Edwin McLeod Organic Gardening

Glory of the Snow (Chionodoxa)   Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do it.   I could probably look like the Terminator if I took steroids and spent lots of time in the gym lifting weights, but I’d prefer not to have shriveled testicles.   You could have a lawn that looks like a carpet, but you probably don’t want to expose yourself, family and pets to pesticides and all the negative environmental consequences that go along with using chemicals on your lawn.   One of the worst consequences of using chemical fertilizers is water pollution.  Inorganic chemical fertilizers are very water soluble.  A large percentage of chemical fertilizer ends up washing down into streams, rivers and lakes.  The massive algae bloom that occurs almost every year in Lake Erie is primarily the result of chemical fertilizers used on lawns and farm fields.  The overgrowth of algae not only kills fish, it also caused the City of Toledo, Ohio to close down their water system for several da

HONEYPOT ANTS   Credit: Greg Hume  https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/deed.en It’s almost spring and still cold out.   Why am I seeing ants in my bathroom?   What should I do? First, I will give you a little understanding of ant biology.   Second, I will describe how you should approach your ant incursion.   According to Gary A. Dunn, author of “Insects of the Great Lakes Region”: Ants are the most abundant form of life in the Great Lakes Region.  In 1975, eighty seven species of ants were recorded from the Edwin S. George Reserve in southeastern Michigan.   Ants are social insects living in small to large colonies, generally located in soil or wood.  The colonies are composed of individuals with specialized functions (castes). The wingless workers (sterile females) and winged reproductives (males and females) are essentially alike, except for the reproductive organs, wings and differing sizes.  The wings, four in number, are membranous with reduced venation.  The hind wi