Pest Variety in the Southeastern U.S.
- To: i*@rt66.com
- Subject: Pest Variety in the Southeastern U.S.
- From: D* M* <d*@southconn.com>
- Date: Sun, 06 Oct 1996 09:42:49 -0400
At 06:52 AM 10/6/96 -0500, you wrote:
> Donald's list of varmits is diaheartening!! Please remind me where you
>live!!
I live on the Georgia-South Carolina border (USA). Insects, rain, and heat
are abundant here in the summers. Plants literally drip with humidity,
reminiscent of tropical rain forest. The insect fauna, therefore, is very
diverse and cycles very rapidly so that there is always a pest waiting in
the wings (ha, ha) to take the place of the previous generation.
>How do you account for so many pests choosing the iris?
They have good tastes just like me. :) or they are so indiscriminate that
they will eat anything in their path that tastes better than the abundant weeds.
>And don't they have any natural enemies??? I mean, where are the
>birds, and such???
The birds and other natural predators are certainly there. They are
probably all that stands between my garden and total annihilation by the
pests. That's one reason I'm extremely hesitant to use chemical pesticides.
A bluebird, however, can only eat so many grasshoppers. I would hazard to
say that we have some of the best fed songbirds in the United States.
>Anyone else concerned about the lack of bees??
I always plant butterfly and bee attracting plants. Actually my sunflowers
attracted more bees than Monarda (bee balm). The sunflowers attracted
hordes of honeybees. I'll probably plant more sunflowers next year, but
just the dwarf varieties as the large ones would shade out my irises.
-Donald (detante with the insects is the only way to keep your sanity and
health)
Donald Mosser
dmosser@southconn.com
North Augusta, South Carolina, USA
On the South Carolina and Georgia Border
Zone 7b-8
