On Dormancy: Hibernation, Estivation, Brumation and Diapause

Ladybeetle by Max Johnson

When I look at my blog entries and realize that my last piece was in early December 2009, I defend myself by insisting that I was not asleep at the keyboard – I was in a special state of renewal and recuperation – maybe a diapause – like the Japanese Ladybeetles that invade my house each fall, or a period of “estivation.” I like the sound of “estivation” over the other choices: hibernation, brumation, viral dormancy, and seed dormancy.

Estivation

“Estivation” sounds moderately intellectual, doesn’t it? As if I was goofing off but thinking hard about it. However, I learn that this state is one found mostly in invertebrates like snails and worms responding to very hot or very dry conditions. Hmnn. That does not sound like the winter we just had.

Predictive and Conditional Dormancy

Some forms of dormancy occur before the adverse conditions set in. An environmental cue (like decreasing hours of daylight) predicts the onset of hard times such as winter or drought, and the organism enters a protective dormant state before the harsh conditions occur. Other critters will wait for survival-threatening circumstances to develop and then enter a dormant state. Seeds and certain microscopic entities like pollen grains and bacteria can exhibit this conditional dormancy to a remarkable degree. Apparently, people have germinated seeds that have been dormant for over 1000 years! I won’t  mention the special latency skill of herpes-type viruses (including chickenpox), that wait in hiding inside our cells, latent until something very bad or very good (illness, chocolate) awakens them. Shhh.

Hibernation

Most of us are familiar with the predictive hibernation strategy used by many mammals. They build up body fat in the summer and fall (sound familiar –all that pasta, all those glasses of wine?), and before it gets really cold they head for a hidey-hole, decreasing their heart rate dramatically (by as much as 95%) as they enter a sleeping state and dream away the winter.

Brumation

In brumation, a similar predictive strategy employed by reptiles, the creature (such as a lizard) does not actually sleep, but is less active and requires little to no food, However, it does still require water and will become more alert and will move in order to drink, and then resume brumation. This sounds a bit like my teenage son when it is time to get up for school. He does not arise, but will become more alert and move slightly (even talk briefly) in response to maternal distress calls, but then resumes brumation.

Inhalant Insect Allergy

Years ago when I first researched the life cycle of the Japanese or Asian Ladybeetle, I learned that it typically undergoes diapause under tree bark. I figured my house probably seemed like a big tree and that’s why I had an infestation and consequent sneezing and itchy, watery eyes. Diapause occurs in many insects, and in a few mammals. Insects temporarily suspend development during the fall and winter cold months, and then resume activity in the spring.

In the case of the Asian Ladybeetles, although they enter the walls during the fall, after a cold snap, and rest for a while, when we begin to heat our houses for the winter, they gravitate out of the walls to the warmth, thinking “it’s Spring!” and we have them flying into light bulbs, falling into our open cooking vessels and generally making a nuisance of themselves. In mammals like the Roe deer, the diapause strategy temporarily delays implantation of an embryo, to ensure that all offspring are born in the spring. Rest assured, this process in deer is being studied for all its potential applications.

In the late 90’s there were just a few descriptions on the internet of ladybeetles invading houses, and none of allergic responses to the non-native species. I did find a nifty description of an indoor ladybeetle trap – (bucket, UV light, slippery metal deflector and baby powder!) which I have used ever since. Now there are lots of clinical research abstracts on allergic rhinitis induced by “inhalant insects” (Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009 Aug;9(4):329-33).

So that’s my other excuse for the diapause of the blog: my immune system was in full scale revolt against airborne ladybug allergens and I was…sleepy. But it’s spring now and the blog is back!

 

Trading Blanket: Celebrating Buy Nothing Day

Earth Skills

I first learned about the Trading Blanket event (or ceremony) at the Earthskills Rendezvous summer camp held near the Smokies a few years ago (now the group has a home-base in Georgia to host their bi-annual Rendezvous events that draw experts in primitive skills from across the US). I went with friends and kids in tow to this nature and primitive living skills workshop and camp. There the boys learned to fletch arrows of river cane, I made a wood-fired clay pot, made some progress toward starting a fire with a bow-drill, and learned various woods skills for staying warm, finding water, and putting out a fire run amok.

Also, after an unexpected yellow jacket attack on the children leading a ramble in the woods, we learned from a veteran primitive skills practitioner that the chewed up leaves of plantain can help with insect stings (as can chewed tobacco leaves or the contents of a cigarette chewed into a poultice– but we didn’t have any). 

But for me the tradition of the Trading Blanket was the best idea we brought back to our community, and luckily friends have made this event a regular feature of the post-Thanksgiving “Black Friday” Buy Nothing Day — an effort to get people to halt consumer spending for just one day. The Adbusters Media Foundation web page about No Buy Day discusses the link between this symbolic protest and environmental/sustainability education, referring to our “five planet” habits.

How it Works

To set up a Trading Blanket, pick a pretty location (preferably outdoors) and choose one facilitator each for an adult trading blanket and a kids trading blanket. Place a blanket on the ground (and surround the main blanket with other ones for sitting, if the group will be large) so that everyone has a warm spot to sit and there is still plenty of space in the middle for displaying items for trade. For those who cannot sit on the ground, stools or folding chairs are fine. Those who will actively trade should ring the blanket, while onlookers can assemble behind the main circle. Put your bags of possible trading items behind you so as not to clutter the space and confuse traders. The moderator asks the first person to his or her left to begin and place one or more items in the center of the blanket to offer for trade. The person offering can give an explanation of the items, and if he or she is willing to trade for one or all of them, can specify.

It is also fine to state a rough value for the items (“I often sell my soaps for $8 a bar,” for example), especially since the value of hand-crafted items might not be something understood by some participants. Then the moderator goes around the circle asking each person if s/he has something to offer in trade. The viewers can go into the center of the blanket to touch and examine the items offered, and then decide whether to propose something in trade or not. An item for trade is placed in front of the person offering it, so that the blanket has the primary item in the middle and soon a ring of possible trades forms around it in front of the seated participants. Anyone can pass. The person making the center offer can ask a trader to “sweeten the pot” if they are tempted by the possible trade but feel that an extra item or service might seal the deal. (A note: services can be written on index cards, such as “split wood for 30 minutes.”) The trader does not have to accept any offers,  and may withdraw the item from the center.

When a trade is accepted the 2 parties shake and say “good trade” and all the other items are withdrawn. Then the next person takes a turn at putting an item in the center. Side trades are allowed – as long as they are conducted quietly, so as not to disturb the flow of the main blanket.

A Mix of Hand-made and Yard Sale Items is a Good Strategy

At our blanket I took a mix of non-commercial items and things commercially produced that I suspected would suit the values of the people who generally attend. I traded a butternut squash and some children’s story CDs for some hand-milled soaps, and a pair of earrings for a set of old bottles that my son, who collects such things, wanted. My big trade was another butternut, a jar of home-made canned tomato sauce, and a silver cuff bracelet for a suede cloak with faux fur trim.

Among the items offered that day were hand-painted Ukrainian egg decorations, a jar of mint for making tea, a large bamboo vase for dried flower arrangements, a hand-sewn child’s purse, a book on solstice rituals, 2 tanned animal skins, home-made blackberry mead, a set of elegant hand-thrown pottery dishes with a special glaze, an alpaca sweater, and several Indian silk scarves. At the kids blanket the following items changed hands: a battery-driven R2-D2 Star Wars robot, a hand-held microscope, a hand-made basket and clay necklace, a set of baseball gloves, and a number of paperback books.

The entire event was made more enjoyable by a campfire and cups of hot soup, since a chill wind was blowing down at the lake where we gathered. Kids played and dogs gamboled and many people went away with items they can treasure or give as holiday gifts in the upcoming season.

 

Guest Blog

My newest article, about how meditation practice can help you land a job, is a guest blog at the Momentum Resources blog site of Jen Folsom, an ex-Cvillian. Jen is now the DC Metropolitan area Director of Momentum Resources , a “boutique staffing firm specializing in placing professionals in flexible and reduced hours positions with smart organizations.” Her blog contains lots of useful job seeker suggestions and articles about work-life balance. I especially like the October 9th one about Carol Greider, a molecular biologist who won a Nobel prize. Jen cites the Washington Post article on the winner by Liza Mundy, another former Cvillian. Check it out. (Oh, and my article too, which is at the following link: http://mom-entum.blogspot.com/2009/11/how-sitting-around-doing-nothing-can.html ).

Brief Hiking Note

Back in October a friend and I did a terrific out and back hike along the AT from Reed’s Gap to a viewpoint called Hanging Rock.  It’s a 7-ish mile hike, described in the book The Best of the Appalachian Trail: Day Hikes, by Victoria Logue, Frank Logue and Leonard Adkins. Well worth the effort — stunning views out over the Tye River Valley. I’ll be a lot of heads-down AT thru hikers miss it altogether. Pack a nice lunch and sit on the rock to soak in the views before turning back.

By the way, searching for the correct title of the book sent me to Leonard Adkins’ web site, called The Habitual Hiker. It is mostly a list of his books, speaking engagements, school-oriented multimedia presentation on hiking the AT, and so on, but gives a link to his Habitual Hiker blog at Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine, which provides tips on top regional hikes.

 

Hiking Fortune’s Cove

This past week we hiked the Nature Conservancy land at Fortune’s Cove Nature Preserve just north of Lovingston in Nelson County. It was strenuous, but gorgeous – I can hardly believe our luck in having this preserve in our own backyard.

The tract of 755 acres has 2 trails, the long and short loop. We opted for the long loop, which is 5.5 miles, and is very steep in places, taking you up onto the mountain ridge and along to the crest of Hightop (marred a bit by a communications tower, but affording gorgeous views of the mountains). We used a trail map we found in (and returned to) the map box at the trailhead, but you can download one from the Nature Conservancy site.

Demonic fungus

The hike takes you through shady forests, past many wildflowers (even in October – and mountain laurel was plentiful and would be spectacular in bloom), and pretty valley views. As you near the top of the ridge, moss grows thickly on the rocks in some places, looking like a green velvety cushion.

The second half of the trail features many stream crossings, with comfortable bridges, walkways, and even a small stair provided. On our walk the waterways were at a trickle,

moss on the rocks

but in a wet spring they would be lovely. The opening part of the trail passes some small sections of chestnut oak that, according to the trailhead literature, were never logged, and there is a different, expansive “green canopy” feel to the forest here, with the soaring trunks giving a taste for how things used to be. A highlight of the walk was the view from Hightop Mountain (walk around to the right of the communication tower and keep a wide counterclockwise circle through the grasses to see the best view

ridge view from Hightop

 of the ridges – which show up well in the lower humidity of fall.) 

Sluggish snake

Among the things we saw on the trail was an orange fungus sprouting from a tree. Just before Halloween, what could be more apropos than this demonic-face? Also we saw a snake, dozing off the side of the trail, allowing me to get pretty close for his moment of fame.

The loop took us about 5 ¼ hours, but we made lots of stops to admire ridge views, listen to birds, and rest our calves (some sections are really very steep). If you favor hiking poles – bring yours, especially for the downhill path after Hightop. Another tip: no pets are allowed in the preserve, so leave Fido at home.

 

big tree

The autumn olives at the end of the trail (I’m used to seeing them on shrubs, but these were so tall as to be nearly trees) were tasty, but we learned that these are an invasive species that the Conservancy is working to eradicate from the preserve -so enjoy them here while you can.

 

Poem Time

A few events have inspired or provoked poems recently. There was a family wedding in August. The lanterns strung in the teees led to the haiku sequence below.

Dealing with the summer produce has been on our minds. Rollie’s garden has been producing tomatoes, bell peppers, winter squash, watermelon, okra and corn at a dizzying pace. There are also beets and potatoes and now some fall crops have been sown. I wrote a poem about processing tomatoes, but submitted that to a competition, so won’t put it up here (evidently there is some controversy among publishers about whether something appearing on a blog constitutes publishing it or not, so in some cases it’s best to play it safe). 

Rollie has a great book called Poem Crazy by Susan Goldsmith Wooldridge.  I did an exercise that involved writing about a painting. The one below is based on the painting Turkish Cafe by August Macke, of Die Blaue Reiter school along with Kandinsky, Klee, and others.

Wedding Lanterns: Haiku

Japanese lanterns
unlit, like cicada shells.
Did the bride approve?

White moon globes lightly
sway beside candles glowing
as the couples dance.

Are they sufficient
unto themselves, the empty
orbs, or incomplete?

I feel your eyes light
me up, dancing in your gaze -
I love this orbit.

8-31-2009

The Blue Teacup

In the courtyard
of the painter’s imagination
vigorous green foliage
alive with diagonals, arcs over
moody blue walls.
The seated figure
in the green caftan
is still.

Meditating? Waiting?

An innocent blue teacup perches
on a thin red table
next to a darker carafe flecked with reflections.

The cup asks nothing of the open orange doorway,
has no expectations of the empty yellow chair.

The caftan sleeve reflects the red legged table,
the black triangle fringe of the red fez
echoes the shadowed leaves,
shapes are edged with darkness.
But the cup
in its clear blue
is luminous.

The figure’s gaze is directed
into the painting’s center, the orange opening.
Is it equanimity, or expectancy?

The blue teacup
just off-center
is still.

8-07-09

 

Movies I Recommend

The next installment of recommendations for rental movies. Top Ten of the last 3 months.

A) Indie Comedies

Saving Grace. A newly-widowed British woman learns that her husband did not take care of the finances and that she will probably lose her home. Together with some townspeople she takes on an unusual project to keep her estate afloat. Charming, funny. I let both my kids watch it, but then I’m liberal about sex and drugs in film.

Little Voice. Another quirky romantic comedy about a shy girl with a surprising gift for song, and a homing-pigeon-raising telephone installer who is smitten with her. Her mother and a talent agent who is the mother’s sometime boyfriend have major roles. Excellent acting by all four principals, with Michael Caine as the talent agent and Ewan McGregor as the pigeon raiser. In effect, the film asks “what is your true voice is and what will you do about it once you find out?”

Sunshine Cleaning. Well done film that looks at the lives of 2 sisters: one a single mother who has held her life together by a series of self-defeating choices, and the other who tags along in her sister’s shadow as the “bad girl.” Alan Arkin plays their father. As the film explores the sisters’ relationship and they eventually reach some resolution about the painful events of their childhood, the other characters in the ensemble shine also: the cleaning supply store clerk, the hapless salesman father shoes schemes are always going awry, and the one sister’s child who is innocent and sage in the ways that get kids bullied at school

B) Dramas

For adults and more sophisticated teen viewers (i.e., not for my worldly 11 year old, but fine for the worldly 15 year old).
Sin Nombre. Young Colombian boy has been inducted into a widespread gang that penetrates throughout Central America. He begins the process of bringing an even younger kid into the fold (a nephew maybe, or cousin) but in the process of executing his duties (this pun is intended) makes a decision that will force him to flee to El Norte, along with a group of Guatemalan travelers he has met on the way. The twining together of the lives of this youth and a girl he meets on the immigration trail are filmed in a clear-sighted, non-Hollywood, manner, with a constant threat of violence (and a fair amount of actual depiction of violence in the film) permeating the moments of kindness and tenderness. There are moments of betrayal and cruelty also, and somehow none of this is over-dramatized; it is almost undertold, since it is dramatic and scary enough in real life. A fictional story, but based on the real heartache of the power of the street gangs, and the lives of many trying to make their way over the border into the US and suffering harrowing experiences in so doing.

The Constant Gardener. Another fictional story about true things: bribery as a way of life in some African countries, the megabucks temptation for pharmaceutical companies to bury reports of adverse events for potential blockbuster drugs, the difficulty of role of the diplomatic spouse who is not directly employed by the government represented by his or her partner, but is encouraged, nonetheless, to safeguard the spouse’s job by not being too vocal in protest against obvious systemic ills in the foreign country. These are underscored by the theme of the use of gardening (or any other hobby for that matter) to evade or bury the troubles of a relationship. Ralph Feinnes turns in a superb performance.

Winter Passing. Strange and sensitive story about a daughter estranged from her artist father traveling to his New England home to re-discover her relationship with him, and though this, with her own troubled childhood, and dead mother. Expert acting by Zooey Deschanel and Ed Harris in a quirky story that seems as if it will be impossibly grim and yet ends in acceptance. Another quiet, very non-Hollywood film. I am a complete and utter fan of Ed Harris and will see anything he is involved with. I have not been disappointed yet. (Pollack is one of my all time favorite films).

C) Fairy-tale like movies

….that many adults will enjoy. Innocent on the surface with dark undertones, or overtly dark and comical at the same time.
The Fox and the Child. There are some legitimate critiques of this film – the bad dubbing being one. Truly they could have kept it in French with subtitles, for although small children might enjoy some of it, I think it is mainly a film for the 8 to 108 set. And possibly at the end we get hit over the head with a message a bit too heavily. But after all, a fable has a moral a the end – that is the genre. So despite the flaws, I think it is a terrific and mesmerizing film. The filming of the animals and natural scenery is glorious, as we would expect from the March of the Penguins director. I tried like the dickens to find the French text of the song the little girl sings about animal footprints online – to no avail. If anyone knows or finds this – please let me know. By the way, in the manner of Bambi, there are some sad things here – so watch it before showing it to kids under 8.

Coraline. This is actually a bit of a creepy-looking movie – it is not for very young children, even though it is animated. I would say 10 and up (or a sophisticated 8 and up) and not for those youngsters prone to bad reactions to slightly scary things in film. A dark comedy/animated fable based on a book (Max says the book is much better, but that the film nevertheless does it justice). Dark Edward Gorey-like animation that recalls The Nightmare Before Christmas and Edward Scissorhands. Well worth seeing. We all really liked it, even Rollie who does not enjoy too many films that are aimed at children.

D) Other Harder-to-Categorize Dramas

The Winter Guest. Quiet & thoughtful film about…well, what is it about: loneliness, death, reaching out? What/who IS the winter guest, exactly? Emma Thompson and Phyllidia Law play in a film directed by Alan Rickman. Highly recommended for those who do not require the pace of American action/adventure in their films. I, personally, like a film that unfolds calmly and in which the camera looks at thing in an interesting way. A sleeper.

Sugar. A young Dominican athlete is recruited by the Kansas City Knights. A piercing look at the farm team structure of baseball in a charming fiction that shows one man working out how to make his way in a system that chews players up and spits them out. Beautifully filmed. Not a baseball film, per se.

 

Costa Rica Tales

It’s been a busy summer, so I am behind in blogging. But today I will post 3 in a row. It’s feast or famine, I guess.

See the first installment of a description of our trip to Costa Rica on my travel blog site at: http://www.travelblog.org/fred.php?id=435486

Second installment coming soon. This photo is a pitcure of the community soccer game at Yorkin.

 

Ideas for Summer Produce – and Plans for a Soup Swap

Veggies from Rollie's Garden

The beans are upon us, zucchini coming fast, and tomatoes soon to bear. What to do with the bounty? Here are a few “cooking without recipes” ideas I use when the veggies start coming fast and furious.

Green Beans

With green beans I like to  parboil them (put in salted boiling water until they turn bright green, then remove and rinse in cold water), pat them dry, toss with a scant 2 teaspoons of olive oil (or less – just the very slightest amount needed to coat them when you toss them), sprinkle them with something, and then head for the grill. I suggest you use an oil-brushed grill basket and watch over the beans, stirring and turning until they all seem to have some brown on at least one side.

What can you sprinkle them with? Be creative. Dig around in your fridge for leftover sauces or hidden jars of condiments. Some things I have  have used include:

• leftover homemade spice rub
• fresh garden herbs chopped, or crushed in a mortar and pestle with some garlic
• dried herbs (thyme, rosemary)
• a heaping teaspoon of tandoori spice
• a spice oil of toasted fennel and cumin seeds, lightly sauteed diced fresh ginger and thinly-slivered onion, a teaspoon of  ground cardamom, and a hint or more (to taste) of cayenne powder or crushed red pepper flakes

 You can also just leave the beans unsprinkled while grilling, and later drizzle a nice dressing on them: a Dijon mustard vinaigrette, a miso-parsley dressing, a squeeze of fresh lemon, lime or orange with a little walnut oil and some chopped walnuts, a little hoisin sauce mixed with toasted sesame oil.

Zucchini

I do really love my grill. I grill zucchini and sprinkle or dress with something different from what I’ve used on the beans – so as to have at least 2 flavors. If you make a nice toasted bulgur with chopped herbs and vegetables in it, or parboil and grill some potatoes – it’s a meal!

But say you don’t have a grill or are somehow, unaccountably, tired of grilling everything? My Dad cuts zucchini in ½ (of course this is best with small ones that are all about the same size),  and sautees them in a little olive oil until they are getting tender. Then he sprinkles them with good quality grated parmesan, and then fires up the broiler of the oven. Put the zukes in for a very short time (keep checking them!) until the cheese melts and browns a bit. These make a great appetizer or side dish.

There is probably a zucchini soup, but we haven’t had to go that far yet. The tomatoes are coming soon and I am dreaming of….

Gazpacho

I pride myself on making tasty gazpacho, without a recipe, and it is a little different every time. I cut the tomatoes into big wedges about the same size. I don’t mind the peel, so I leave it on, but if you are fussy about it you can blanch and skin them first. Run them under cold water and let them cool before you cut.

Put the wedges in your food processor and think about what else is out there in the garden or going gangbusters on your windowsill. A bit of thyme, a few scant leaves of basil (not too much – it can be overpowering), 3 or 4 delicate fronds of dill. Then add a splash of red wine vinegar, a hint of balsamic vinegar or lemon – something a bit acid; leftover red wine (just 1 tablespoon) can work. Next, a teaspoon or 2 of good olive oil. Run the processor in on/off turns until it looks like the texture you prefer. I like mine to have some ½ to 1” chunks still. Then I might add some peeled, chopped cucumber, one or 2 cloves of roasted garlic, diced, or 2 cloves of raw garlic put through a garlic press. Chill thoroughly. A topping of sliced mint leaves can be good. Or, instead, parsley sprigs can garnish the outside rim of the serving bowl. On rare occasions a few other veggies can add variety – finely chopped bell pepper, diced tomatillos. But don’t add jalapeno or you may slide over from gazpacho to salsa fresca before you know it!

Gazpacho is good with – you guessed it – grilled crusty bread! Brush it with oil and wait for pretty grill marks to form. Then you can add fresh mozzarella slices and basil leaves for a classic combo.

Soup Swap – Now or This Winter

Speaking of a cold soup – this might just be the season for a cold soup swap. If you’re processing any of your vegetables by canning, or even roasting (we heard of someone who over roasts and then freezes tomatoes instead of canning), you know you don’t want to slave over a hot stove for dinner.

Check out the how-to of a soup swap at the website www.soupswap.com, and organize one this summer, or mark your calendar for the official 3^rd National Soup Swap Day on Saturday January 24^th, 2009. It seems a long, long time from now, doesn’t it?

 

Abolish the Apostrophe!

Like the Vermiform Appendix

Who needs it anymore? Its (sic)  like the appendix –- not the supplementary material at the end of a scholarly report or book, but the body part — a vestigial organ whose evolutionary function we can guess at (we’ll talk about hanging prepositions another time), but in modern humans is just an accident waiting to happen. Appendicitis anyone?

Underground Army

I get a feeling like appendicitis when I see apostrophe errors in print. My solution is to tell you how to use them correctly for the time being, but to conscript you into an underground army agitating to abolish them altogether.

Possession and Contraction

In correct English, as currently written, you use the apostrophe to indicate possession (I got it from the horse’s mouth), or omission in a contraction (wherein one or more letters are left out in order to combine two words, as in “that’s weird” for “that is weird.”)

However, many people are confused about the distinction and will apply an apostrophe where an ordinary plural is wanted, resulting in egregious infelicities (this is called being pompous – don’t you do it!) like this sign at my local gas station:

Night Crawler’s For Sale

 Or these samples from a student essay and a dog training manual, respectively:

The dog raised it’s nose to the moon and howled.

If you give the command to sit, its not OK for your pooch to slowly slide down to a lying position, or try one of it’s other tricks, like rolling over.

But, you might argue, even if it is clear from context whether a singular noun is possessive or plural, what about a plural possessive? What about this:

1)    The girls’ backpacks and street clothes are strewn along the hall outside the ballet studio.

2)    The girl’s backpacks and street clothes are strewn along the hall outside the ballet studio.

3)    The girl’s backpack and street clothes are strewn along the hall outside the ballet studio.

In example #1, the apostrophe tells us that there is more than one girl in this class, and that among them they own more than one backpack and set of clothes. In example #2, we have the unusual circumstance that one girl owns more than one backpack. I submit to you that if there were only one girl receiving a private lesson, the sentence would actually be written as in #3, with no “s” on the word “backpack,” and that my argument that the distinction is clear from context wins the day.

OK, what about contractions? Thats simple. We dont need the apostrophe! Everyone knows what I mean if I write that you cant teach an old dog new tricks, and no one, should it become the norm, will halt over that sentence to wonder whats wrong with me, nor surmise that I mustve had a lunch-time martini to let an error like that slip by my eagle eye.

How about you? Did you go hunting for your red pen or the review function of your word processor? Do you sense an appendectomy in your future?

Next time: Gerund or Participle – Do We Care?

 

Bamboo, Ticks and Starlings

The outskirt of the bamboo grove

The Lush Green Grove

 Here on the farm we have a grove of bamboo next to the Rockfish River. When I first moved here about 16 years ago, this grove was a delightful place of refuge – cool and green in the summer, a favorite spot for kids to pitch a tent and camp out, a lovely place to hear the breeze rustle through the bamboo leaves. Also it had its uses: some people gathered bamboo for garden stakes, or for carving simple wooden utensils and cups (when fire-hardened, bamboo is very sturdy and makes a wonderful stir-fry spatula).

Like a B-Movie: Day of the Killer Ticks 

Then several years ago, something went terribly wrong. Suddenly this place we had all enjoyed became a tick haven. You really could not enter the grove in the spring and summer without being mobbed by ticks.

Imagine about a dozen eagerly crawling up each of your legs. Even for someone accustomed to bushwhacking through tall grass in a Virginia mid-summer, with long pants dutifully tucked into socks, DEET-containing insect spray applied with a liberal hand, and the nightly tick check de rigeur, this prospect is daunting.  So – what went wrong?

The Starlings that Ate Manhattan

Starlings – that’s what. This invasive species of bird was intentionally introduced from Europe in the 1900s – released in New York’s Central Park. Evidently, a few tries were made there and elsewhere in the country, but some number of nesting pairs finally survived in New York City. Ohmigod – what were they thinking? Now, with red-winged blackbirds coming a close second, starlings take the prize for the most numerous single bird species in the US.

Like crows and blackbirds, which can also be nuisance species, starlings gather in enormous flocks. A starling flock in the summer sky at dusk, wheeling and turning, folding over and in upon itself like some living spirograph, is, admittedly, a thing of beauty. If only they were not so competitive with native songbirds, did not adapt so well to living near humans, to eating anything from insects to garbage to field crops, and did not carry such a staggering array of noxious parasites and diseases, including ticks by the truckload.

You should read the USAD/APHIS/WS paper that lists the bacterial, viral, rickettsial, and mycotic (fungal) pathogens starlings can transmit(often by way of an arthrodopd vector such as a tick) to livestock and, in some cases, also to humans.* It goes on for 2 ½ pages. I feel very sick all of a sudden.  

 Home Sweet Home

It turns out that bamboo is such a desirable roosting location for starlings that pest control experts suggest planting bamboo in urban areas where starlings nest in public buildings (train stations, warehouses) and create a huge nuisance with their parasites, excrement, and noise.** Once starlings have established a nesting site, they return year after year.

So what to do? Possibly just be grateful this particular bamboo grove is far from houses, community buildings, and barns. Someone could conduct a relentless campaign of noise (startling them with starling alarm cries and sudden loud noises), or netting the grove to keep starlings out (or to subsequently poison them)– but these options, often applied in urban areas or orchards, would coast heaps of money and even then, according to what I have read, might not succeed.

Fowl Play

 I have also read that Guinea Fowl eat lots of ticks. But they care more for grassy areas than the woods, and to keep a large flock of these birds in the grove might mean fencing the perimeter. To do this you would have to go near it. One of the issues I read about was that disturbing the soil below the starling roosting sites can kick up some of the possible pathogens such as histoplasmosis. So, I think my solution for the time being will be to stay away and leave the starlings and ticks in peace.

* “European Starlings: A Review of an Invasive Species with Far-reaching Impacts,” from Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species: Proceedings of an International Symposium. G.W. Witmer, W.C. Pitt, K.A. Flagstone, Eds) USDA/APHIS/WS, National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, 2007.

** “Historical Use of Bamboo/Cane as Blackbird and Starling Roost Habitat: Implications for Roost Management.” J. Glahan, R. Flint, E. Hill, J. Field Ornithol, 65(2):237-246.