On Tue, 8 Apr 2003, saki wrote:
Mike wrote in
:

I'm glad to hear that
you have had good results with Orthenex and don't seem to notice a
population problem with your beneficials. I'm worried about the
amphibians, birds and bees, though. They particularly stressed how
toxic it is to amphibians. I'm just trying to be safe and not sorry.
Like I said, it's not panic time yet.

Thanks for doing this research, Mike. I was interested myself because I
was bedeviled earlier this spring (for the first time) by rose slugs,
which are a variety of sawfly larvae, though I'm not sure if you have one
kind of sawfly you'll inevitably suffer from the other. A cursory look at
Baldo's insect site as well as some other horticultural-pest sites
suggests that the slug's method of attack is different, at least from
what I can tell. As you note, pruning actually takes care of rose-stem
sawfly larvae.

I don't have amphibians like you do (it would be an interesting addition
to the garden if I did) but I do have lots of non-plant life including
hummingbirds, bees, moths and butterflies (just saw a Mourning Cloak this
weekend...haven't seen one of them in almost forty years), and
earthworms, all of which I like to accommodate. The rose slug larvae seem
controllable with either hand-picking or insecticidal soap, used
carefully. It doesn't look as though you can find the rose-stem sawfly
larvae on the plant surface, however.

So far my own rose slug problem seems solved, at least till the next
cycle...fingers crossed for now. But this is the first year I've had so
many roses (85 so far) and the propensity for pests and problems has
increased for me as a result. It's been an eye-opener...though of course
the roses are worth it.

----


Hi Saki,

I think that's part of the reason why I'm having the sawfly problem I never
had (or noticed) before. The pests have finally figured out that I've laid
out this magnificient buffet for them. Five years of undisciplined shopping
and a couple years of my first successes with cuttings and I'm up to 92
roses. I have to break that hundred-mark now, don't I?

The little geckoes here are fascinating. They are unusually colored, with
bands of different shades of pink that look like little dots when you get
up real close. They seem to like the bougainvillea for some reason. I can
also count on seeing them climbing on the brick of the front porch if I
step outside at night. The anoles are cool, too. They look like small
smooth-skinned chartreuse crocodiles. They have bright blue eyes. You don't
see them as often. They hide in the bushes, but occasionally they climb up
the wall, too. They don't seem to be afraid of people when they do make an
appearance. I've got photos of one where he let me get pretty close and in
one of them, he's staring back at me. The toads are toads, but I like
having them around. Whenever I water my beds, they all come up from under
the limestone. It's like toad popcorn.

Mike
z8TX

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On Tue, 08 Apr 2003, "JimS." wrote:
"Mike" wrote in message
. ..
That intolerant and holier than thou attitude doesn't do
anything for me and isn't very convincing. I don't shop at that nursery
anymore.

Wow, thinking about that has me irritated all over again. I think I'll g=
o
up there and ask her for Malathion just to watch her collapse.

Mike
z8TX

Wow, that sounds great. Can you film that and post a clip?
I'd enjoy seeing that too! :=DE

JimS.
Seattle

Wicked, naughty, evil enabler!

Mike
z8TX