GardenBanter.co.uk - Squirrel Deterent for Bulbs and Tubers

On Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:02:04 -0700, Billy wrote:

message snipped to revelant thread

One thing is certain, we are either at "Peak Folly" or are about to
arrive there. It is impossible for our destruction of the planet's
ecosystem (externalized costs) to continue for much longer.

One thing that stuck out to me in reading about ecosystems was the
interdependence of the species that comprise them. Apparently, this is
lost on the "powers that be" as well. We seem to be a species that
believes we can stand alone and that technology can replace everything.

http://www.pmac.net/birdbee.htm
Our Forgotten Pollinators: Protecting the Birds and Bees

"Because some wild pollinators need undisturbed habitat for nesting,
roosting and foraging, they are very susceptible to habitat degradation
and fragmentation. Some pollinators require plants that flower
sequentially, so that they have food sources throughout the season.
Elimination of these sources by herbicide spraying or clearing of native
vegetation can literally starve pollinators."

Few people realize that the U.S. now applies twice the amount of
pesticides it used when Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962.
-----

http://www.wildfarmalliance.org/reso...agpatbrief.pdf

cals.arizona.edu/pubs/adjunct/snr0704/snr07043h.pdf

First of all, I'd like to say Thank You !! for the resources... they
are fascinating reading and would be most useful for anyone
advocating making our HOA more environmentally friendly.
(which would be a major undertaking).

You can see environmental degradation everywhere within the area....
algae covered ponds and inlets. Dead zones in the water. There used
to be bumblebees and honeybees. Used to be a lot
of visually identifiable spiders, butterflies, insects...

Haven't seen a native ladybug in ages. Maybe about
two praying mantises over the past 5 years. Not even
Japanese beetles want to live here.

A couple of years ago I did a satellite survey of the
migratory corridor along the eastern seaboard. Comparing
Landsat 4 data which was the forerunner to today's
satellite system to today's satellite imagery. (kinda dates
me doesn't it). Comparing what I've seen 25 years ago to
something more recent (about 2003 - 2004)

The human encroachment from Mass to D.C is astonishing
with only a small amount of continuous natural habitat remaining.

It's been 20 years since my last travels to Canada, Maine and Vermont.... It would be
surprising if they weren't overbuilt also. Many years ago the tallest building in
Portland was two stories...I was coming off an interior project in Maine. 6 months of
near isolation in a village, darned if it wasn't good to see civilization again, all two
stories of it !!

So what happens when the giant agricultural combines
go belly up due to economic circumstances like gas and fertilizer
combined with reduced market prices making it
unfeasible to grow crops.

What happens when the local farm crops, go bust because
of continuing drought or are bought out by developers building big box stores. ??

Sorry.... the original posting was for a non-chemical repellant
to keep rodents away from planted bulbs. Didn't mean for this
thread to wind up discussing global disaster.

Peter