There are many honeybees here due to local hives. We try to take care of
them. They like the daylilies and many other plants. Also, when the praying
mantis hatch, it is the daylilies they stay in, so we try to protect them too.
The honeybees and bumblebees are out now on warm days. They are after
the earliest things to bloom, such as a few early daffodils, crocus, and wild flowers just
beginning to bloom even through the snow when we have it.
Many years have passed since chemistry classes, but I remember the
hazards to humans from so many chemicals and mix of chemicals, and it
doesn't always take potent amounts to be harmful. However, we live in a chemical
world with air, water, and soil being compromised even without the additional
help from the backyard gardener. If labels express issues with combining
chemicals, it is wise to follow the warnings.
Years ago I used a bit of bleach when washing dishes. One time I did the same
thing as usual, and a noxious gas formed that I was astutely aware of. I backed away
quickly, and held my breath while letting the water out. Then I read the label,
noticing that the dish detergent had changed the chemical structure with
bleach being a no no. That taught me to read labels first before use, even when
this had been an okay product before. Products are constantly changing.
The mixture of bleach and ammonia is commonly known to form a noxious gas,
and I expected to see ammonia added to the list of ingredients, but nope,
it was not listed.
