AVOIDING ANGUISH

  

  Due to the wet spring, steady rains and standing water the mosquitoes are plentiful this year.  Don’t let the anguish of the pest stop you from relaxing in your outdoor living space.  If you are itching for relief, here are a few tips.

 AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION

   First, reduce the chances that mosquitoes and bugs can exist in your lawn by taking control methods.  Mosquitoes need standing or slow moving water to reproduce.  Look around your yard and house for standing water, such as cans, birdbaths, old tires, clogged roof gutters, boats or canoes, dripping outdoor faucets, septic tanks and plastic wading pools.  Other sites that produce large numbers of mosquitoes are watering cans, wheelbarrows, saucers under potted plants, tree holes and wells.

     A POUND OF CONTROL

            Many of nature’s own offerings can help control what’s bugging you.  In addition to the popular citronella oil, which has been around since 1882 and is commonly burned outdoors, many plants can be used as natural repellents.

 Here is a short list of repellent plants and the pests they affect:

    °  Marigolds repel mosquitoes

    °  Mints repel pests that destroy your vegetables

       Catnip repels flea beetles

    °  Sweet basil repels aphids, mosquitoes and mice

    °  Pansies repel beetles and ants

    °  Horseradish repels potato beetles.

AVOIDING PARTY POOPERS

            When having an outdoor party, follow these simple guidelines to keep the pests away (note:  this does not refer to your neighbors):

°  Light citronella candle.

°  When cooking or eating outdoors, cover food and beverages so bees and flies are not attracted.

°  Always keep topical antipruritic (anti-itch medication) handy.

° Those people allergic to bee stings should speak to their doctors about proper preventative measures.

° People experience tightness in the chest, breathing problems or nausea following a bee/wasp sting, should seek emergency treatment.

     WHAT’S EATING YOU

  If the end of summer to you means finally being able to reap what you’ve sown, a pesky garden visitor can be a major problem.  Whether dealing with rabbits or raccoons, you have two options:  learn to live with them, sharing your harvest, or do something about them.

  Rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels (in that order) tend to cause the biggest problems.  A small fence of chicken wire mesh may be all you need to protect your plants.

If, however, you have an animal like a raccoon that is causing major damage, you may want to have a company trap it, or trap It yourself.

Taste repellents, while expensive, may be used on ornamental plants. Do not, however, use taste repellents on vegetables.

   Lastly, if your problem tends to be with squirrels digging up your flower bulbs, you may want to try half-inch hardware cloth cages that encompass the sides and top of the bulbs.  Plant the bulb somewhat more shallow than recommended, place the cage over the bulb and cover the area with soil.  The cage keep the rodents away, yet still permits the foliage to grow through it.  Another way to combat critters is to plant daffodils.  Animals leave these poisonous bulbs alone.

TOM’S TIMELY TIPS

°  Clean up fallen rose and peony leaves.  They can harbor disease and insect pests over the winter if allowed to remain on the ground.

°  Continue to watch for insects (slugs and snails) or disease damage throughout the garden, and take the necessary steps to control the problem.

°  If your garden flowers being eaten, yet you see no insects on the plants, check for cutworms.  These grayish-brown worms feed at night.  Control with Sevin or Malathion at rates on the label.

°  Make notes now about what you liked about this year’s garden and what can be improved.  Refer to this next spring when determining what to plant again.

           

Tom McNutt is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University. and retired NBC4-TV resident green thumb