fascinating stuff.

I heard yesterday that MD has banned neonicotinoids for consumers?
Oh, this article is several months old
http://marylandreporter.com/20...

Sallyg t
That is The Maryland Pollinator Protection Act of 2015. It did not pass. A new Maryland Pollinator Protection Act 2016 has been introduced and passed the Senate 32 - 14 and has been sent on to the House.

The 2016 version is less restrictive/ comprehensive on banning neonic use and sale in MD, would allow use by certified applicators, farmers , etc.. Still requires that treated plants and seeds be labeled as 'treated with neonics'

Last year plants available at Home Depot were labeled as treated ...to protect the plant from various bugs or disease!

There is are really sweet posts in the DG Bird watching Thread (Forum?)
I just read the whole thing....time to go outside and get some yard cleaning going.

The Thread is by Lily Love and she has a pile of pictures to share.

here's the link. Not sure a DG link will open in ATP. Fingers crossed....

Gita

YES! It worked!!! G.

thanks Mariposa Maid.

Just got this via Journey North
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/...

"A winter storm of historic proportions has struck the monarch sanctuaries in Mexico. There is no word yet about how the monarchs were affected. However, the sequence of events is of particular concern. The storm began with rain and was followed by hail, snow, and sub-freezing temperatures. The butterflies are more susceptible to mortality from freezing when wet. Photos from El Rosario Sanctuary show trees within the sanctuary core zone toppled by the strong winds. Spring migration from Mexico was imminent but mass departure had not yet occurred meaning the full population was in the storm's path. More information will be posted here as it becomes available."

One of the things I do each spring is plant both Hairy Vetch and Crimson clover seeds. These are both annuals and commonly grown as cover crops. Really I grow mine because I like the flowers and the flowers draw bees and other pollinators.

We are having a warm spell so I planted both the hairy vetch and crimson clover today.

disappointing news about the monarchs!

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The monarch butterflies that winter in the mountains west of Mexico City survived the severe cold snap that hit the area this week, authorities said Friday.

Mexico's environmental protection agency released photos of patches of frost, snow and ice in parts of the butterfly reserve. Activists had expressed concern about the unusual cold snap because driving rain and bitter cold in 2001 killed millions of monarchs at the reserve.

But the agency also released photos showing clumps of butterflies still hanging from trees. They tend to drop off trees when they're frozen.

The agency said its employees observed "branches and trunks covered with butterflies in good condition."

That is encouraging!

I want them to be around for my great-grandchildren to learn about and help.

I'm so glad to hear the butterflies made it!

yes that is good to hear.
I'm still fighting aphids on my tropical milkweed cuttings, argh.

Sally---

Put a plastic bag around the pot and tie it off around the bottom of the plant stems
so the soil won't fall out.
Turn pot upside down and dunk it-up and down--up and down--in a bucket of warm soapy water.
basically--you are giving the plants a bath. Do the sloshing up and down several times in a row
so the Aphids will have been dislodged. I guess you couls add some alcohol to the soapy water???

When done--wait a bit--and then rinse off, the same way, in clean, tepid water. Do the same slushing up and down.
Let dry out of direct light. Remove plastic from pot and put it back, wherever, to go on with it's life.

This soapy dunk should have killed most of the aphids on the stems and leaves.
If there are any hatchlings in the soil--are there???-I do not know what to recommend for that.
Maybe--like--Mosquito Dunks-- pulverized and spread on top?
This will kill any larvas in the soil--like Fungus Gnat's larvas. Do Aphids hatch as larvas?

Give this a go--as we all know Aphids can be washed off even with a stream of water from the hose.

Gita

thanks, Gita good idea. I have tried sticking them under running tap water but the aphids stick darn well!.
Mosquito dunks would NOT likely kill aphids as they are not the same insect family.

I've just had an outbreak of aphids in the GH. I haven't seen any all winter and poof they're back. I'll probably bomb the GH tomorrow and add new pest strips. Between the 2 they'll get everything that moves and some that don't.

I've had it! Every suet cake I put out --(3 locations) is gobbled up by Starlings!
They are pigs!!! Fat pigs to boot!
Two hang in suet cages--one hangs on the trunk of my big maple. usually in a mesh netting--
like what Onions come in.

Do any of you have the same problem? What do you do to avoid this?

Grrrrrr----Gita

Gita, I just skip a couple of days on the feeders, after the weather breaks. They usually move on to greener pastures.This seems to work on blackbirds and crows too.

Taking a break as RIc says may have helped here. I was getting really trashed by them in January, feeding 'patio mix.
I do not buy cheap suet cakes with seed in them. My theory is that they break up and fall apart quickly, not giving you a great value. (My two cents) Pure suet does not seem to draw blackbirds here, and lasts weeks feeding good birds.

Feeding strictly safflower and millet does not seem to draw blackbirds.

Corn and bread seem to get blackbirds here.

My theories/observations....

Sally---

I know you use the Pure Sue cakes. You gave me one once...Where do you buy those?

Re seeds--No one seems to eat my Safflower seeds here. I throw seeds on my patio floor--
so all kinds of birds feed there. When all is gone--what's left is Safflower and cracked corn.

It may be that there is TOO much choice?

Also--I bought a small, metal mesh feeder made for meal worms. Also a bag of meal Works.
Filled it up--and it is hanging right next to the big, metal Finch feeder--which gets emptied about
once a week by mostly goldfinches (not gold yet). No one is attracted to the MW's?????

I would have thought that meal Worms would interest birds now--as they are starting the nesting dance.

Gita