Don’t you just hate to come into a park area on a holiday and find all the trash cans filled with uneaten food, cans and bottles? And what about the cleanup after your home BBQs? Planning ahead makes cleanup easier and is better for the environment. At a meeting in the Napa County offices, I saw a Green 4th of July display. It was installed by Maegen Simmonds from the Department of Environmental Management. I learned a couple of tips that I’d like to pass along.

If you need extra picnic tables, chairs or even an industrial size barbecue, consider borrowing or renting. As for grilling, there is a debate about which is better for air quality: gas grills or charcoal grills. I’ll pass on that issue but will offer two alternatives to charcoal lighter fluid. Both methods work well but take a little longer to get the coals hot. One is an electric starter if you are near a power source. The other is a chimney-type device that you load with crumpled newspaper and briquettes. I’ve made one from a large tin can buy cutting a lot of air holes in the bottom and along the bottom rim. Cleanup up after the BBQ is a breeze and toxic free. After the gill has cooled place wet newspaper on the rack, close the lid and wait for an hour. Rub the newspapers over the racks to clean. No need to scrub or use toxic cleaning products.

Of course, you know I would then shred this paper and add it to my compost bin.

Yellow jackets

We all know that bees enrich our lives by pollinating plants and producing honey. For that, we tolerate the potential of stings. Yellow jackets, on the other hand, have a nasty reputation. Yellow jackets and other wasps are voracious predators of insect pests such as caterpillars and flies, so we really do need them. Recently, I noticed a small hole under an eve on my home. Yellow jackets had made a home in the wall and my husband could hear them buzzing when we was reading on the couch. My backyard neighbor had them too and we chatted over the fence about their removal. His pest control service that sprays for fleas and spiders on a regular schedule came out with their tall ladder and some white powder to puff into the hole.

My first step was to get a reusable yellow jacket trap from the hardware store. I set it up and it did attract a few yellow jackets, but their nest was already established so the battle line was drawn. I got out the phone book to start calling local pest management companies and was more than happy to see a listing for bee and yellow jacket removal. A call was made and the beekeeper dropped by to check out the problem. He was willing to tackle the yellowjacket nest and came back at twilight with a timer, vacuum and appropriate protection. The removal unit was set up and within 2 days the nest was empty and I was able to plug the hole. I am glad that I didn’t tackle this one without professional help.Less-toxic pest management flyers are available at Yardbirds or Vallejo Sanitation and Flood Control office located at 450 Ryder Street.

New Manager

The VALCORE Board of Directors would like to welcome Jackie Griffin as our new manager. Drop by and say hello.