Category Archives: pests and pesticides

Getting The Jump On The Equinox

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SO many bugs are benign! Ladybugs Prefer Meteorological Spring It’s Spring! Sort of. For some reason, every news source seems to be discovering that, according to the meteorological seasonal system, today is the official First Day Of Spring. Those of … Continue reading

Posted in Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Pollinators, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Stay Strong, Eat Real Honey

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Avoid adulterated honey; buy local! Calming And Decluttering Like so many people, I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and battered by the news lately. If breaking news is breaking your spirit, take a break and focus on something positive. While reading through … Continue reading

Posted in Annual Color, Butterfly Gardens, Care & Feeding, Garden Prep, Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing, Nutrition, pests and pesticides, Plant Diversity, Pollination Gardens, Pollinators, Recipes, Social Justice, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Aroma Therapy

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Midnight Snack tomatoes Stop And Smell The Garden I spent the weekend weeding, cutting back weary perennials, ripping out spent annuals, trimming back tomatoes to coax the last fruits to ripen, planting garlic and sweet peas. Every time I pulled … Continue reading

Posted in Care & Feeding, Hardy Herbs, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Tomatoes, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Beware Invasive Bugs

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If you’re freaking out about Asian Giant Hornets, bee killers that pack a bullet-like sting, calm down. So far, only a few have been found near the Canadian Border (Blaine and Custer), but Washington State Department of Agriculture entomologists are asking us to take pictures and report any possible examples. They are NOT asking us to kill bumblebees; sadly, over-enthusiastic folks have been waging war on the wrong insect, killing valuable, gentle bees that are prime pollinators. However, please DO be on the watch for Southern Green Stink Bugs (Nezara viridula), bright green, shield-shaped insects that develop black and white spots on their bottom half as they mature. I recently found some of these admittedly beautiful bugs on Bainbridge Island. When ID’d on line, I discovered that they are also being tracked by the WSDA as recent and worrisome invasive pests for farmers as well as gardeners. Continue reading

Posted in Health & Wellbeing, Hoarding, pests and pesticides, Pollinators, Social Justice, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments