Those Purple Boxes

Here we go again, for those who haven't heard, read or are aware what those purple boxes along our roadside are designed to do:

Hundreds of the rectangular, three-sided traps were placed in ash trees in right-of-ways countywide in June. It is part of a national program targeting the invasive, tree-killing insect called emerald ash borer.



“The purpose of the traps is early detection,” said Jim Ochterski, extension agriculture and natural resources leader. “We want to know where the bug is and slow the spread of it.”


The tiny green insect has killed more than 50 million ash trees since 2002, when it was introduced to this continent from East Asia. It kills all species of ash trees native to North America, threatening the state’s 900 million ash trees. Ash trees make up 10 percent of all hardwood trees statewide, with the dollar value of ash trees on both private and public forestlands running about $1.2 billion, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation.


The insect spreads by hiding its larvae in wood, so the best way to fight the spread of the bug is by buying and burning firewood close to its source. Current firewood regulations are aimed at preventing the spread of emerald ash borer, with it illegal to move firewood more than 50 miles from its source.


As for the traps — don’t touch, said Ochterski. As for ash trees, there is no reason to cut down healthy ones, he said. But if you are planting new trees, you might want to pick some other kind.

So tell me, how ya liking this heat? What?  Hey, wait just a minute, just a few days ago you were yelling about all the rain and damp weather, so the sun shines and it gets warm, even humid and now you're griping about the heat -- never happy are you!

How about these guys -- someone said there were nude bathers, this is what we get!!!

So if you do head to the beach or are outside, please use some sunblock...skin cancer is not pretty and a sunburn is no fun -- protect your children too...have fun and enjoy the day.