Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 25, 2015)
COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL November 25, 2015 How to: Get indoor pests to bug off without chemicals Annual Rotary Children’s Christmas Party Thursday, Dec. 3rd, 6pm Bohemia Elementar y School COLORING CONTEST Name Age 9A BY KYM POKORNY OSU Extension Service I nsects lurking under leaves, climbing up stems and set- tling into the soil of houseplants frustrate indoor gardeners to no end. But there are answers, ac- cording to Amy Dreves, an en- tomologist with Oregon State University’s Extension Service. “Winter is a good time to check indoor plants for sap- sucking insects like mites, thrips, mealybugs, scales, whitefl ies and aphids,” she said. “Spot- ting problems and responding to them early can keep populations from exploding.” Dreves suggests a number of strategies to keep your indoor pests at bay without resorting to chemical controls. First of all, learn your house- plants’ needs and keep them healthy with the correct amount of light, water and nutrition. Stressed plants encourage prob- lems. For example, hot, dry and dusty conditions promote mite outbreaks and feeding plants too much high-nitrogen fertil- izer makes for a delicious din- ner for aphids. When you spot a problem, iso- late infested plants from others so the insects don’t spread from plant to plant, Dreves said. If whitefl ies are present, you can carefully vacuum them off with a hand-held vacuum, dis- lodge them with a soft spray of water or wipe leaves with a sponge. If you go the vacuum route, freeze the bag to kill the contents. Another trick, she said, is to place aluminum foil or refl ec- tive mulch around the base of a plant. This may disorient winged pests like thrips and aphids and discourage them from landing. Monitor early and often for insects, including aphids and mealybugs, to keep houseplants such as this pothos pest-free. Or paint a small dish yellow and fi ll it with water to attract and drown them. Use yellow sticky traps, available at garden centers, to capture aphids and whitefl ies. Blue sticky traps are good for snaring adult thrips, while white ones work best for adult fungus gnats. Kill fungus gnat larvae that live in the soil by reducing the amount of water you give plants; they love moisture. Also, remove standing water in the saucer. Swabbing bug-ridden leaves with a small paintbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol will destroy soft-bodied aphids and mealy- bugs. This works best when infestations have just gotten started. In a greenhouse setting, you can release tiny parasitic wasps specifi cally for control of aphids and whitefl ies, Dreves said. These predator insects are avail- able at most garden centers. Some pests can be easily eliminated by shaking them onto a sheet of paper and discarding; or by hand if you are not too squeamish. Pinch off heavily in- fested leaves or other plant parts and destroy. Spray plants plagued by soft- bodied pests with gentle insecti- cidal soaps or light horticultural oils available at garden centers. These may hurt some plants, so spot treat one leaf fi rst. Also, soaps and oils are not as effec- tive on winged adults, because they fl y off and come back lat- er. You may want to consider throwing out heavily infested plants. Discard soil and clean the pot or container as well. If you feel you have to resort to chemical pesticides, keep in mind that few pesticides are registered or considered safe for indoor use on houseplants, ac- cording to Dreves. Read labels carefully for where and how to use a pesticide. If indoor use is not listed on the label, take the plant to be treated outside, away from children and pet traffi c ar- eas. Leave the plant outside a day or two after spraying. Bring your colored picture to the party! ONE DAY ONLY - NOVEMBER 28th - 10am-6pm 50% OFF ALL USED BOOKS* *Excludes Trades & New books Buy, Sell & Trade • New & Used • Book Orders • Now selling Graphic Novesl & Stevens-Ness Legal Forms. G U I D E R estaurant 319 East Main St., Cottage Grove • 541-942-7423 Ask your sales representative about placing your restaurant ad here. DAILY BLOODY LUNCH MARY R BAR & DINNE SIUNDAYS • 12-8PM S L A I C SPE NEW HAPPY HOUR FOOD MENU 3-7PM EL TAPATIO (541) 767-0457 Mexican Restaurant & Cantina Mangiano’s Pizzeria Homemade Pizza ~ Lasagna ~ Spaghetti Everything made from scratch! TWO ONE TIME SALAD BARS & LARGE ONE TOPPING PIZZA $25.00 NEW MENU!! WE DELIVER! Daily Specials 20% OFF for Active Military & Vets Tuesday Night is Senior Night 4pm-8pm Starting at 5 p.m. Open Daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun-Thurs 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. Fri. & Sat. Closed Sunday & Monday open Tue-Thur 11am-8pm Friday & Saturday 11am-9pm Salad Bar & Fun Lottery Room 2915 Row River Rd • 541-942-5432 “The little blue box with the food that rocks” “Th e best in American comfort food.” Burgers, Philly Cheese Steaks, Salads, Fish & Chips, Jumbo Prawns, Soups, Chicken Breast Burgers, Chicken Strip Baskets, Tots, Fries and lots more! 1590 Gateway Blvd. • Cottage Grove • 541-942-7144 Call ahead for ready-to-go pick-up orders Tues-Sat open till late Corner of 6th and Washington 541-968-1134 Check out our facebook page!
