhood, it really makes a difference. A good Scout project. A great family project. Well worth the effort to coordinate.

What a delight to get to meet Ginger! I love conch fritters. I had some VERY fresh ones last year in Nassau. The best part of my trip! I haven't thought about the lizard poo in years. Thanks for reminding me of that story and giving me a laugh this morning. Glad you had a fun trip!

Like redheads? They also tend to have allergies. The only oter ginger I had was a very smart and a very very quick cat too. We occasionally have mentally challenged mice who come into this multi-cat household. The three mild mannered tabbies we had never seemed to be interested. Both bella and Murphy see it a lot differently. Bella actually caught one mouse, that was under mu desk!) and Murphy spends a lot of time jut sitting in a certain spot in the bathroom...I do love cats, and Tuffy looks like a very sweet one. It is nice when people realize how important pets are to us, isn't it. We have one chihuahua, Spike who is very expensive. Heart trouble and glaucoma. He has lived with heart trouble for about three years now....we told the vet it would be in his financial favor to buy us a chihuahua to replace Spike and he said it made sense him. Spike is 16 1/2 now. kay

I also grow ginger from the grocery store, along with continuing from the harvest of the plants I have. When starting from grocery store rhizomes, look for ones with growth buds/eyes on them. I put mine in shallow plastic "tubs". The containers from sandwich meats work well, or left over shallow clear plastic salad tubs or bowls from the produce department at the local grocer. I punch a few holes in the bottom for drainage, put the rhizome pieces in the tubs, and fill in around them with a 2:1 mix of plain (unfertilized or "balanced fertilized) potting mix and sand (2 parts potting mix, 1 part sand). Leave the tops of the rhizomes exposed. Light seems to promote budding and green growth, so it grows much better with the top of the rhizome exposed. I keep those tubs moist and under sunlight or red/blue plant lights until shoots develop and push up 4 to 6 leaves. That's when I transplant. I use 10" pots for single rhizomes and 14" or 16" pots can have three rhizomes growing, spread around the edges of the pot. You can break up the pieces, with one or two shoots on each piece you transplant into each pot. I use a balanced fertilizer, applied within a few days after every full moon, until September. I stop fertilizing after the August application. Most of my ginger plants do bloom with 2 to 5 blooms per rhizome, starting late in September through October. If you want the blooms to look best, make one more application of balanced fertilizer to the pot after you see the third bloom stalk developing (count any leaf stalks that are getting fat as it pushes a bloom up those). If you fertilize at that point, most of the "cells" of the bloom will open together, and it will look prettier. If you don't fertilize, the bloom will push out from one or two cells at a time, over a week or two. I typically start some from the grocery store in late October or early November, right after the full moon. Yes, I just planted some yesterday. And I harvest and replant from this year's plants that I have left on the next two or three full moons (through February, usually). I have fairly mature plants available for the farmers' markets and such as soon as March (from the Oct-Nov planting). I keep them in my "tropical room" through the winter which is actually a spare bathroom with heat to 75F and grow lights on timers. In the summer, they stay outside in our high heat, high humidity environment, in an area with morning sun. filtered light at noon time, and afternoon full shade.