A Growing Concern
The world is in the midst of an insect extinction crisis. We've all heard about the plight of bees, but the plight of all insect fauna is much less widely appreciated. The figure below is from a report in Science a few years ago showing the precipitous decline in insects worldwide.[1] What beekeepers and naturalists [...]
[Updated 6/19/14] It is with dismay that I must report on another bumblebee kill, this time only about a mile away from the bees in my yard. All of the details are not in yet, but the basic picture is clear. Insecticide was sprayed early Monday morning, 6/16, on blooming linden trees in an apartment [...]
Agricultural pesticides have become part of the chemical landscape that we all live in. To be able to make intelligent decision about the use and regulation of these chemicals, it's important to understand how they work. Almost all modern pesticides are chemicals that interfere in some way with the nervous system. The characteristics of the [...]
I'm often asked which products are OK and which should be avoided. Hence the mnemonic in the title to help you remember I'm getting rid of Imidacloprid. Say it three times out loud, and when you read the labels at the garden store you will remember: I'm getting rid of Imidacloprid. When it comes to [...]
Squash Practice 