gardeners - The Environment Report

Foreign Wasp Flying Westward

A foreign wasp from Europe has made its way to several Great Lakes states this summer. The European Paper Wasp was first detected on the Eastern seaboard in 1980. But as the Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Gina Carrier reports, it’s now being sighted in greater numbers in the Midwest:

Transcript

A foreign wasp from Europe has made its way to several Great Lakes states this summer. The European Paper Wasp was first detected on the Eastern seaboard in 1980. Now it is being sited in greater numbers in the Midwest. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Gina Carrier reports.

The European Paper Wasp looks very similar to our native yellow jacket. But it’s not as aggressive and can actually help Midwest gardeners because it likes to feed on certain pesky caterpillars. Tom Ellis is an entomologist at Michigan State University. He says the European paper wasp can be found in central and southeastern Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio and the Chicago area.

“The things that it became accustom to and fed on the eastern seaboard are pretty much similar if not the same to what we have in Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes states certainly.”

He says it’s unknown whether the wasp will continue to move westward. There’s no effort to stop its spread because Ellis says the wasp isn’t destroying crops or foliage. For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Gina Carrier.

Native Landscapers Go Wild

Lisa Johnson shows off a rough blazing star, a native prairie plant. Johnson is a member of Wild Ones - Natural Landscapers, Ltd. The group encourages growing native plants to save the genetic diversity and to attract wildlife.
Small patches of native plants can include flowering plants, but some neighbors complain they're only weeds. Wild Ones works to educate people that the plants are beneficial and have beautiful blooms.

More and more backyard gardeners are tending plants they once
considered to be weeds. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham
reports… these backyard naturalists are creating tiny natural areas to
save the plants and attract wildlife:

Exotics Invading Your Garden

Non-native plants like the wood rose, Japanese barberry and English ivy
are found in many gardens around the country. Gardeners love them
because they’re beautiful. But author and certified master gardener
Janet Marinelli says people don’t realize how harmful these plants can
be. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Karen Kelly spoke with Marinelli
about her findings:

Manure Network Connects Buyers and Sellers

Before commercial fertilizers…there was manure. It’s a good, cheap way to
add nutrients to soil. And today, it’s enjoying a resurgence in popularity.
But some farmers have more manure than they can use…and some people who
want manure often don’t know where to find it. Now, a project is underway
to unite sellers with buyers…and help the environment. The Great Lakes
Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports:

Soil Testing Strips Aid Gardeners

Chemical test strips are often used for pregnancy and drug tests. Now the same principle’s being used by gardeners to improve soil and plant quality. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s David Naylor reports: