What’s That in the Kitchen?
December 19, 2006
Recently there has been a lot of talk on my blog about unwanted pests, so why not continue along the same lines with fruit flies, as I’m sure they plague more than just my kitchen.
Do you ever go into your kitchen, perhaps walk near your trash can, maybe throw something in your recycling bin or put a dish in your sink only to have a swarm of small flies dart away? If so, you’ve got a fruit fly problem. Fruit flies are a problem year
round, and don’t favor one season over another. Fruit flies are particularly attracted to fermenting fruits and vegetables, and will also eat the sugars and vinegar produced by natural yeasts on bread, beer, cider, wine, etc. They will swarm fruits and vegetables that are ripened or damaged, lay their eggs and continue about their business.
So, what can you do to help ensure these little guys don’t get out of control? First off, make sure that you take your trash and recycling out often. Trash sitting too long starts to ripen up and send out a dinner bell to the fruit flies. Make sure that the inside of the bins are cleaned out from time to time, to help eliminate build up and the odors that attract them. Install a drain catcher for your sink. This will help catch any food particles before they head down the drain. Fruit flies are particularly drawn to kitchen sink drains, as there is a lot of decaying matter and great places to hide down there.
If these simple actions don’t work in your favor, consider making some fruit fly traps. They are super simple to make, and can be made from items right in your recycling bin. Take an old container, can be a jar or dairy type container, fill half way with vinegar or cider and a slice of apple. Next, stretch some plastic wrap over the top and affix with a rubberband. Poke some holes in the top with a knife or fork. For some reason the flies are attracted and can get in, but aren’t smart enough to get out. You can also take an old 12 oz pop bottle, fill half way with vinegar and a small slice of apple, and create a paper funnel to fit in the hole and tape shut. Again, the flies will get in, but they won’t get out.
Greening Your Holiday
December 15, 2006
This month is one of the busiest of the year, marked by a multitude of December holidays. While out looking for that perfect something to get for a loved one or perhaps 
a gift donation, consider a green approach. There are a number of stores, organizations and nonprofits that offer gift-giving ideas that benefit the environment, and in some cases, people of different nations. Gifts can come in many different forms, whether it be a donation made in the recipients name or a pass to the opera. Here is a list of some green gift ideas to get you started:
* Think about a donation of animals to a family in another part of the world, to help nourish, enrich and support their lives. You can donate a flock of chicks on up to a water buffalo at www.heifer.org.
* Consider giving a gift of an experience, such as tickets to the theater, a concert, a football game, or even a pass to the national parks. Not only will you not be adding to your loved ones’ pile of possessions, but you’ll also save some trees from all the wrapping paper you’ll be saving.
* Certificates good for backrubs, trips to the movies, weeding a garden or a home cooked meal can be some of the most beloved gifts to give!
* Give some home-canned fruits, chutneys, jams or veggies to share that organic produce love.
* There are plenty of gifts out there to help keep your friends and family green and informed - try subscriptions to magazines such as Plenty or Utne, or go for a movie subscription service that caters to small filmmakers like www.filmmovement.com. Nothing says happy holidays like some organic wine, a homemade bag of mulling spices, organic cheeses and a selection of crackers!
* If you choose to wrap what you give, try to use reusable wrappings - bandanas, fancy cloth napkins or scarves can all lead double lives as gift coverings.
Not So Happy Feet
December 12, 2006
In the past few weeks I’ve been sitting with disappointment over a movie I saw over Thanksgiving weekend. Normally, I wouldn’t use this space to post movie reviews, however, after seeing Happy Feet, I feel like I have to say something, as it sends out the wrong message about how the environment works. Spoilers ahead!
Happy Feet is about a penguin who is born different and his struggle with that, along with the penguin colony’s struggle with lack of fish. He is ultimately kicked out of the penguin colony for his differences. He then decides that he’ll take it upon himself to go find out who’s taking all the fish and let them know what it’s doing to the penguins. In his mission he discovers humans are overfishing the Antarctic. Yes, it is true, we are everywhere. He manages to spread his plea to humans through dancing.
The erroneous message that was made clear in the movie, though, is that eating fish, no matter what kind it is or origin, is killing the penguins. The movie wraps up with scenes of kids across the globe watching news reports about the plight of the penguins and eventually shows all of humanity vowing never to take another bite of any seafood.
I would like to end this review with a list that I came upon yesterday, which is a list of good fish to eat and a list of bad fish to eat. The list places fish that are low in mercury and PCBs and those that preserve oceanic diversity high in priority. While it is good to know our place in the food web, the better action is to make more educated choices.
Regional pocket seafood guides - choose fish that are eco-friendly!
Pests That Attack by Land and Air
December 6, 2006
A while back I told you all a story about a little visitor that we had roaming about in my house. Our little visitor, who was named Larry the mouse, terrorized us for weeks, until we finally rid him one night when we baited him into a humane live trap, with some peanut butter and crackers. After releasing him into a park a few miles away, we thought that we could finally rest easy and get on with our lives, not having to worry about pests sneaking their way into our food. Wishful thinking.
About a week or two back, we decided to head into the deep winter months right and get into some serious house cleaning. We went through forgotten closets and cupboards,swept out the cobwebs from the highest reaches, and rounded it out with 
some food pantry overhaul. We had jars and bags full of grains, flours, mixes, granolas; you name it, we had it. We went about the task of consolidation, when to our horror, we opened up a bag, and some moths flew out. Upon further inspection, we found that moths had infiltrated nearly all of our grains and flowers and forced us to throw them all out and reevaluate how we go about storing our food.
I had really never seen a grain moth before moving into my current home, so I went in for some investigation. I learned that grain moths and clothes moths are not the same. In general, grain moths can be identified from other moths by their quantity and location. Apparently when you have grain moth issues, they are highly evident, if you are paying attention, unlike me, and like to hang out in the kitchen, pantry or your cupboards. The moths pretty small and with brown wings, and are capable of laying eggs in anything and everything it comes in contact with.
So, what can you do about the unwanted pests? You can start with assuring that your grains, rices and flowers are stored in a clean air tight container, such as jars or tupperware containers. Be sure that when you need to get into them, you seal them back up tight, as moths are sneaky little suckers and can find a way in if you’re not careful. There is also some natural ways to either repel the moths or trap them. If you are looking to repel the moths, there are resources that suggest that you place bay leaves either on the shelves or directly in your grains. The moths hate the smell of the bay leaves and will keep them away. If your moths get out of control, or you just want to keep a handle on
them, there is a product that MOMs sells that is called Pantry Pest. Pantry Pest is a trap that uses strong pheromones that are specifically made for moths. Placing them in a space away from the moths helps lure them away and into the trap. It is a non-toxic and long-lasting trap that covers 1,000 sq. feet.
I opted for the Pantry Pest product, and since we put them in place and sealed up our grains, the moths are becoming less and less of a problem. I wonder what to expect once the moths are out of the picture? This is a reminder to stay on your toes and not let your guard down.
The Daily Compost has a new look!
