Don’t Let Bugs Ruin The Fourth
On Tuesday July Fourth many of us will celebrate our nation’s 219th birthday with picnics and barbecues. You can bet this year will be no different than the 218 years before it. We’ll be sharing our lunch and our space with colonies of unwelcome guests: flies, mosquitoes, yellowjackets and ants. Here are a few suggestions for dealing with these poachers:
Flies: The eating habits of this little, black, flying critter are downright disgusting. Without going into the gory details, suffice it to say don’t let flies walk across your food. The immature stage of the fly is called a maggot. Need I say more?
Discourage this pest by keeping all food covered. Wrap household waste tightly in newspaper and dispose of it promptly. Make sure all trash container lids fit securely. Keep all animal feces removed from the lawn or nearby pastures.
Fly traps work, but only after the party’s over. When our food is gone, the only tempting thing left is the greenish poison in the jar. Sticky flypaper is a little better, but, oh, what a gross wallhanging. The best weapon is a good old-fashioned fly swatter.
Yellowjackets: These scavengers are beneficial wasps that feed on organic matter. However, I don’t consider myself, or my hamburger, organic matter. Yet they will sting with little or no provocation and cart off chunks of food twice their size. Many a picnic has been ruined by a wasp hidden in a beverage can. They’ve delivered dangerous stings to throats and mouths. Play it safe by keeping open beverage cans covered when you’re not drinking, or better yet, pour the beverage into a glass. This way you can spot the wasp easily. And don’t wear brightly colored clothing or perfume.
This year we may not see as many yellowjackets because of our moist spring. But if they do become a threat to you, there are a couple of things you can do:
Traps work to a point. But you may only trap a few hundred, when there are thousands out there.
Baits work a little better, but they are slow. The wasp takes the poison bait back to its hive where it contaminates the entire colony. A simple bait is tuna mixed with diazinon or sevin. Keep it out of reach of children and animals.
Ants: What would a picnic be without ants? Just throw them a few crumbs and honey and enjoy your lunch. There are too many of them to battle.
Mosquitoes: Finally the chance to relax after a long day of play. The battle begins. We swat and slap and still we’re poked.
Female mosquitoes must have a blood meal before they can produce eggs. Males, on the other hand, feed on plant juices - they don’t bite. Eggs are laid in any water - from lakes to water sitting in the rim of an old tire. The larvae (often called wrigglers) develop very quickly into adults. The majority of the larvae must be female, because there sure are a lot of these gals out there with an insatiable desire for my blood.
It is difficult to control mosquitoes. No matter where we live or how careful we are, evening spells mosquitoes. Repellents containing DEET are very effective on skin and clothing. Avon’s Skin-So-Soft really does work. You might also try adding a little extra vitamin B to your diet. Burning citronella candles or pyrethrum incense will help ward them off outside. The scented geranium, advertised as the mosquito plant, is only a scented geranium.
There are organic insecticides for larvae control in ponds. Check with your reputable garden center before applying any pesticide to water. You may not spray chemical insecticides into any body of water without an aquatic license.
Enjoy the great outdoors. Watch for the flies, protect yourself against the mosquitos and share a little lunch with the rest.
Note: Through July, the Finch Arboretum will be hosting free environmental classes for both adults and children entitled “Branch Out.” Adult classes include Inviting Birds to Your Yard, Proper Pruning, Butterfly Gardens and Native Plants. Children’s classes include Making Paper Boats, Making Bird Feeders and Worm Painting. For more information and to register, call 625-6664.