GARDENING
Creating ecologically mosquito-free gardens in June June is here and Mother Nature is turning up the heat. With plenty of rain in May, there should be plenty of green in the garden. May showers create a major growth
THE ENVIRONMENTAL GARDENER Greg Levine, co-executive director of Trees Atlanta, describes himself as happiest when his hands are in the dirt. spurt in healthy established plants. This also creates more habitat for huge growth of other living things, including mosquitoes. To enjoy your garden during warm months, managing
Spigelia marilandica
mosquitos is important. Spraying mosquitoes kills more than the intended targets, including pollinators and beneficial insects that eat damaging pests. Instead, there are other ways to reduce the mosquito population without spraying chemicals. ■ Be diligent to eliminate standing water, make sure pipes and gutters drain, and use mosquito dunks for standing water in tanks and birdbaths.
Dunks contain BTI (a bacteria) that kill the mosquito larvae with little or no collateral damage to other living things. Replenish dunks monthly. A famous entomologist once suggested to me that my neighbors could create a system of buckets with rainwater, a bit of wheat straw, and the dunks. Mosquito larvae that form in the buckets with the dunks are neutered from reproducing future generations. The theory is, if you can keep the system going throughout summer, you’ll significantly reduce the mosquito population while not harming other living things. ■ Bluebird and bat houses can also help. Bats eat between 6,000 and 8,000 insects a night. Most plants don’t eat mosquitoes, but if you’re really looking for a challenge, try to grow some pitcher plants. Sarracenia species are extremely cool plants, and they really do
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JUNE 2021 | AtlantaSeniorLife.com
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