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December
14, 2006
Hortiscope
Ronald C.
Smith, Horticulturist
NDSU Extension Service
Q: The city where
I live is expanding a road and letting people take the boxelder trees
lining the road. The trees are tall, so they would be expensive to move.
I’ve been told that only the female trees with seeds attract boxelder
bugs. Do males attract the bugs? Is there a machine large enough to move
the trees? Any idea about the percentage of trees that survive a move
such as this? (e-mail reference)
A: Why anyone would
want boxelder trees is beyond me, but as the saying goes, to each his
own. Boxelder bugs do have a preference for female trees, but I've seen
a lot of uneducated bugs hanging around male boxelder trees. In fact,
I’ve seen boxelder bugs hanging on trees of many species. Boxelder
bugs are not the brightest bugs to come out of an incomplete metamorphosis!
Trees that size that have been in the same location for a decade or
more without any root pruning will be very difficult to remove successfully.
Large tree spades rarely are available, except in metro areas where
large tree movement is commonplace and planned in advance. In your situation,
I would be surprised if 10 percent would survive such a move, and I'm
sure it wouldn't be cheap.
Q: I came across your
Web site while doing some online research. I wanted to bring to your attention
that it is a federal violation to use mothballs or ammonia for any wildlife
control. Hope you can get the information corrected on your wildlife (and
cat) control tips. I wrote an article about the use of mothballs and ammonia.
Here is the article.
Mothballs for Critters?
No Way!
Working in the
nuisance wildlife control business allows me to discover some very
strange methods that homeowners try when dealing with their problem
animals. I could write a book on the bizarre concoctions and absolutely
silly ideas I have seen, and it would be titled "How not to solve
urban wildlife problems," as none of these ridiculous methods
have any effectiveness. I would like to share a bit of information
on one of the most popular, but not effective, methods that people
will use when they try to "scare off" mice, rats, or other
animals that may be in or around their homes. Mothballs. Besides the
fact they do not work for anything other than moths, here are some
things to keep in mind. Mothballs pose a serious health hazard for
people, pets, and animals. It is a federal offense to use them for
any type of animal control. If a chemical, poison or commercial product
of any kind does not list the particular animal on the label, it is
a federal and EPA violation to use it for that purpose (that includes
ammonia). Besides the negative environmental impact, the danger to
humans is a major concern. The label on mothballs mentions (if you
look hard enough) that it is against the law to use the product for
anything except control of moths in articles of clothing. Mothballs
are a distinctive smelling, volatile solid used to repel moths. Mothballs,
which are classified as a pesticide, may look like candy to a child.
Mothballs are poisonous when eaten and seizures can develop in less
than one hour. Mothballs contain 100 percent of either naphthalene
or paradichlorobenzene. Both ingredients produce harmful effects when
they enter your system through inhalation. Irritation to nose, throat
and lungs, headache, confusion, excitement or depression, and liver
and kidney damage can result from exposure to mothball vapors during
a long period of time.
Mothballs containing
naphthalene are of special concern because naphthalene can promote
a breakdown of red blood cells resulting in hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic
anemia in mild form may cause fatigue. In more severe cases, it can
cause acute kidney failure. Young children are at particular risk.
Poisonings have been reported following dressing infants in clothing
that was stored with naphthalene mothballs, suggesting that absorption
of naphthalene may occur through the skin. It is impossible to miss
the "danger" warnings on the packaging, but people still
toss them around their homes without thinking twice about it. The
warning label on mothball products reads "avoid prolonged breathing
of vapors." This label is at odds with the normal use of mothballs.
By the very nature of their ingredients, mothballs give off strong
odors (vapors you can smell). These vapors tend to fill the entire
home, making it nearly impossible to avoid prolonged breathing of
vapors unless you live outdoors. Health studies have determined that
if you can smell the mothballs, the vapors are at dangerous levels
to humans. The situation is complicated further when mothballs are
placed in closets or rooms with poor ventilation because the vapors
build to high concentrations. Vapors are absorbed by clothes, blankets
and sheets, resulting in direct exposure when you are around these
items. The vapors are "heavier" than air, so the dangerous
vapors constantly "bleed" down through your home when using
them in an attic. I can guarantee that everyone in the house will
become violently ill before the squirrel, raccoons or bats move out.
Don't be foolish enough to try this nonsense. If you wish to repel
moths and other insects, cedar blocks or chips are just as effective,
offering an ecofriendly and safe method. Sorry, they don't chase away
critters. The only answer to critter control is to trap them and seal
off the openings into the structure. Trapping or otherwise eliminating
the problem animal simply opens up the site for the next one if the
holes are not repaired. Exclusion is the only solution for animal
problems. Please excuse my use of the following "technical"
information, but it adds to the serious nature of this article.
Naphthalene
Naphthalene, also
known as tar camphor, is a white crystalline solid with a distinctive
mothball odor. Naphthalene is available to the public as a pest repellent
and frequently is contained in mothballs, mothflakes and toilet bowl
deodorizers. Naphthalene can enter your system through inhalation,
skin absorption, ingestion, and eye and skin contact. Headache, nausea,
vomiting, abdominal pain, malaise, confusion, anemia and renal disease
are typical symptoms of naphthalene exposure. Naphthalene may produce
possible damage to eyes, liver, kidneys, skin, red blood cells and
the central nervous system. Hemolytic anemia, caused by the breakdown
of the red blood cells, has been reported following immediate and
long-term exposure. In more severe cases, hemolytic anemia can cause
acute kidney failure. Cataracts also have been reported in workers
acutely exposed to naphthalene by inhalation and ingestion.
Paradichlorobenzene
Paradichlorobenzene
is a white, solid crystal with a wet, oily surface. It is volatile
and gives off penetrating mothball-like odors. Paradichlorobenzene
is commonly found in mothballs, moth crystals, and in diaper, toilet
and room deodorizers. Inhalation may result in headache, swollen eyes,
stuffy head, anorexia (loss of appetite), nausea, vomiting, and throat
and eye irritation. With prolonged skin contact, allergies and skin
irritation have been reported. Symptoms from ingestion include nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, liver and kidney damage, and methemoglobianemia
(which interferes with the uptake of oxygen). Chronic exposures to
very high levels of para-DCB can result in liver and kidney damage.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that
para-DCB may be reasonably anticipated to be a carcinogen. The state
of California has gone further and declared this compound to be a
human carcinogen, although there is no direct evidence from human
studies to indicate that this compound is a human carcinogen. These
determinations were made based on the results of animals showing that
long-term exposure resulted in cancer in treated laboratory animals.
Also, other animal studies indicate the possibility of birth defects
at high level exposures. I certainly hope sharing this information
will promote a safer environment around your home. The simple fact
is that mothballs do not solve your critter problem, but pose some
serious health concerns for humans, pets and other wildlife. Outdoor
use in and around your garden would produce very short-term benefits
because the active ingredients vaporize very quickly outdoors. Besides
being illegal to use for animals, mothballs are a poor choice from
both health and environmental standpoints. (e-mail reference)
A: Thanks for the
heads up. That information you mention being on the Web site is old,
as well as wrong and is not given any more. I'll request our Webmaster,
Dave Rice, purge any reference to this from the archives. Your article
will appear in our local newspapers as well. Again, thanks for calling
this to my attention. As an owner of three spoiled cats, I can't imagine
doing anything that would be harmful to them.
Q: There is a 50-foot
cedar that I would like to save from the dozers. Do you think it's possible?
If so, what time of year and how deep do you think the root system is?
Any information would be of great help. My house mover, who moves a lot
of trees, says he can do it. What are the chances? (e-mail reference)
A: That certainly
is a tree worth trying to save because it is a beauty! If your house
mover has the experience moving such large trees, have him do so. Move
the tree in early spring while the tree is dormant. If properly done,
the tree will have to be hand-dug and moved like a house. The chances
that the tree will survive are better than 50 percent. I've seen it
successfully done once, but that was 25 years ago. It was moved by someone
who also moved houses in Ohio. Traffic control/diversion was an added
challenge, so don't overlook that or the local law enforcement folks
might not take too kindly to your actions, no matter how noble. Get
all the details taken care of well ahead of moving the tree.
Q: We have a new home
with a mature crab apple tree that is heavily covered with sucker growth.
Last year’s apple crop was very small and many apples were diseased.
My question is about pruning. How much of the length of each sucker should
I prune? How much should be removed? Should the tree be pruned in late
spring as you said? (e-mail reference)
A: Excess sucker
growth is not a good sign for the well-being of a tree. It is usually
an indication the tree is in a state of serious decline. I was incorrect
if I said that late spring is the time to remove the suckers. The suckers
should be removed in early spring, before new growth begins. Pruning
when the tree is in leaf opens it up to the roving pathogens that are
going to get established in such a weakened tree. All sucker growth
should be removed. You should prune the branches as needed, but do not
remove more than 25 percent to 30 percent of the branching system per
season. It is better to prune too little than too much. If you prune
too much, it encourages more sucker growth.
Q: We recently returned
from a trip to Oahu and We brought back from a trip to Oahu two packets
of hibiscus branches about 3 inches in length with a couple of leaves
growing from the stem. I'm at a loss as to how these should be handled
and planted. At this time, we would obviously plant them indoors. I don't
know whether to use soil and plant the stem vertically or lay it flat
in the moss provided and then cover it with Saran wrap with a few holes
in it to encourage humidity and moisture. Can you help? (e-mail reference)
A: Hibiscus easily
root using a rooting compound treatment. I would make up a media of
sand/peat. Stick them in the media after treating them with the rooting
compound. Provide high humidity, bottom heat and consistent moisture
levels for the rooting media.
Q: I follow your column
and enjoy it a lot because many of the problems you discuss cover the
Red River Valley. A member of my family bought a farmstead in the Hawley
area. The farmstead has five large trees in the yard. These trees were
loaded with berries that looked like Juneberries or chokecherries. I have
been told that the berries were poisonous because there were so many and
that birds are smart and will not touch them. Is there a berry tree out
there that has poisonous berries? If so, we think we might cut down the
trees. The trees are nicely shaped. I picked Juneberries for many years
in the ‘30s and ‘40s. I noticed that Juneberries are available
in the new seed catalogs, so I am thinking about starting some to see
if they will survive. Would the new Juneberry be worth planting? (Moorhead,
Minn.)
A: Birds clean off
berries as they ripen, depriving humans of this very nice treat! Are
you sure they are not crabapples? Crabapples often get left on the trees
until the food supply becomes critical toward the end of winter. Yes,
the new Juneberries are worth it! Thanks for writing and being a faithful
reader!
Q: I purchased a small,
ornamental pepper plant from our local nursery around September of this
year. The nursery had yellow, orange, purple and red peppers. It was so
cute. I repotted the pepper when I got home. Its leaves are drying up
and the new leaves are very small. It actually looks almost dead. However,
as sad as it looks, the plant is loaded with the red peppers and continues
to produce them. What can I do for this plant? It was so cute and I was
hoping to decorate the patio with it next summer. (e-mail reference)
A: You probably
need to give it more light. These plants eat up all the bright light
one can give them. If you can’t place it in a window that gets
direct sunlight most of the day (hard to do during winter months), get
some artificial lights with automatic timers. The automatic timers will
allow you to provide 13 to 15 hours of light per day. That usually will
turn the plant around. You also will need a little patience on your
part.
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Source: Ron
Smith, (701) 231-8161, ronsmith@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Rich Mattern, (701) 231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.nodak.edu
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