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  • From: <eureka AT hctc.net>
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Primitive Technology Living
  • Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2008 04:47:11 -0500

Unfortunately the gall would be seen by many as something making their tree less than perfect (such an American obsession), and chemicals would be brought in to eliminate the wasp. But we know wasps are such great pollinators and these undoubtedly have some vital roll in your diverse ecosystem. Isn't it wonderful when every new discovery rekindles one's sense of wonder?

Our oaks are heavily "infested" (as they like to say locally) with ball moss and there are companies that will come and spray your trees with something akin to baking soda to kill it off. I don't think it is particularly attractive for the trees, but the plant itself is quite interesting and I know Tillandsia sp. are used medicinally, Although people think it is a parasite it is really epiphitic in the bromeliad family and exists entirely from what it can collect from the air. It also grows profusely on the electric lines here (proof that it is not parasitic).

It seems to me there has been an increase in the last two decades of ball moss in the hill country. I know that lichens are an indicator of clean air (kind of a miner's canary) but I often wonder what the ball moss proliferation is indicating. It seems to me it would say the air is supplying more nutrients now?

Also, in the case of the galls on your trees, which you have not noticed before, I wonder what this is indicating?

Here I have already learned to "read" some insect activity. For instance, when the cutleaf ants get active we are going to have a rainy season and some flooding. I think I already mentioned on the list once that during the two 500 year floods I've been through large slugs came into my kitchen. One was a two slug flood and the other was a three slug flood. I am sure the next time it is raining and I see slugs in the kitchen I'm in for a bad one. How can these slugs know what even our meteorologists with the best equipment cannot? How nice to have them to warn me should I find myself without electricity in the future.

As you can see you are not the only one with insomnia.

--Sage


On Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:46:45 -0400
EarthNSky <erthnsky AT bellsouth.net> wrote:
I'm like you, I want to know things. I want to know every plant, tree, insect, gall, whatever, that is part of my world here. Even with the internet and Google, I haven't been able to find a picture of my gall. That is indicative of some serious biodiversity. I may be looking at some indigenous localized wasp species or maybe there is something unique about my soil that causes the tree to make a different kind of gall. I cut it open, and inside I can see pulpy striations like the striations you see on a larger scale in the apple oak gall.
Anyway, you never know when or how such knowledge might be useful.

Bev




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