More on Mosquitoes

During the first week of June I stayed home and read. I read "In Harms Way" by Doug Stanton, describing the attack and survival of the crewmembers of the US Cruiser Indianapolis; I read a book titled "Stiff" by Mary Roach who clearly believes that the shell of humans should be donated to research after the soul has departed. I read "The Darwin Awards", by Wendy Northcutt who realizes that mankind is still evolving with many still lacking the ability to reason proven by their sudden demise.

And then I read "Mosquitoes" by Andrew Spielman and Michael D'Antonio. This book goes into detailed history of a small creature that was able to defend countries from invading warriors such as Attila The Hun.

From "Mosquitoes" I found out that the French started construction of the Panama Canal, but could not finish the project partially due to the mosquito. While reading this book and in particular the chapter Man Against Mosquito, I found a new hero in Dr. William Crawford Gorgas, conqueror of mosquitoes and world traveler. Of course he traveled the world to find out more about the disease-carrying pest and how to control them making his travels just a benefit of his occupation.

The French started construction in Panama in 1881 after successfully completing the Suez Canal. The French invested the equivalence of 3 billion dollars on the construction of the Panama Canal Around 1884 it was thought that 3 out of 4 Frenchman died in Panama because of the mosquitoes. After the United States took over the project in 1904, Gorgas was called in to eradicate the mosquito. One of the very first things that he did was to order the removal of all water holding vessels that would permit mosquitoes to breed. This also included the "cute" little rings around trees where flowers were planted around offices, sleeping quarters and hospitals that the French had installed to beautify the area. In two years Gorgas eliminated Yellow fever from the Canal Zone reducing the mortality rate to less than 2 percent compared to the 30 percent rate that the French had.

If you go back through previous newsletters or come by Rohde's you will see that we recommend perennial plants.

Why? Because plants will have a more extensive root system that will enable them to find water deep in the soil and become less dependant on regular watering.

So? So, this means that the soil around an established plant that does not require regular watering may not be damp enough to attract mosquitoes that may deposit their eggs in the area.

For years I have been complaining about peoples desire to install begonias, impatiens, pansies and other annual flowers around trees. I discourage this more for the possible damage to the trees, but now I have one other reason. The shade of the trees may not allow the soil to dry enough to discourage mosquitoes when annual flowers get watered on a regular basis.

Another thing that I found out while reading this book is that after mosquitoes suck blood they become so heavy that they will fly only as far as they have to in order to reach an upright object to rest on. This object can be a wall or the trunk of a tree. The mosquito will rest in an upright position with the anus downward so that the water will separate from the blood, which she will use to nourish the eggs that will soon be deposited.

As the scientist found out more about the mosquito and its needs for rest after eating they started recommending applications of DDT on all walls inside dwellings as well as screening all windows and doors. This helped control mosquitoes and reduced cases of malaria, yellow fever and other fatal diseases, but traces of DDT were being found in mother's milk so it was discontinued in many countries around the world.

Well, I decided to do a test. I put out white butcher paper along the base of the wall of my garage. After 24 hours I checked the paper for mosquitoes. Did not find any. I then sprayed the wall with Green Sense Citrus-nella Repella . That night Victor had several friends over to play basketball and go swimming. The next day I checked the butcher paper and found 5 mosquitoes had fallen on it.

Now I recommend applying Citrus-nella Repella on ground covers and behind plants where moisture may accumulate as well as the sides of buildings, fences, trunks of trees and on foliage of plants that may have leather thick leaves. I recommend testing the spray on thinner leaves to make sure that it does not burn the foliage. Do not blanket spray everything. Concentrate on plants that are in shadier areas and not in full sun.

During the month of June I received several phone calls from customers who were finding dead birds in their lawns and I decided to call the City of Dallas Health Service, Mosquito Control Department and ask them how they processed the hundreds of calls that they must receive concerning dead birds.

The lady I talked to reminded me that not all birds died from mosquito bites and most of them normally die from accidentally flying into windows. A bird can get knocked out from flying into a window and fall to the ground where it may die, however many times it may recover and fly away only to die a short distance away.

When a call comes into the city concerning a dead bird the city responds by collecting the information about that bird, if the information meets certain criteria for testing, it is collected and sent for testing for West Nile Virus.

Yes, people do become concerned when they see a dead bird during mosquito season but rarely does a bird die from West Nile virus.

On a recent inspection of a home that contracted us for mosquito control I found several breeding spots where a little preventative maintenance could help reduce the mosquito population.

Obviously the gutters need some attending. As the leaves breakdown and accumulate in the gutter a thin layer of dust can start to form and with the moisture be a perfect condition for breeding.

This grate meant to drain water from the driveway was clogged with leaves and soil causing a back up that let soil accumulate next to a curb creating more breeding area.

The cut off valve for the irrigation system could not be seen without lifting the lid but when opened, mosquitoes were seen inside.

Things to Do in July

This is a good time to fertilize the lawn and garden, but it is also a good time to do extra garden chores to get things ready for the soon to come heat.

Spray all vegetation with Green Sense Kelp.

Kelp will help roots develop and increase moisture intake.

Kelp will increase the chlorophyll in a plant. The chlorophyll shows up as the green color in foliage. When a plant is healthy and has dark green leaves it will be able to capture more light for use in production of food. Leaves that are yellow and lacking chlorophyll may actually burn in too much sunlight.

Kelp will help plants through stressful environmental changes cause by excessive heat and cold temperatures.

Kelp will help prevent infestations of small sucking insects like aphids, spider mites and white flies.

Place a thin layer of compost over all bed areas and then add a layer of mulch to retain soil moisture and decrease ground temperatures.

The Lawn

Mow the lawn at a higher level and as always change mowing directions frequently.

Place a thin layer of compost over the lawn.This can be in conjunction with a fertilizer application or instead of. We recommended using a product from Back to Nature called Nature's Blend. This product contains cotton burs, manure, alfalfa and humate and is fine screened so that it will go through a spreader.

Water when the grass needs water. Lawns can do well with 1 to 1 ½ inches of water per week Water early in the morning when the wind is calm.

Even if you checked your sprinkler system last month take some time to go through station by station to make sure that everything is working properly.

Know your cities watering requirements. It is important to know on what days and at what times you can water. Hopefully cities will be more forceful with their water laws and give out citations for misuse of watering devices and to those who water during a rain.

Insects

During normal summers we have problems with insects and disease. I do not think that this year will be any different so I will be on the lookout for:

Chinch Bugs: Chinch bug damage usually happens when the lawn is hot and dry, and the damage may appear next to sidewalks and driveways. Bermuda grass seems to have more damage by chinch bugs then St. Augustine. Chinch bugs are easy to control with Diatomaceous Earth.

Brown Patch: Even though a lot of people complained about brown patch on their lawns in the early spring and many people treated religiously with corn meal or potassium bicarbonate the high humidity and overcast days in May and early June did not improve the problem. Keep treating on a regular basis and remember that the Potassium Bicarbonate is applied at a rate of two tablespoons per gallon of water applied over 400 square feet. Corn meal goes out at a rate of 10 pounds per 1000 square feet repeat application ever 7 to 10 days.

Powdery Mildew: Many plants that are not in well-ventilated areas are susceptible to moist conditions such as high humidity and poor drainage. Potassium Bicarbonate is my preferred product for control of Powdery Mildew.

Grasshoppers: Will continue to plague us for several months. As a way to discourage these critters you can apply Nolo Bait for long-term results. Also spray Kaolin Clay on to the leaves of plants with hopes of disguising them with a sickly powdery mildew substance to discourage grasshoppers from grazing on your pretty plants.

College testing has proven that Kaolin Clay is actually beneficial for plants. The Kaolin Clay will cover the plants blocking sunlight therefore plants will transpire less.

Webworms:T hese caterpillars are more of an eyesore on a beautiful tree and can cause very little damage. In rare cases a tree can be heavily infested and have most of the leaves eaten by these caterpillars causing death in rare situations.

My preferred product for control of caterpillars is one that contains Bacillus Thurngiensis kurstaki (BT k).

The toxins produced by the bacteria are ingested by the caterpillar and clogs their digestive tract. We sell Dipel and Thuricide, but also recommend Tricogramma Wasp as natural predators of caterpillars. Once released TW's usually populate the area leaving future generations for natural control.

This is one of two parts of a series written by Warren Johnson, Marketing Director for Green Sense, to further your understanding of natural gardening.

A Common Sense Guide to Natural Gardening

by Warren Johnson

The purpose of this guide is to provide the reader with an objective source of information on gardening products and methods that are safe for people, pets and the environment.

Organic gardening is not rocket science. A good beginning for most people is the realization that nature got along fine before we started trying to improve on it and will get along fine if we stop.

There is a natural life cycle in nature that will serve us quite well as long as we don't do anything to interrupt it.

This guide has two sections, the first concentrates on preparing new ground. The second focuses on existing situations.

Section One: Preparing New Ground

Remove existing plant material, either by hand or by applying a drench of 10% to 20% grain-based vinegar solution. If you elect to use a glyphosate based herbicide such as Roundup to remove plant material, first do your homework. The internet is an excellent source of information on synthetic pesticides and herbicides.

Add organic matter. Horticulturists the world over agree that the number one solution to most soil and plant problems is compost. Till as much compost (up to 6") into your native soil as your budget will allow. Do not import soil from an outside source. If you don't already have a compost pile, start one. Rule of Thumb: In clay soils you may use up to one part compost to two parts native soil. In sands you may use up to a half and half mixture.

Cotton Burr Compost is tops when it comes to conditioning the soil. It's a natural organic fertilizer and excellent food source for beneficial organisms. It is highly prized for its ability to break up clay soils and holds as much moisture as peat moss. There are several brands of cotton burr compost available, but in my opinion, Back To Nature, Inc. of Slaton, Texas makes the best Cotton Burr Composts and Blends on the market. Be careful when you buy cotton burr compost. Look at the ingredients. Many products that call themselves cotton burr compost are actually blends of different ingredients with a little cotton burr compost added.

As a rule of thumb I would suggest avoiding any compost product unless the manufacturer is a member of the United States Composting Council.

If cotton burr compost is not available in your area, mushroom compost and animal manures are probably the next best choice. Yard waste composts made from grass clippings, leaves, etc. are next, although they may contain traces of synthetic herbicides and pesticides. Avoid peat moss and wood-based composts. The reason peat is prized as a container growing medium are the same reasons it has little value as a soil conditioner, it is sterile and has no nutrient value. Wood and wood based composts, unless they are fully composted, tie up nitrogen in the soil.

A common misconception is that unless compost is fine textured it is not fully composted. While that may be true for wood and yard waste based products, it is not true for cotton burr compost. Back To Nature Cotton Burr Compost is composted for up to four months at temperatures approaching 150°F eliminating pathogens, chemicals, weeds and insects. Once the compost process is complete it is screened to the desired size. For use as a soil conditioner Back To Nature, Inc. recommends their coarse screened Cotton Burr Compost. It contains both fine and coarse particles up to one inch maximum particle size for maximum aeration and long life in the soil. Back To Nature's fine screened products are screened to ¼ inch particle size for specific uses such as top dressing existing lawns.

A word about composts made from or containing bio-solids; a catch phrase for municipal sewer sludge. When properly composted, bio-solids are a good source of nutrients and trace minerals. I don't recommend them for use on food crops.

The ratio of carbon to nitrogen in organic matter to be composted is important because the microorganisms responsible for digesting organic matter are carbon eaters. Nitrogen is an important factor in the digestion process and must be present in sufficient quantity in the organic matter they are attempting to digest or they will take it from their surroundings, depriving surrounding plants of the nitrogen they need for growth. Wood and wood by-products are low in nitrogen, grass clippings are high. A simple rule of thumb will tell you how much nitrogen is in the organic matter being composted, ‘Green is nitrogen, brown is carbon’. If the organic material you are composting is low in nitrogen you may need to add nitrogen to the compost pile in the form of manures, grass clippings or even a synthetic nitrogen product. Technically speaking, a C/N (carbon/nitrogen) ratio of 22:1 is considered ideal. Cotton burr compost has such a C/N ratio.

Add lava sand at a rate of 40 to 80 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. Add Green Sense Humate at a rate of 15 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. Apply Green Sense Lawn & Garden Fertilizer at 20 lbs. per 1,000 square feet, and Green Sense Corn Meal and Dry Molasses at 10 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. In black and white (alkaline) soils add Green Sense Texas Green Sand at 40 lbs. per 1,000 square feet. In acid soils add high calcium lime at the same rate. Decomposed granite can also be added at the same rate as lava sand. It supplies trace minerals, has a high compaction rate and aids in drainage.

To re-establish a thriving colony of beneficial soil microorganisms, add Green Sense "Lawn & Garden Microbial Treatment". Last but not least, apply beneficial nematodes. They can be obtained from retailers who specialize in organic gardening products.

Congratulations! You've restored the natural cycle of nature to your little plot of ground. To keep it healthy, DON'T SPRAY CHEMICAL INSECTICIDES EVERY TIME YOU SEE A BUG OR YOU'LL UNDO ALL THE GOOD YOU'VE DONE! Remember, non-discriminate synthetic pesticides do as much harm to beneficial macro and micro-organisms as they do to insect pests. Use foliar applications, do not drench the soil with any insecticide.

Use native plants wherever possible and adopt established Xeriscaping methods to conserve water.