permaculture

[Shannon Post <shannonpost2002@yahoo.com>]

Shannon,
The only thing I can think of would be its pollen or its micro-hairs on 
the nuts,
but I am not sure how the hairs could become airborne. Juglone is 
exuded into the
soil, and I suppose that if you lived in the middle of a thick Walnut 
forest and
had a shallow well, juglone could be present in the water. But a normal 
deep well
and contact with the bark etc, would not impart the chemical.
My theory is that it may be the casings and webbings of the moths that 
hoard all
over Black Walnut trees(mostly active at night). These webbings of the
catepillars and egg casings are very reactive with some people's lungs, 
and
become airborne in various conditions. The lifecycle of the moths may 
overlap
with the son's flare-ups. Asthma in Maine is linked each year with the 
severity
of certain tree moth population fluxuation. Also, the shedding 
exoskeletons from
each transition from pupate to adult have the same affect, as well as 
the "hairs"
naturally shed by the moth and its young. 
Probably there is another cause. I would suggest they visit a homeopath 
or
acupunturist. Just the stress of adapting to a new drier, dustier 
environment
could be the cause.  
I hope this helps, and hope this family figures out the true cause 
soon.
Heron



                
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