All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

urban farm | Tumblr – garden pests begone naturally

Terriers Repel Rodents and 9 other Organic Gardening Tips and Tricks

Here are a few organic solutions to control pests in your garden. I have used all of these methods with great success.

1) Leave saucers of water near plants. Since I started doing this, the squirrels no longer bite into my tomatoes on a hot day. A lot of people think the squirrels are being total assholes for biting into their tomatoes and leaving the rest of it on the vine to rot. They’re just thirsty and they want the juice. OK, they are sorta being total assholes, but it’s not personal. If you leave water in clay saucers in several spots in your yard, they won’t mess with your crops as much, unless they are really hungry. The dishes of water will also give the lizards and snakes a drink, and these guys help control pests. Birds need water too and eat a lot of bugs. If you add dishes of water on the ground, and get a birdbath and keep it filled, you will see a vast improvement in pest control.

2) We used to have a rodent problem, but now we have Terriers. Terriers like to chase critters. It’s their favorite hobby. Get a lovely Terrier from the Animal Rescue, and encourage him or her to chase away rodents.

I have several solutions for killing bugs on plants.

3) Soapy water in a spray bottle. Squirt about 1 tsp dish soap into a spray bottle, fill the rest of the way with water, shake it up and spray it on the undersides of the leaves where the bugs like to congregate. This kills whiteflies, aphids and bugs like that.

4) Another way to get rid of bugs is to sprinkle worm castings on the soil. They sell it in bags at the Nursery. This is a repellant and not a bug killer. It also helps to fertilize the plants, so I like to use this as much as possible. Good for repelling whitefly.

5) If it’s a slug / snail problem, you can make beer traps to kill them. Bury a small container like a yogurt cup up to soil level in any area of the garden where you see plant damage from Slugs and Snails, usually indicated by massive holes chewed in your Chard or greens. Pour some beer into the cup. They will go in and drown. They like beer more than they like to eat plants. So does everybody. You will find a lot of dead slugs and snails in the cup the next day. Dump it out and repeat until you get rid of those bastards.  Warning: A container full of dead slugs and snails is completely disgusting. Not for the squeamish.

6) Another way to get rid of the slugs and snails is with Beneficial Snails, called decollate snails, sold in the refrigerator case at the nursery or home improvement store. The good snails eat the baby destructive snails, but don’t eat your crops, because they would rather eat the meaty other slug and snails. This way is good because you pit creature against creature and let them duke it out amongst themselves, thereby eliminating the feeling that you are a bug murderer.

7) Praying Mantis’ and Ladybugs eat bad bugs too, and won’t damage your garden. They sell these guys at the nursery too, in the refrigerator case. Release them at night after a thorough watering of the area where you will release them. They are more likely to stick around if they have a cool drink of water once they get released from their container. I like this method a lot because it’s fun to see the Ladybugs and to be surprised by the occasional freaky-as-hell-looking Praying mantis. Don’t spray any soapy water on your beneficial bugs.

8) Another solution for slugs and snails is Iron Phosphate, which is organic, (it’s just Iron & Phosphorous), they sell it in canisters, usually called Sluggo. But this product will also kill your Decollate snails, so don’t use it if you’re trying to establish beneficials in your garden.

9) Garlic repels most bugs, but doesn’t really kill them unless it’s a strong enough solution. But a very strong garlic solution will also burn your plants.

10) Marigolds repel bugs. Plant them with tomatoes, peppers, squash.

 

Happy Gardening!

via urban farm | Tumblr.

Scientists Finally Pinpoint the Pathogen That Caused the Irish Potato Famine | Surprising Science

Based on their analysis of the genetic variation between the two strains and the other historical samples, they suggest that sometime in 1842 or 1843, the ancestor of the HERB-1 strain of P. infestans made it out of Mexico to North America and then to Europe, perhaps contained within the potatoes that ships carried as food for their passengers. Soon, it spread across the world, triggering famine in Ireland, and persisting until the 1970s, when it died out and was largely replaced by the US-1 strain. The two strains likely split apart sometime soon after their common ancestor made it out of Mexico.

The study is the first time that the genetics of a plant pathogen have been analyzed by extracting DNA from dried plant samples, opening up the possibility that researchers can study other plant diseases based on the historical collections of botanical gardens and herbaria around the world. Better understanding the evolution of plant diseases over time, the team says, could be instrumental in figuring out ways to breed more robust plant varieties that are resistant to the pathogens that infect plants today.

via Scientists Finally Pinpoint the Pathogen That Caused the Irish Potato Famine | Surprising Science.

Progress

Egyptian Streets

This is part two of the series ‘District of the Heart’ by Myrna Abbas. To read part one, click here.

I could tell they were both good people, as they sat there waiting. It was no surprise. One can always depend on us Egyptian folk, always so humble and incredibly hospitable toward strangers. I had missed that. A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth, and suddenly, my memory came rushing back. 

“I don’t live here. I’ve been living abroad for most of my life,” I started. “I don’t understand how I got here.” I scrunched my eyebrows together, deep in thought, trying to understand this crazy predicament. 

Abdul Rahman stood up slowly, and walked over to a wooden table wedged into the corner of the small room. He began slicing something, but I couldn’t make out what it was. I realized I hadn’t taken in my surroundings. The room was small, with…

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AmeriCorps Alums and the MSW@USC: Continuing to Make a Difference

A Lifetime Of Service

2-Line_SocialWork_CardOnWhite - CopyAmeriCorps Alums is excited to announce a new $5000 scholarship for AmeriCorps alumni at the University of Southern California top-ranked online Masters in Social Work degree program.  Read below about an alum who’ll be completing the program this spring and to learn more about how you can be part of the MSW program.

After two AmeriCorps tours working with adolescents and their families in the juvenile justice system, earning a master’s degree in social work was the natural next step for Jennifer Martin. The AmeriCorps alumna wanted to expand her expertise and continue making an immediate difference in her community. The University of Southern California’s web-based MSW@USC is allowing her to do just that — without having to relocate to the West Coast.

“I’m expanding my previous knowledge working with adolescents and their families by incorporating specific theories and interventions. During my concentration year placement I was placed within a…

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Untold Stories of Rape in Lebanon

Too many people for too long have let themselves believe that if they do not hear about “it,” “it” is not happening. That has allowed way too many abusers abuse whomever they wish.

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

I didn’t know prior to yesterday that many people thought stories of rape couldn’t possibly go undetected for years. I didn’t know prior to yesterday that somehow I lived in my own version of Lebanese reality where I’m exposed to little tidbits of everything that most of us hear about in theory, in realms of fiction we never think would happen to people who are close to us in any way.

News of rape attempts surfaced frequently over the past few days. Some were verified (link), others are still just stories and may have been made up, causing a disservice to every single person out there in this country still feeling the sting of the pain but going through their days anyway.

Because there’s this notion that rape in Lebanon, and possibly other countries, surfaces quickly and cannot go unnoticed for a long period of time, I will…

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SARS-like coronavirus possibly found in New York | Vaccine News Daily

CDC Should investigate and now! Nurses at St. Luke’s hospital in New York claimed on Saturday that there are several cases of a new SARS-like virus in the hospital’s ICU.

This is one of many new reports of the coronavirus.  Most notably, there has been a recent outburst of the novel coronavirus in Saudi Arabia, which is believed to be a close relative to the cases in New York.

Novel coronavirus, also known as nCoV and Saudi SARS, is a new type of coronavirus that was discovered in 2012. Saudi SARS is closely related to the more famous SARS, which has been labeled Hong Kong SARS to avoid confusion, and is believed to have originated with an unknown animal species.

SARS works by evading the innate immune responses and disrupting interferon production in the cells. The result is a severe acute pneumonia, which can eventually lead to renal failure and death.

The nurses at St. Luke’s believe the cases are misdiagnosed and that these patients in the ICU are, in fact, infected with this new, deadly virus. One of the nurses who spoke out about this potential outbreak is now hospitalized with flu-like symptoms.

Though the hospital has not confirmed or denied any of the rumors, an online message board believes it is merely a case of influenza B. The nurses continue to dispute this.

via SARS-like coronavirus possibly found in New York | Vaccine News Daily.

Study: Pest control method for dengue mosquitoes 96 percent effective | Vaccine News Daily

Scientists from Oxitec partnered with Moscamed and the University of Sao Paulo to carry out field studies of Oxitec’s sterile genetically engineered OX513A mosquitoes against dengue mosquitoes. In 6 months a 96 percent reduction in the wild mosquito population was seen and the decrease was sustained for an additional 7 months thereafter.

via Study: Pest control method for dengue mosquitoes 96 percent effective | Vaccine News Daily.

Would love to believe this could be effective in long run but it cannot. Dengue and mosquitoes are not just “pests” or accidents of nature. They serve a purpose. When humans disrupt the environment or move into territory that favors the growth of mosquitoes that carry dengue, humans get sick. We need to understand its role and how to keep us in balance and them as well.

Brownie, Cookie, and Other Food Mixes Recalled for Salmonella | Food Safety News

Eco-Cuisine of Boulder, Colorado is recalling all lots of several types of food mixes, including: Basic Brownie Mix, Betty Brownie Mix with Vanilla, Ground Beef Style Quick Mix, Sausage Style Quick Mix, Chocolate Cookie Mix, Lemon Muffin Mix, English Scone Mix, Basic Cookie Mix (25 lb. bag), Basic Muffin Mix (25 lb. bag), Basic Scone Mix (25 lb. bag), because the products may be contaminated with Salmonella,

via Brownie, Cookie, and Other Food Mixes Recalled for Salmonella | Food Safety News.