What Do You Call A Dead Stink Bug?… Ex Stink!
Yes I know that the true start of Fall is still a week away but the signs are out there. A few trees are starting to show some colour, the temperatures are lower and the days are not as long. We are losing approximate 3 minutes a day of our daylight. The actual Fall Equinox starts at 8:44 on Sunday the 22nd this will have our daylight and nighttime approximately equal at 12 hours each. The weather for this next week is in the mid to low 20 degrees during the day and single digits for our nights. Definitely chilly but no threat of frost yet at least in the valley. Next week is the Butter Tart Festival and the weather channels I monitor say that although cool to start should be pleasant with a slight chance of rain in the evening. I’m looking forward to the Butter Tart Festival as so many are! Make sure to arrive early enough to actually get some Butter Tarts as no matter how many more people bake them up for us we still seem to run out.
I watched the big debate between Kamila Harris and Trump and was amazed, as usual, at the forceful, nasty, bulling tactics used by Trump. He never answered a question, rarely finished a sentence or a thought, but spewed his rhetoric and lies with him always being the victim. The comment on the refugees eating peoples cats and dogs was beyond comprehension and although proven unfounded it has a following of some of the more obviously unbalanced of his faithful audience. This week someone again tried to make a hole-in-one on poor old Trump and made all the headlines. The last attempt brought a lot of funds his way and some of the first comments from Trump included a way for you to send him some more and he badly needs them. Something doesn’t quite smell right with this whole affair.
Thank heavens the only Stink Bug that we have to deal with here will now be trying to find its way into your home. This Stink Bug originated in Asia and has become a public nuisance not to mention the huge damage it does to our agricultural industry as they love to munch on fruit and leaves of some our favourite ornamental shrubs, trees and vegetables. The eggs are laid on the underside of leaves in groups of 20 to 30 and although predator wasps, spiders, ants and bats will eat them few predators enjoy them as an adult which occurs after about 75 days of being a nymph and spreading around. Cardinals, Wrens and Blue Birds are about the only challenge they have and this is when they do the most damage before trying to find a nice winter habitat. They are harmless to humans or pets and are not eating or reproducing at this point. They get into your home through foundation cracks or spaces around electrical wiring or pipes that enter your home so do an inspection and caulk these spaces. You can also make a spray of 2 cups hot water, 1 cup vinegar and a cup of dish soap to spray around the exterior of door and window frames.
It is time also time to start on any fall planting you may want to do this year especially any Peonies. Spring blooming bulbs should soon be planted as well as your Garlic as they need at least 6 weeks to get established before any deep frost. This time of year is as busy as Spring with the work that will need to be done before winter. I will cover this in more detail over the next couple of weeks. I Look forward to seeing you at the Butter Tart Festival!
Happy Gardening!
Samantha Nason
BS Ranch & Greenhouses
250 547 6567
sam1nason@gmail.com
