They started out as pets, perhaps living in little boys’ bedrooms, being shown off to friends and wrapping around arms. But then the Burmese pythons grew, and grew, and grew (about 7 feet in a year), and they weren’t so cute or easy to deal with any more.

So, trying to do the right thing, their owners gently released them into the wild, near the large, shallow “river of grass” that flows through much of south Florida, known as the Everglades.

Problem solved.

Not quite. Those pet pythons grew — up to 20 feet long and 250 pounds –and they eat anything from deer to bobcats to wood storks to endangered species. Less than a decade ago, there were only a few in the Everglades. Today, more than 100,000 of them are slithering around south Florida, crushing what was an already delicate ecosystem.

Even though the state is aggressively trying to find them and restrict the sale of them as pets, the python hunters will never catch up. And the giant reptiles are spreading, south into the Florida Keys and north into Central Florida. One estimate predicts they will eventually inhabit about one-third of the United States.

And that’s not taking global warming into account.

If there’s any wisp of a silver lining to this mess, it’s that the python problem has turned the nation’s attention toward the depth and scope of invasive exotic animals, fish, reptiles and plants.

The U.S. spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year to try and staunch the flow of invasive species. But the damage the invaders cause brings that total to about $35 billion annually, according to National Invasive Species Council. Worldwide, the economic toll from invasives tops $1.4 trillion, according to the Nature Conservancy, which publishes a list of ways people can help reduce that number.

The invaders tend to spread rapidly, eating or killing the food and habitats of native species. They can clog streams and rivers, alter entire ecosystems and potentially wipe out endangered species. They can cause major forest fires, destroy rangeland and even decrease tourism.

It’s hard to put a number on them in the US: The Fish and Wildlife Department estimates as many as 50,000 non-natives are here now, but of those, about 4,300 are trouble-making invasives.

“I can tell you that for the Nature Conservancy, wherever we work, globally and nationally, invasive species have been identified as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity,” said Doria Gordon, the Director of Conservation Science for Florida’s chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

Though relatively few imports become invasive, when they do, they can become a monumental problem, she said. Florida is a state where climate, population and ports create an ideal environment for voracious invasives. Reptiles such as monitor lizards, Cuban tree frogs and iguanas are growing quickly and gobbling up native species. “The Cuban frogs are capable of eating most of our native tree frogs,” she said.

The animals and reptiles may be more interesting, but it is the plants that really wreak havoc on the environment. They take over because, as exotics, they lack natural pests in their new territory. (Just as invading wildlife is able to run amok because their natural predators live on another continent.)

“Hydrilla and water hyacinth have been problems for years,” she said. “They constrain navigation and water flow, create hazards to navigation and power generation,” she said.

But Gordon reserves special scorn for a plant that poses perhaps the biggest threat to Florida’s native areas: Old World climbing fern.

Calling it a fern is misleading – it’s more like ivy on steroids. Native to Africa and Asia, Old World found its way into a nursery decades ago. Now, it covers large swaths of Florida’s uninhabited land, rapidly moving north thanks to wind-blown spores. Old World blankets the ground, bushes and even the top of forests, smothering everything it covers – like a leafy version of The Blob.

How can such a pervasive plant be controlled? “We try to contain them. At the edges, where densities are low, we can keep knocking them backwards,” Gordon said. Right now the northern boundary of Old World climbing fern’s range is near Orlando. “We’re now starting to look for spores in the air there,” she added.

“The real effort is to find a biological agent that can control the vine,” Gordon said, rather than using huge quantities of pesticides. Finding a living thing to battle back another living thing has only worked for a few species. “It’s difficult to find one that will only attack that specific species and not anything else.”

Hawaii is a perfect example of such well-intentioned plans gone wrong.

First Polynesians, then Europeans, arrived to the islands with their dogs, pigs, lizards, plants, cattle and sheep. The Westerners, unfortunately, brought along rats, too. The rats ate sugar cane and the unique flightless birds of the islands. To kill the rats, the mongoose was brought in. Unfortunately, the mongoose ate the birds, not the rats. Rats are nocturnal and the mongoose is not. Thus, dozens of the dwindling species of rare birds in Hawaii were wiped out.

Today, Hawaii’s struggle with non-native plants, animals and reptiles is worse than any other state, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Unleashing one exotic to battle another has happened on the mainland as well, according to Richard Mack, professor in the school of biological sciences at Washington State University. “Ironically, most of our problems we brought upon ourselves. Two-thirds of the plant invaders were deliberately introduced (via horticulture), and it backfired,” he said.

“The problem is that we don’t have a good handle on this. The funds, resources, they haven’t been allocated.”

There’s a cycle to it all, Mack said. “One of these invaders arises and causes havoc. There’s a call to deal with it and it takes a sustained effort and incredible persistence to get rid of one of these species.

“There may be initial success – the population numbers go down. That’s mistakenly taken as a sign that public funds can be pulled back. But these are living organisms, so they go back and build up their populations and it gets as bad as it was before,” he said.

Thus, money to combat the invasives dries up, and often the task of trying to control the pests falls on area communities.

One of the bad actors in the U.S. now, Mack said, is cheatgrass. It came from Eurasia about 200 years ago. “It’s had a devastating effect in the far west,” he said. Despite its size, it is a strong competitor with native plant species and is a factor in major forest fires in California or Nevada. “It also causes downstream siltation and erosion in the river systems in the west,” Mack said.

And who can forget what has come to be known as the “Vietnam of entomology,” the fire ant fiasco in the Southwest?

I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that it will become increasingly fashionable, practical and accepted to do away with your perfectly coiffed green velvet, water-sucking, chemically dependent lawn…and replace it with…a vegetable garden!

I’m not saying the neighbors will rush into your newly composted, tomato and potato plot with tambourines or anything, just that they might not file a homeowner’s association complaint.

There are just too many trendsetters in this arena for the concept of literally laying down roots to not take hold.

Remember the Eat the View campaign? A modest kitchen gardener in Maine and his like-minded buddies pushed through a petition with some 100,000 signers convincing the Obamas to convert some turf to veggie gardening at the White House. The presidential garden, although still surrounded by fields of grass, has been warmly watched by veggie gardeners and struck just the right note in this year of economic hardship.

Even before that eco-event, artist and free-thinker Fritz Haeg, author of Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn was lapping the country, setting up demonstration projects and appealing to everyone to consider growing food instead of ornamental grasses that drink up valuable water.

Haeg is putting out a new edition of his book, by the way, and is seeking food-growing pioneers in Zones 3,4,5, and 9. Contact him and your garden may be featured in the 2010 edition of “Edible Estates.” Contact his assistant, Claire Zitzow, in Los Angeles (323-255-5998 or go through his website.)

For more on Haeg, who’s an artist who advocates “confrontations” with the status quo via gardening (as opposed to a gardener who sees artistry in plants), see our story about him during an appearance in Austin last year.

The lawn-seizing movement isn’t all about food. Many front yards, such as those with hot Western exposures or those with Northern orientations that lack the light for growing veggies, are better appointed with native shrubs and flowers. Native gardens not only conserve water, they lure pollinators, provide shelter for wildlife and can be sustained without chemicals.

The majority of landscapers are still wedded to installing ornamental non-native grasses and exotic blooming shrubs. (And no wonder, many homeowner’s associations require certain types of turf; not to mention our own entrenchment). But some designers are stepping out of the mold.

California landscaper Rama Nayeri, who has a degree in landscape architecture from California Polytechnic State University at Pomona, has been blogging about how to kill the grass. It ain’t easy. The blog features pictures of a project in Irvine by Nayeri’s Creations Landscape Design that shows less can be more when it comes to sacking the green carpet and going native. The result (see right) is lovely. No mowing required.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Very low doses of some types of the herbicide Roundup can disrupt human liver cell function; the formulations’ toxicity may be tied to their “inactive” ingredients rather than the active weed-killing ingredient glyphosate, according to a report this week from Environmental Health News.

French scientists report that a number of Roundup formulations tested at very dilute concentrations can alter hormone actions and cause human liver cells to die within 24 hours of treatment.

The toxicity of some of the formulations was independent of how much glyphosate – the active herbicide in Roundup – they contained, suggesting it is other “inert” ingredients that may alone – or in combination with each other and/or the weedkiller – assault the cells. This study’s results are similar to prior studies – as reported in a recent Environmental Health News article – that find human embryo cells are affected more by the Roundup formulations and an inert ingredient than by the active ingredient.

The levels of Roundup used in this study are similar to what is typically found in food crops or animal feed treated with Roundup. Because of this, it is possible that people, livestock and wildlife may be exposed to levels of the herbicide mix that can damage cells, the report says.

Bonnie Plants, which recently removed more than $1 million in tomato plants from retail nurseries in the Northeast, reported in a statement this week that the move was preventative and aimed at curtailing the spread of Late Blight.

The recall should not be taken as an indication that its plants were responsible for the blight that is threatening tomatoes and potatoes in the region, the company said.

The first reports of tomato blight in the Northeast came in late June, yet even two weeks later on July 7 government inspectors had not detected any blight among plants being cultivated by any of Bonnie’s 61 growers, Bonnie reported.

However, on that same day, five Bonnie tomato plants in a New Berlin NY greenhouse tested positive for the disease, eventually triggering Bonnie to recall tomato seedlings from stores in several states. Bonnie also took steps to spare that facility any further spread, according to the company news release.

The timing of the recall — coming just as the public was becoming aware of the blight — made it appear that Bonnie plants were somehow to blame. But, the well-known garden supplier maintains that its infected plants were more likely the victims of the blight, which had already been found in commercial fields.

Even though Bonnie could not be “justifiably targeted as the source for the recent Northeastern occurrence of Late Blight” it has “proactively, aggressively and responsibly” continued to monitor greenhouses, the release emphasized.

The recall of Bonnie plants has been reported in numerous news reports because the blight is so much worse this year than typically. It threatens the food supply of tomatoes, the livelihood of commercial growers and the success of home gardens, which are becoming more popular.

Dennis Thomas, general manager of Alabama-based Bonnie notes in the news release that Late Blight arises when the weather is cool and wet and there are host plants (tomatoes, potatoes and petunias) available.

Late Blight jumps from plants easily. Experts advise home growers to bag and dispose of any plants showing signs of Late Blight to rid the garden of the contagion.

For more information, see our story, Tomato plants going South up North, which includes links to websites that can help tomato cultivators identify blight and other diseases.

We’ve been looking at the parched parts of the yard and garden, and thinking about water, that precious commodity that’s been elusive in parts of the Southwest and over-abundant in the Northeast this year. You just can’t control rainfall. But you can capture it; direct it and supplement it with conservative watering strategies.

Here are some new (or newly revised) water-saving products for eco-minded veggie and flower gardeners.

• The Weed -Free Garden Watering Blanket by Evo Organic. This product performs as promised by providing a “blanket” that prevents weeds from overtaking your vegetable garden. We tried it out this spring and found that is was, indeed, a delight to not have to yank weeds. More importantly, an embedded drip irrigation hose sewn into the blanket served as a built-in watering system that kept watering to a minimum and helped prevent water loss to evaporation. This was the ingenious part, major water savings. Now for the downside: Rainfall hit the plants but ran off the blanket or remained on the surface of the blanket. So nature’s watering system was not as effective. The plants got a drink when it rained, via wet leaves, but the ground could not get a good soaking. Did some of the rain get through the blanket? We think so, but not to the degree we would have liked. The organic fertilizer that came with blanket kit ($69.95 MSRP) seemed to work just fine. The blanket and hose seemed durable enough for a few seasons. Still, those considering this product will have to decide how much relief they want from weed-pulling versus how much they want or need  their region’s natural rainfall.

• Here’s another drip line device, the generically named Green Vegetable Watering Kit as its called on the Home Depot website. You fill this device ahead of time and it releases the water very slowly, drip-watering a row of vegetables or herbs. It’s a neat idea, perfect for people on vacation or so busy they only want to think about watering the garden periodically. We’re not sure how this would hold up in a garden visited by aggressive little creatures or baked by a hot summer sun, and no one has reviewed it yet. It does look a little like something you could almost make yourself (except then it would certainly leak.) The price is reasonable enough ($19.99) to persuade some people to give it a try, people who’d rather come home to a garden salad than a garden demanding attention.

• We got pretty excited about this Waterstone Rain Barrel when we realized it could be used in places where neighbors might quibble with a big black plastic rain barrel (like the one we bought because its a recycled food container but had to hide behind a bush). Here is a device that exists to blend in. A spokesman for Emsco, the company that makes it, says sales are growing daily. Emsco offers other faux rock rain barrels as part of its “Rain Rescue” line, some in bigger sizes, as well as rocks for various garden uses. We like this one because it has a clear purpose, comes equipped with a diverter and hose, is made with 25 percent recycled resins and holds 40 gallons of rainwater — not bad for a rock. It’s also available at Home Depot ($99).

• We also were happy to find Algreen’s 81002 Agua Rain Water Collection and Storage System (who names these things?) This rain barrel looks like a large, nicely designed clay pot, something you might actually put out on the patio as decor. But it’s made of plastic, so it can hold rainwater. This one removes any aesthetic arguments against using a rain barrel that cranky neighbors might level at you. Now we’re past blending in, into standing out; but the functionality remains. This one also holds 50 gallons of rainwater and comes reasonably priced at Amazon (where it was $123 today). Amazon buyers give this this pot/barrel good reviews and vouch for it’s clay look “especially from a distance.” Some buyers did not like the “cheap hose” that came attached, and it doesn’t boast any recycled plastic (we’re also not sure how you get flowers to grow on top — maybe those are plastic too?). Still when you’ve got good looks…

• Even with the market bursting with all these innovative rain barrel reconfigurations, it’s nice to know you can still get a traditional-looking barrel. This Rain Wizard Rain Barrel (see, the names don’t seem to match the products at all) mimics a whiskey barrel and might look quite good with certain rustic architecture. It comes in four colors including a black that’s made from recycled plastic or a neighbor-pleasing oak or terra cotta. Sold by eco-retailer Abundant Earth, it holds 50 gallons, shimmies up against the foundation and has a screened top where the rain gutter is attached. (Letting the water get a little air can be a good thing.)

If it happens that a faux whiskey barrel doesn’t meld well with your modern suburban stucco home, there are a gazillion other new looks in rain barrels, as well as specially designed water collectors (collapsible, made to fit in a corner, flat-backed, brightly colored, not brightly colored). You can see a full range by The Find shopping search engine.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

“Just the thought of tomato blight sends fear into the heart of every farmer.”

Those are the words of organic farmer Charlie Reid, who operates two small farms in southeastern New Hampshire. “We’ve been lucky this year … so far,” says Reid. “Lots of farmers have had to pull (dig up and destroy) their entire tomato crops. But with all this rain and so little sun my luck could change (for the worse) overnight.”

Blight is a highly contagious fungus that hits both tomatoes and potatoes. The Potato Famine in Ireland in the late 19^th century was caused by blight. And now blight is killing both tomato and potato crops in New England and in some mid-Atlantic states. It’s not yet an epidemic, but cause for concern for both farmers and consumers, as well as home garden growers who unwittingly used infected seedlings.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture’s “Agriview” has this alert for farmers:

“It (blight) appears on potato or tomato leaves as pale green, water-soaked spots, often beginning at leaf tips or edges. The circular or irregular leaf lesions are often surrounded by a pale yellowish-green border that merges with healthy tissue. Lesions enlarge rapidly and turn dark brown to purplish-black. During periods of high humidity and leaf wetness, a cottony, white mold growth is usually visible on lower leaf surfaces at the edges of lesions.”

There are two culprits in this year’s late blight: too much rain and consumer nurseries selling starter plants, which unwittingly spread the ailment.

Tomatoes Need Sun To Shake Blight

Rainfall has varied across the country at seemingly excessive rates: for example, too little in Texas and too much in the Northeast. While early blight in lesser amounts  is normal each year, this season’s heavy rains have soaked many farms and there hasn’t been enough sun to dry the fields.

Add wind to the rain and the situation worsens: Late blight spores are carried by wind from one plant to another. And while one plant might be infected and the one next to it untouched, eventually the entire crop in a field or backyard garden will be affected and die.

Although nothing can save your tomatoes once they become blight-infected there are a wide variety of preemptive organic and natural ways to prepare your crop. Go to Garden Web to start your search.

Organic farmers and organic home gardeners can also find natural and organic compounds at most feed and hardware stores.  Conventional farmers try to prevent blight by spraying with herbicides, fungicides and pesticides but even they don’t guaranteed success.

A second blight culprit this summer was the mass marketing of tomato plants sold at big-box stores like Wal-Mart, Lowe’s and Home Depot. An unknown number of plants were distributed by these stores via Bonnie Plants, a wholesale gardening company in Alabama that buys many of its plants from growers in other parts of the country.

Bonnie Plants has recalled seedlings that remained on store shelves but it was too late for others that had been bought and planted earlier.

Bonnie’s General Manager Dennis Thomas told the New York Times that only five of the recalled plants had blight. “This pathogen did not come from our plants,” he said. “This is something that has been around forever.”

Bonnie explains on its website that this year’s blight was worse than in previous years because of cool, wet conditions and refers home growers to the Texas A & M horticulture website, Aggie Horticulture, and its section on tomato problems. The notes on late blight help gardeners identify diseased plants; other tomato diseases are covered in the tomato guide at well.

An article in Growing Produce by a Cornell professor of plant website about this issue reports its discovery in commercial fields in Long Island in June, followed by reports on plants in retail stores.
The article notes that the problem could spread, depending on the weather: “All tomato and potato crops are at high risk of developing late blight this season, especially if the rainy weather continues. All growers should assume their crops eventually will be affected and thus should be on a weekly schedule to both thoroughly inspect their potato and tomato plantings…,” writes Margaret Tuttle McGrath.

Home Growers Should Dispose of Affected Plants

“We are urging home gardeners, especially those who may have recently planted tomato seedlings from a big box store, to check for this disease,” said Jim Dwyer, University of Maine Potato Specialist. “Because the tomato fruits will be ruined by this fungus and the threat of late blight spreading to potatoes, home gardeners that find late blight on their plants should pull, bag and throw out these plants. They should not put them on the compost pile.”

According to Jon Turmel, Vermont State Plant Regulator, “The stores across the state have been more than helpful at removing plants from their shelves.”

This summer in New Hampshire field tomatoes are selling for around $2.45 a pound but continued rain there and in Maine and Vermont hold the key to late blight and New England’s tomato crop. In the Hudson Valley agricultural region of New York late blight has been described as “explosive” and “never seen … on such a widespread basis.”

Late blight has not been common in New England but when it does occur it is very destructive. In Colchester, Vt., Laurie Mazza is still selling her greenhouse tomatoes for $2.99 a pound. “We’re a week or so away from our field tomatoes and while they look good now, especially the cherry tomatoes, something could happen.”

(Photos of healthy tomatoes and plants by Green Right Now.com; late blight tomato, photo credit: Texas A&M University)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Las Vegas is hot and dry, as it should be, since it’s in the desert. Years of droughts in southern Nevada have emphasized the point.

The area usually only gets about 4″ of rain a year, anyway.

Despite that, the allure of Vegas has drawn an estimated 400,000 new residents since 2002. And then all those thousands of newcomers planted pretty lawns and lush landscaping.

Green lawns don’t belong in the desert. Keeping them green means a constant drain on southern Nevada’s precious and limited amount of water.

Today, even though the recession has halted Las Vegas’ population growth, the city still has more than 1.8 million residents, and 40 million visitors a year.

The source of all water in southern Nevada is Lake Mead, fed by the Colorado River. The lake’s water level has dropped dramatically in the last decade. In 2008, one report said, the water level of the 250-square-mile lake was 102 feet below its old waterline.

Fear that a large, heavily populated region of the United States could be without adequate water in the not-too-distant future has prompted swift and creative responses from the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

Ten years ago, they started the Water Smart Landscapes Rebate program, providing cash back to home and business owners who yank out their turf and replace it with native plants and water-saving landscaping.

Since it started , the authority says 130 million square feet of grass has been removed, and billions of gallons of water saved. An estimated $138 million in turf rebates have been paid out. One report said that between 2002 and 2007, even as Las Vegas’ population boomed, water use dropped by 15 billion gallons – an 18 percent decrease.

In that region, turning landscapes into low-water-use xeriscapes can save about 75 percent on the annual water bill, another report said.

The water authority pays $1.50 for every square foot of grass removed and replaced with native landscaping — up to the first 5,000 square feet. Hit the 5,000-square-foot mark and they’ll still keep paying, $1 a square foot up to a maximum of $300,000 a year.

Other cities in the dry southwest have implemented similar programs. Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power started a program last month to pay single-family homeowners $1 for every square foot of grass they pull up and replace with drought-tolerant plants and permeable ground cover. The department will pay up to $2,000.

Twenty-nine cities within California’s East Bay Municipal Utility District (including Alameda, Berkeley and Oakland) can get 50 cents for every square foot of grass they replace, up to $1,000 to single-family residences.

Cities in Arizona, Mesa and Chandler, for example, also give cash back to those who replace grass with low-water plants.

Even though cash for grass programs are popping up in drought-ridden states across the country, they have a long way to go to match Las Vegas.

In addition to the grass payback, Southern Nevada’s water authority instituted a water-saving car wash program, providing coupons to car washes that either recycle their own water or send it to a treatment facility for recycling. Residents can get money back for buying a swimming pool cover (without it, the authority says, 10,000 to 15,000 gallons of water can evaporate from a pool). There are other programs, as well.

Other useful information from the water authority includes a step-by-step how-to video to go from grass to low-water landscaping.  There is a chart to show how much water can be saved by making the change, and a before-and-after photo gallery of beautiful landscape conversions.

Photos from Southern Nevada Water Authority, before and after photo gallery

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library

By Melissa Segrest
Green Right Now

Ahh, the sounds of summer. Birds chirping, food sizzling on the grill, the buzzing and buzzing and buzzing, the slapping, the spraying and, of course, the slamming of the back door as everyone races back inside.

Summer’s biggest bummer is that swarm of mosquitoes heading your way. As if their irritating blood-sucking isn’t bad enough, they can carry serious diseases.

Of the roughly 200 species of mosquitoes in the U.S., according to the fact-filled American Mosquito Control Association website, there are varieties that can transmit West Nile virus, malaria, dengue and Eastern Equine encephalitis.

There are lots of products on the market that promise to repel mosquitoes. The ones considered most effective, since 1957, contain the chemical DEET. It’s been approved by the EPA, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Centers for Disease Control for use on anyone older than 2 months.

But there are alternatives, derived from natural ingredients, for those who worry about using DEET, which has been known to cause skin rashes and neurological health effects in rare cases.

Aside from DEET, two  more mosquito repellent ingredients top the CDC’s approval list: the synthetic chemical picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus. The CDC considers both to be as effective as DEET.

Picaridin is the most popular repellent in the world outside the U.S. It’s odorless, feels pleasant and, although derived from a pepper, is synthetic. There are only low concentrations for sale in the U.S. Cutter Advanced Sport has 15 percent picaridin and can only be used once daily, or 7 percent Cutter Advanced which can be used three times daily.

Lemon eucalyptus is now the most recommended natural mosquito repellent for consumers. It is sold as Repel Lemon Eucalyptus ($7.50 for 4 oz.) and is a botanical that’s OK for kids at least 3 years old. Consumer Reports, in a 2006 study, said it was the best non-DEET repellent. It’s sold at many large retail stores.

Another CDC-recommended anti-bug ingredient considered a biopesticide is IR3535, a synthetic version of an amino acid. It’s in Bull Frog Mosquito Coast (20 percent IR3535) and Avon has it, along with sunscreen, in their Skin So Soft Bug-Guard Plus.

After these “officially approved” mosquito repellents, there are a cornucopia of “natural”  items  that claim to keep bugs at bay. Determining their efficacy is tricky, if not impossible.

The most familiar among them is citronella, derived from the lemon-scented citronella grass (not the same as lemongrass). We’ve been burning it in candles and coils, or applying citronella oil-infused bug deterrents for years (although it can irritate the skin).  Unfortunately, studies have shown that the lotion works for less than 20 minutes, and if you’re not standing in the candle’s smoke, you’re probably being bitten. It is also sold by major retailers and there are lots of options on Amazon.com.

More recently, other essential oils have been getting attention as natural insect repellents. Among the most popularly: neem, garlic, mint, pepper, thyme, cedar, geranium, peppermint, soybean, eucalyptus, rose, tea tree, castor, basil, cloves, onions, feverfew, cinnamon, lemongrass or rosemary.

There are also lists of natural mosquito control ingredients from the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service, The Green Guide, Consumer Search and AltMedicine at About.com.

Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library

Mosquito Fish, which can eat their weight in mosquito larvae daily

By the way, just because a product is “botanical” doesn’t make it safe. Products with pyrethrum (extracted from a daisy) have a “caution” rating from the EPA and can be toxic to fish and possibly birds. Other “natural” ingredients that could be risky are nicotine sulfate and sabadilla. Consumer Search says Canada is phasing out the use of citronella and lavender oil because of potential health risks.

A few natural repellents pop up repeatedly in recommended products: Bite Blocker ($9 for a 4-oz. spray bottle), Buzz Away Extreme Natural Insect Repellent ($10 for a 4-oz bottle), Burt’s Bees Herbal Insect Repellent ($8 for 4-oz bottle) and EcoSmart Organic Insect Repellent ($7 for a 6-oz. bottle).

Searching the web will turn up hundreds of other options. There are home-made recipes online, using everything from vanilla extract to soybean oil to catnip oil – but don’t apply oils directly to the skin (dilute them with other ingredients), as they can irritate or cause an allergic reaction.

One approach that’s been around for a few years, but just last year hit the market in the form of a skin patch called Don’t Bite Me, is the use of Vitamin B1. Exuded through the skin, B1 is reportedly offensive to mosquitoes, but undetectable to barbecue companions. Don’t Bite Me patches, available at Rite Aid drugstores and Kroger groceries, claim to fend off mosquitoes for a full 36 hours and provide complete body coverage (because it’s systemic not a lotion or spray there are no missed spots). The scent “forms a protective barrier around the body” says the press release. The product has received some positive anecdotal reviews, but skeptics of this approach abound.

What doesn’t work? Bug-zappers kill mostly useful insects and very few mosquitoes, according to the American Mosquito Control Association. Ultrasonic devices have been proven ineffective in 10 studies. There are new sticky, specially scented mosquito “traps” that may catch some bugs, but the jury is still out on those. Fancy, expensive misting systems may work, and can use less toxic chemicals, but they still disperse a lot of insecticide in the air and on your patio or deck.

Photo: CDC Public Health Image Library

Fertile breeding grounds for mosquitoes — rainwater-filled bottles and cans

And bats? Sure, it could be fun to build a bat house, and the Bat Conservation Society has lots of varieties you can buy. While it’s true that bats mostly eat insects, they generally prefer beetles, wasps and moths. According to the American Mosquito Control group, mosquitoes make up less then 1 percent of the diet of wild bats. Oh, and remember bats can transmit diseases, too.

All of which leads us to common sense ways to avoid mosquitoes:

• Look for standing water in cans, buckets, tires, old plastic swimming pools, rain gutters, puddles and in tarps. That’s where they breed. Keep birdbaths fresh and stock your ornamental pond with fish that like to eat larvae.
• Some bugs like perfumes, lotions, scented deodorant, etc., so you might want to skip those
• Make sure the screens on windows and doors are OK.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants if you’re going to be around the biters for a while. And you can put the repellent on your clothes, too.
• Plant mosquito-unfriendly plants such as marigolds, citronella grass, catnip or horsemint.
• Ready to give up? Just don’t go outside between dusk and dawn.

Hungering for answers to questions about mosquitoes? The Mosquito Control group has a frequently asked questions page. Find insect repellent facts from the CDC, as well as more information on the active ingredients in repellents. They also have a list of practical steps to take to minimize mosquitoes.

Having a plan is a good idea. Consider these facts about the diseases mosquitoes transmit:

• Last year, there were 1,356 confirmed cases of West Nile virus in the U.S., with 44 deaths (California had the most cases), according to the CDC. Last month, the first human case was confirmed this year near Los Angeles. Less common in this country is dengue, which has cropped up in the U.S. 3,806 times from 1997 to 2004. Worldwide, though, more than 100 million people fall ill every year.

• Malaria, also spread by mosquitoes, kills more than 1 million people around the world, most in Africa. About 1,300 cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, the CDC says, mostly in travelers and immigrants. More lethal is Eastern Equine encephalitis, which usually only impacts horses or birds. There are only about five human cases in the U.S. annually, but it is so lethal that one-third of those infected die.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Here’s a tip from fellow blogger Obama Foodorama: Take a quick eco-detour while visiting the National Mall this summer and check out the USDA’s gardens and garden workshops.

USDA staff will be conducting noontime mini-seminars on Fridays at The People’s Garden, installed outside the Ag Department headquarters. Topics will deal with watering, window gardens, attracting wildlife to the garden and of course, the ever-popular-and-more-work-than-we’d-like-it-to-be composting. You can see the schedule in this USDA press release.

The USDA demo gardens, which Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack had installed this spring, illustrate organic and veggie growing techniques, such the American Indians’ “Three Sisters” method of growing squash, beans and corn symbiotically in a cluster (wherein the beans feed the soil, the corn serves as a climbing pole for the beans etc.) There are porous paving, water recapture and green roof projects; pollinator gardens and bat houses. The overall concept is to nudge Americans into thinking about how their little plot of paradise could be more nature-friendly, and maybe also produce a salad.

Turns out Iowan Vilsack is quite keen on the family food garden idea and, as Steven Colbert would say, So Can You!

Obama Foodorama, btw, is a fun and an fairly exhaustive “daily diary of the Obama foodscape” run by Eddie Gehman Kohan, a food writer and self-described “ag policy wonk.” We just love to see what the first family is munching on, and we’re thrilled they’re growing some of their own too.

Now if we could just get the U.S. Park Service over here to help pick the cow peas.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Monarch butterflies can be found in every continental state in America. Seven states have even named the monarch their “state insect,” according to the Environmental Defense Fund.

That’s good news for those who would like to create a backyard space to attract monarchs as they make their way north or south for their long annual migrations.

The first step is a to do a little research to learn what monarchs and other butterflies are fluttering around your community. Books can provide information, but lepidopterists (people who collect and study butterflies and moths) or butterfly organizations in your area also will have details.

An important component of a butterfly-friendly garden is milkweed. For monarchs, it is the primary part of their caterpillar diet, and it’s the only plant that they lay their eggs on. The eggs become tiny caterpillars, then bright green cocoons and, after a short time, newborn butterflies. (Resist the urge to touch!)

There are many varieties of milkweed and even though farmers or others may see it as an unpleasant weed, its blooms have a lovely fragrance and without it, monarchs may hang around for some nectar, then likely keep moving. Milkweed attracts other types of butterflies and hummingbirds. The plant is also known as butterfly weed or pleurisy root.

Another essential butterfly magnet is nectar from a mix of flowering plants, perennials and annuals. That nectar gives the monarchs a carbohydrate boost to stay the migratory course.

Monarchs like a variety (that means a colorful garden for you) and native plants are best (neighborhood monarchs prefer regional cuisine). In return, butterflies perform a great social service: They pollinate plants.

Local garden clubs or county extension services should be helpful in suggesting  the elements for a successful butterfly garden. Also, nurseries and garden shops in your community may be able to provide the native varieties of milkweed and flowers to make a monarch feel at home. Look to the Internet to buy milkweed seeds from companies like the Natural Fibers Corporation in Illinois or Butterfly Encounters in California. (Be sure to ask about which variety grows best in your plant zone, or check zones on the USDA milkweed webpage.) The Butterfly Farm also sends out seeds, for free, with a donation to the monarch cause.

Providing a drink is easy. Monarchs like to sip the moisture from a wet gravely, sandy or muddy shallow hole in the ground to get extra nutrients they can’t get from flowers. Don’t make the puddle too deep, just a few inches, but remember to keep it moist.

Now you can start watching. They fly best when it’s warm and even hot, and if the temperature is cooler (below about 75 degrees Fahrenheit) they’ll sit on plants to soak up some sun. They will posture or perch as courtship rituals.

There are many Web sites with monarch and general butterfly gardening information. Here are a few:

The North American Butterfly Association, The Butterfly Website (which lists many butterfly societies around the world), Monarch Butterfly Journey North lists butterfly gardening Web sites and climate zone information.

Butterflies and Moths of North America is stuffed full of details on attracting monarchs and creating a butterfly garden, as well as ways to help the monarch cause.

Gardens with Wings is a pretty and colorful guide to bring butterflies into your back yard, complete with a box that you can enter your zip code into for detailed information specific for your part of the country.

Other sites to check out are Monarch Watch (and their “Waystations” page); The Butterfly Site and Monarch Butterfly.  Butterflies and Moths of North America, a part of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center site, has a searchable database of butterflies and moths of the U.S and Mexico, and it includes dynamic distribution maps, photos, species accounts and checklists.

PHOTO CREDITS:

Top photo: Monarchs on milkweed, photo from Drake University/Save the Monarch

Second photo: Butterfly garden, photo from The Butterfly Site

Last photo: Monarch munching on goldenrod, photo from EnviroZine/Environment Canada

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

As summer sets in, many of us are looking to shade those windows any way we can, and one of the greenest solutions is to add greenery. Outside the window, that is.

A shade tree can mitigate the heat gain on a west or south-facing window and truly cut down on electricity costs. The trouble is — it takes a few years to maximize its effect. Even if you plant a big tree, it will be a while before it’s settled in and leafing out.

Which brings us to a project at Purdue University. Scientists there have been studying a new hybrid species of the American chestnut, a tree that can grow much faster and larger than other hardwood varieties. They think it could be a good bet to shade your windows, built new forests that could be sustainably harvested and in the process sequester a whole lot of carbon more efficiently than many other trees could.

They’ve compared the American chestnut to quaking aspen, red pine and white pine and found that the chestnut grew faster and had three times more biomass than the other species. It also sequestered more carbon than the other trees, except when compared with a black walnut in one study location.

“Each tree has about the same percentage of its biomass made up of carbon, but the fact that the American chestnut grows faster and larger means it stores more carbon in a shorter amount of time,” said Douglas Jacobs, an associate professor of forestry and natural resources at Purdue.

As a bonus, much of that carbon could be retained when the chestnuts are converted into wood products, he noted.

Many years ago, the original (non-hybrid) American chestnut was used for fine furniture because it is a dense hardwood. However, beginning in the early 1900s, it experienced a blight caused by a fungus that spread across it’s natural U.S. territory from New England, across New York and south to Alabama. Fifty years later, the tree was nearly gone, according to a report on the Purdue project in Science Daily.

But arborists are creating a hybrid American chestnut through interbreeding with the blight-resistant Chinese chesnut that results in a tree that’s “94 percent American chestnut,” according to the report.

The catch: That hybrid tree will be available sometime in the next decade.

“We’re really quite close to having a blight-resistant hybrid that can be reintroduced into eastern forests,” Jacobs said. “But because American chestnut has been absent from our forests for so long now, we really don’t know much about the species at all.”

Actually, there is a group of chestnut enthusiasts who know as much as there is to know and are collaborating to bring the native American tree back to its Appalachian roots. Intrigued? Visit the American Chesnut Foundation. They’re still promising a blight-resistant American chestnut that will be forest-ready before the end of the decade.

Are they jus-nuts? It doesn’t appear so. Not only are they pushing the research on the blight-resistant variety, they provide people with traditional American chestnut seeds and seedlings (if you live east of the Mississippi — they don’t want to spread any potential blight westward). Order on the site to get your personal forest underway.

The Purdue research is being funded by The Stry Foundation, Electric Power Research Institute and Hardwood Tree Improvement and Regeneration Center.

(Photo credits: Chesnut, The American Chesnut Foundation; Researcher with seedling, Purdue University/Nicole Jacobs.)

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Frogs and toads across the country could use a helping hand.

Amphibians — from the endangered Houston Toad to the threatened Golden Coqui — are disappearing at an alarming rate, faster than any other vertebrate. Many species around the globe have disappeared entirely, according to the Animal Welfare Institute’s Endangered Species Handbook (as well as numerous other sources.)

The scale of their disappearance, the institute says, has not been seen since mass extinctions that happened millions of years ago (think dinosaurs). The number of threatened frogs and toads has increased by 10 times in the last 30 years. Almost one-third of the world’s 6,000 amphibian species are facing extinction, according to the Global Amphibian Assessment.

What’s happening? Their moist habitats are being filled in or polluted. Pesticides and other toxic chemicals have taken a heavy toll. Predatory fish and even other exotic frogs have been introduced to their environments. Of course, don’t discount the human appetite for frog legs around the world. Even the thinning ozone layer is being blamed because of higher UV radiation’s effect on delicate frog skin.

Frogs and toads are an essential part of the delicate eco-system balance: They keep insect populations under control.

You can lend a helping hand by contributing money or becoming a volunteer with Frogwatch USA by helping track down frogs and toads native to your area. The information you contribute helps the organization track the status of croaky critters.

Want to be more hands on? Help out the frogs and toads of your neighborhood by creating a frog- and toad-friendly back yard. Tip number one: if you live in an area where frogs and toads are rarely seen, you might not have much luck attracting any, although you would still have a pretty pond.

If you do have amphibians in your area, the first order of business is water. If you don’t have a creek or lake in your yard, you’ll need to build a pond. Tips from Frogwatch USA remind us that the little amphibians need ponds with sloped sides to give them easy ways to get in and out. Logs and rocks can also provide that easy access. Also, you’ll need to plant dense, leafy foliage – native to your area – around the edges to provide cover.

Don’t put the pond too close to large trees (root problems, leaf decay) or in the full sun (too hot on a summer day), suggests the Backyard Buddies program of the Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife. Give some thought to the water supply and drainage of the pond, and electricity needs for lights, pumps and filters. Details such as overflow areas, preparing the water and keeping it clean (but not too clean) are important. Some sources say no fish, others disagree. We’d suggest you start without fish – some of them eat frogs.

A personal benefit of having amphibians in your yard is that they eat a lot of unwanted insects, according to The Urban Outback in Canada. That site provides a lot of detailed instruction regarding plants and pond construction.

There is plenty of collective pond wisdom on the Web, including tips from Sage Environmental Services, A Frog Pond, Frogsville USA and even eHow. Water pond purveyors in your community can likely help with ideas specific to your part of the country

Oh, you might want to build your toad playground a bit away from the house – if you are lucky and attract some friendly frogs (or toads), they can be quite noisy neighbors at night.

Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media