Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2000 15:38:46 -0400 From: Prem Subrahmanyam <prems@noblestar.net> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1248$foo@default> Subject: Re: Safe, effective mosquito control...
Strata, Inc." <strata@flash.net> wrote
>
>You wrote:
>"...Sar. purpurea ..., I noticed a few mosquito larvae wriggling around
>inside the
>pitchers, ....In the past, I've also had larvae growing in the water basins
>that I put
>under my pots... .Can anyone recommend a means of controlling these mosquito
>larvae without
>doing harm to the Sarracenia?".
>
>You didn't mention any damage to the CPs by these larvae. Do they eat
>anything? I have them too, but they don't cause damage. There are several
>insects like some spiders (and larger animals, like frogs) which live in
>pitcher plants without harming them. If you just want to kill them, spray
>the pitchers with Orthene (try not to spray the medium). There is nothing
>you can do about mosquitoes having larvae in the water in the trays.
>
>Take care
>Michael Pagoulatos
Hi Michael,
I've not been concerned with damage to the plants...it's the mosquitoes
themselves...
It seems that yearly, in the summertime, we get an encephalitis scare...in
fact a neighbor's goat died of encephalitis. Keeping the mosquito populations
to a minimum is important, and can be facilitated in part by preventing
pools of water in which they breed. Did I mention that I have children?
I regularly empty out pools of water that collect in other places in our
yard, but the three types of places where I need to have pools of water
is in the cups of bromeliads, the pitchers of my Nepenthes and Sarracenia,
and in the water dishes used to keep the CP's and some of my orchids
moist. I could even routinely empty out and refill water dishes (in
fact, not poisoning these supplies with chemicals is probably a good
idea...we have cats), but doing so on the carnies and broms means that
I'm emptying out their food sources. Sooo...to make a long story
even longer, I need an effective mosquito larva killer that will
not harm the plants...you mention orthene...I wonder if anyone else
can weigh in on their experiences with various pesticides and their
effects on their CP's.
--> Prem
===================================================================
Prem Subrahmanyam <prems@noblestar.net> or <prems@nettally.com>
- Animator, programmer, and orchid and fossil nut extraordinaire...
- DNRC Title: Minister of Lightwave 3d Plugin Design Foolishness
- Home - http://www.PremDesign.com
"We in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
We in our weakness believed we were strong
He became nothing to show we were wrong."
"God's Own Fool" - Michael Card
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