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Garden "Pests"
Coming to terms with 3D reality in the midst of all the "enchantment".
Date: 9/4/2016 1:42:29 PM ( 8 y ) ... viewed 2236 times June 15, 2018 -
There might be only one "fellow gardener" (LOL) who could possibly appreciate the following quote - but I do not "hold my breath" about that!:
"...
It takes 7 to 10 days for a mosquito to mature from an egg to an adult. So, if you empty and replace the water in your bird bath at least every five days, mosquitoes will not be able to complete their life cycle. Fresh water is also healthier for the birds who visit the bath as well!"[5]
A number of days ago this "one 'fellow gardener' (LOL)" resounded their concerns about infectious disease arising from parts of nature deemed to be breeding grounds for carriers such as mosquitos. Rather than have to question the objective reality for this (which my sense of logic naturally asks for) I silently acquiesced. In the next day of my groundskeeping I emptied the bird bath of its water. Afterword I was inspired to search for a natural repellent for the birdbath. I just now got to doing this search and so glad I found the presentation of facts quoted above! I definitely will "empty and replace the water ... at least every five days" and therefore will refill the birdbath tomorrow! Allowing the birds to come to this birdbath is one of just a few little enjoyments that I have for the many hours of work I put into groundskeeping each week. I much prefer to continue having the joy over having resentment!
"Joy to the world!
All the boys and girls.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea
Joy to you and me!"[6] -
And joy to the birds - we have doves! (And they had mites ; ~ ) !
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The following is from a free online report and offers the very best info I've found to date on a totally -
Nontoxic Ant Control Using Integrated Pest Management -
"... many tools and strategies for nontoxic pest control - using them together is known as Integrated Pest Management - a synthesis of combining tools from different areas to achieve a more total pest control.
Maintenance -
1.) Primary to ant control is proper cleanliness, housekeeping, and maintenance. Next is to locate and destroy ant nest(s).
2.) Remove all clutter and debris inside and outside - it is often when doing this we locate the ant infestation.
3.) Trim all tree and bush branches that touch or overhang the building. Remove any landscaping that harbors or invites the ants into the building. Landscape mulch should be thin, less than 2” deep. Dig up ant nests / mounds repeatedly.
4.) Practice proper sanitation and improve drainage around building.
5.) Eliminate moisture problems and improve ventilation. Install and maintain dehumidifiers in damp areas.
6.) Caulk or seal all visible cracks, crevices or other openings around the perimeter of the building.
7.) Keep food and garbage properly stored away from ants. Make sure people eat only in designated areas.
8.) Routinely clean food areas: floors, counters, sinks, garbage bins, with a solution of Safe Solutions TweetMint Enzyme Cleaner (1 oz. per gallon water) with either a ½ cup of borax or baking soda per gallon of hot water. Use this cleaner to mop and wash surfaces.
Crawling children should be kept off the borax cleaned floor. Spray kitchen surfaces with a solution of distilled white vinegar, or baking soda.
9.) Vacuum the infested areas thoroughly daily. If you are dry-vacuuming live ants, add a small amount of Safe Solutions Food-Grade DE, talcum or medicated body powder to the dry vacuum first. If you are wet-vacuuming live ants, add a small amount of Safe Solutions TweetMint Enzyme Cleaner or liquid detergent to the wet-vacuum first.
Nontoxic Ant Sprays -
1.) Spray ants with a solution of Safe Solutions TweetMint Enzyme Cleaner (1 oz. per quart water), or diluted dish soap (2 oz. - 4 oz. per quart water) in a spray bottle.
2.) Spray ants with Safe Solutions Not Nice to Bugs®.
3.) Mix 10% salt and some white pepper or Tobasco sauce in water and spray to repel ants.
4.) Blend 1 clove of garlic, 1 onion, 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper and 1 quart water. Steep mixture for 1 hour, strain, add 1 tablespoon of liquid soap and spray it for ant control.
Ant Barriers & Repellents -
1.) You can dust to deter ants with any of these nontoxic alternatives: Safe Solutions Food-Grade DE, talcum powder, medicated body powder, baking soda, Splenda®, dried peppermint, cinnamon, salt, freshly ground pepper (cayenne), garlic powder, cream of tartar, bone meal, powdered charcoal, cedar oil, Tide®soap, calcium chloride Bon Ami® or Comet®. Lightly blow or sprinkle the powder into the corners, cracks, crevices etc. where you have seen the ants infesting or entering building. A light layer works better than a heavy layer.
2.) Cucumber peels and damp coffee grounds are also known to repel ants.
3.) Create a barriers where you do not want them to cross. Draw a line with chalk, or anchor a strip of duct tape sticky-side up in places where ants are seen crossing.
4.) Ant Repellent - Dilute geraniol in olive oil.
5.) Fire Ant Repellent: Sprinkle talc, medicated body powder, or Food-Grade DE onto exposed skin/clothing.
6.) Outdoor Ant Repellent: Mix 10½ oz. water, 3 oz. Tabasco sauce, and ½ oz. Safe Solutions TweetMint Enzyme Cleaner. Spray where ants are seen around the perimeter of the home or building.
7.) Find the ants' entrance and block it with a patch of petroleum jelly, toothpaste, white glue or tape. Spray them with Fantastic®, WD40®, Vaseline® or STP® oil treatment.
8.) Locate the place of ant entry, squeeze the juice of a lemon into it and leave the peel.
9.) Flood ant nests with a dilution of one of the following: Safe Solutions TweetMint Enzyme Cleaner (3 gallons warm water to 4 - 5 oz. TweetMint Enzyme Cleaner), Safe Solutions Food-Grade DE (4 tablespoons per gallon of water), or a dilution of orange juice, Lemon Joy®, Splenda®, peppermint or white vinegar.
10.) Ant mounds or nests can be gased with a carbon dioxide tank or a high pressure steamer.
11.) Ants nests in hollow tree trunks: First dust the nest with Safe Solutions Food-Grade DE, talcum powder and then fill the cavity with aerosol foam insulation, and turn the ants into "instant fossils". Put bands of cedar oil, Tanglefoot, Vaseline, fluoride toothpaste, or duct tape (sticky-side up) around the perimeter of the infested tree(s).
Nontoxic Ant Baits -
Note: Baiting works best when proper sanitation measures have eliminated the ant's alternative food sources. Most ants living in a house or other structure are typically feeding on people food and only rarely on honeydew. Ant food preferences are often seasonal, and their foraging needs can and do vary hourly.
1.) Ant baits should be used when the temperature is above 70° F and less than 90° F, and kept out of rain.
2.) Place baits where you see ants. The only way to eliminate ants permanently is to destroy the queen(s), thefore the ants must be able to carry the bait back to the queen. If the ants are dying near the bait, it may be too strong. However, if you still have ants after two weeks, the bait is too weak.
3.) Ant baits should be made by first finding their preferred food source, (e.g. apple sauce, creamy peanut butter, shortening, sugar water, moist cat food, honey, light Karo Syrup, jelly) and then lightly mixing in a small amount of borax or boric acid (about 1% - 2%); or (3% - 5%) Food-Grade DE, or aspartame (Equal® or Nutrasweet®).
4.) Use a variety of baits. Try adding a little diluted Tagmet, aspartame or baking soda to your ant baits.
5.) Make a bait mixture of 50% baking soda and 50% powdered sugar.
6.) Make a bait mixture of 50% instant grits and 50% packets of Equal®.
7.) Make a bait mixture of 1/3 powdered sugar, 1/3 baking soda and 1/3 powdered Vitamin C.
8.) Spray dry dog food with diluted 1% borax or sodium borate; let dry and grind to powder and then use as ant bait. This bait will also kill rats and mice. If you are a smoker, wear clean gloves before handling bait. Keep borax / borate baits away from children, pets and wildlife.
9.) Bait until the ants quit taking the bait.[7]
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September 4, 2016 -
This site says:
“We live on one gigantic ant hill!”![1]
Oh yeah -
My fellow gardeners and I are witnessing this every day right inside our home!
We've tried most everything we can to resist the heavy traffic through our kitchen and bathrooms to the point of exhaustion. There's a consensus building for calling an exterminator service. The thought of which wasn't being entertained by the manager cause we don't want the toxic chemicals inside our "organic" home. Now a fellow gardener has found "Hearts" (linked below) and it appears they offer a free inspection!
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June 8, 2017 -
Nine months later (almost to the day) and "the manager" has now caved in to "calling an exterminator service" for fleas!!!
I had to research the insecticides and glad I did as I also got validation for the alternatives.[2]
As it turns out "Vacuuming is highly effective at removing fleas in any life stage from their favorite haunts: carpets, cushioned furniture, floor cracks and crevices, and pet play structures."[2] However, I guess that is too much work for some of my "fellow gardeners". I do know at least one says they "hate housecleaning!" And three others refuse to clean beyond their personal spaces because they have no agreement to do so. One avoids it. That leaves four of us to carry the load of everything beyond the bedrooms. Of these four two are active cleaners. I could do more however all my hours that I've agreed to do are "eaten up" by cleaning after others! Therefore I hardly get to do the "deep cleaning" that is needed here on an ongoing basis. I could do more vacuuming. Also "Hot, soapy water acts as an effective means to kill fleas in all life stages with no health risk to pets or people."[2] I could clean with "Hot, soapy water" as well!
In any case I now have a list of the "Pesticide Flea Treatments to Avoid"[2]
Later this day -
It appears that there may be a "pause" now with regards to proceeding with the exterminator service, My fellow gardeners and I received the folding in a message from the manager:
"My decision to use a chemical pesticide in my home was a moment of weakness, a test of blind faith in a system that was supposed to protect me from harm. ...
Yet, the desire for quick, no-fuss ways to get rid of bugs will never fade. Without additional protections, unwary consumers will continue to turn to chemical products they assume are safe. They will find that they may be protected from bugs — but not from harm."[3]
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September 28, 2017 - 1st "The Ants" the "The Fleas" and most recently "The Mighty Mites"!!!
Fortunately in this "Act III" the timing aligns with the current Sun Transit through Line 3 of the 18th Hexagram and offers us:
"The energetic obsession to clean house."
We entered Gate 18, Line 3 at 16:47 UT (11:47 AM Pacific) today, September 28, 2017 and continuing to 8:42 AM 9-29.
Earlier today a new acquaintance invited me to share my "interpretation" of her Human Design BodyGraph tomorrow. I replied withe reference to the major house cleaning "obsession" that has risen today and suggested that we wait till the pathways here are clear. My new acquaintance agreed on allowing for right timing. Moments ago I verified that the pathways tonight continue be "showcases" of the stuff removed from the back porch.
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Notes:
[1] http://m.heartspm.com/pest-control-san-diego
[2] https://www.pesticideresearch.com/site/?page_id=2933
[3] Quoted from an article by Sue Eisenfeld originally published in the May issue of Health Affairs and posted:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health/she-had-her-house-sprayed-for-fleas-and-then-the-trouble-began/2011/04/21/AFmjC49G_story.html?utm_term=.0eecc9eccabd
[4] http://www.ihdschool.com/Tdv
[5] http://dcmosquitosquad.com/ways-to-keep-mosquitoes-out-of-bird-baths/
[6] "Joy To The World" By: Three Dog Night.
[7] http://www.stephentvedten.com/15_Ant_Control.htm
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