GreenHow, How green can you bee?

e-GreenNews
Winter, 2013
GreenTrivia
Q:  What is the fastest flying insect?
GreenHumor
Q: How does a bee brush it's hair?
In This Issue
New Technology
It's Back, Flower & Garden Show
Featured Pest
Ice Dams
Quick Links
Lauren's Blog
GreenTrivia
A:  A dragonfly is the fastest at 35 mph, followed by the hawk moth at 34 mph.  The dragonfly can control its four wings at different angles and speeds.  (Source:  Smithsonian Institution.)
GreenHumor
A:  Wth a honey comb!
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New Application Technology

 GreenHow, Inc Truck at NE Grows

   We were pleased to display the newest addition to the GreenHow fleet at New England Grows February 6 and 7th.  New England Grows is an annual industry training and exhibition that took place this year February 6-8th, 2013 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.  New England Grows is one of the most popular horticultural and green industry events in the country.  New England Grows connects 13,000+ green industry professionals with the brightest horticultural ideas, hottest
selling plants, latest green industry technology, and best outdoor equipment at its 1,100+ booth horticulture tradeshow.
     The new truck, custom designed by Dave Mercer, MAA and Sean Greenhow, BCE utilizes a more efficient and effective methods to treat Plant Health Care needs and apply compost tea.  The Izusu truck is certified clean diesel,  which allows for less
waste and more productivity.  

Boston Flower & Garden Show

Boston Flower Show

 

This year the Flower & Garden Show is back in Boston.  The show's theme - Seed's of Change - celebrates design innovations in the garden and outdoor environment.  The show features new elements, such as local chefs showing how to grow herbs and include them in your meals.  Local amateur designers are welcome to enter design competitions at the show.  The show will be at the World Trade Center March 13th to 17th.
Featured Pest:  Drugstore Beetles
DRUGSTORE BEETLESDescription:  
Brown, cylindrical, 1/8" long humpbacked.
Habits:  Good fliers, attracted to light.
Habitat: Adults lay eggs hatch near a food source for the larvae, that is 1/8 in length, white and c-shaped.  Food sources include flour, breakfast cereal, red pepper, books, wheat, pharmaceutical products (hence the name) and as pictured on the left, dog treats
Damage:  The larval form of the beetle damage food and large numbers emerging can be an annoyance.  
Action:  The first step is to remove as many food sources as possible, by focusing on site sanitation.  The infested food product can be located by searching for the oldest items first.  This case involved dog biscuits that expired 2 years ago and were in the back of a pantry.  Any food that contains moisture should be suspected. 
Once the infested product is removed, vaccuum all cracks and crevices in the area of the product.  Stored items should be kept as dry as possible in airtight containers.  We can supplement by treating the appropriate areas and adding monitors to narrow down the problem areas.  For other suggestions, check out 
this Ohio State Fact Sheet on Cigarette Beetles or ask your GreenHow representative.
Ice DamsICE DAM  
     The late winter and early spring time is a good time to look for ice dams forming on your roof.  Typically, ice dams will be evident when snow and ice are visible at the edge of the roof and hanging over the side of the house as icicles.  Ice dams will also be evident if water is running down the inside of your home.  Ice dam forms when snow fall on the roof begins to melt because of a warm attic.  The melting snow then refreezes at the cold roof edge (no more warm attic beneath it).  The freezing water creates a dam of ice that backs up the additional water melting from the snow into the attic.   
     Ice shields, corrective insulation, roof edge and gutter heaters can all help alleviate ice dams.  Eliminating ice dams is important to your home because water moving in the walls can damage structural elements, like wood and drywall, and create areas for fungus and mold to grow.  From our perspective, these areas that get wet are problematic because they will lead to or exacerbate insect issues, such as carpenter ant infestations, booklice, centipedes and spiders.  For more information, check out this site by the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
Call 2 Recycle
     A reminder that we are a drop-location for Call 2 Recycle, a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the environment by recycling rechargeable batteries and cell phones.
     If you have old rechargeable batteries or cell phones, simply hand them to a GreenHow representative at the time of your next service!
Recycle
Lauren's Blog.
     Visit Lauren's blog for ideas around the home and garden as we go through the year.  We want your feedback about how we can be a resource to you, either with a service or with advice.  Let us know what works and is helpful and what is not so we can modify our communication to make it more effective.