How Not to ‘Kill’ Lac Sam

Don’t use fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides or poisons.  Here’s what you can do instead!

One of the largest sources of water pollution is caused by fertilizers and pesticides. Fertilizers are substances containing chemical elements that improve the growth of plants and the fertility of soil.  The term pesticide includes insecticides (bug killers), herbicides (weed killers) fungicides (fungi killers), rodenticides (rodents), and various other substances used for preventing, destroying, repelling, or reducing the effect of any pest.

How are these fertilizers and ‘cides’ harmful?

• They threaten our environment, our soils and other living creatures
• They pollute our drinking water, ground water, and surface water
• When entering our streams and lakes, as run off, can cause algae blooms
• Algae blooms in turn, deplete oxygen for fish and other species

How do you avoid using them?

Fertilizers

Fertilizers contain large amounts of water soluble phosphate that can wash into the lake where they are a major stimulus for toxic algae blooms. There is lots of natural flora at Lac Sam, and it is true, some are not so pretty, but we can encourage the growth of attractive native plants that don’t need fertilizer like black eyed Susan, daisy and king devil by letting them thrive in their natural environment. No fertilizer required!

• Limit or eliminate the planting of grass. Who wants to cut grass at the cottage anyway? Don’t use harmful manufactured chemicals if you feel the need to fertilize, they may contain phosphorus which we all know is very bad for our lake, and too much nitrogen can be harmful too.
• Use compost to fertilize.  Compost and organic mulches break down slowly, releasing nutrients (especially phosphate) over time when plants need them.
• If you must mow, mow high (3”) as this helps keep weeds from growing.
• Leave lawn clippings on the lawn as this will decrease the need for fertilizer.
• Add a natural buffer especially at the lake edge as required by Quebec Law, by planting or encouraging growth of native plants around your property.  Buffer zones act as natural sponges and filters which prevent erosion and pollution.

Herbicides

Herbicides can wash into the lake where they can cause havoc with native water weeds and algae. Pesky weeds (or the less desirable natural plants) are easy to be rid of in a number of environmentally friendly ways.

• The most obvious one is pulling them by hand (if you do this just after it has rained and the soil is damp, it is much easier to pull them).

• Take that a step further, and let the pulled weeds dry in the sun, then add them to a compost or mulch pile.

• Another way is to pour boiling water on them

(The advantage of the above methods is that they specifically target the weed or weeds you are after.)

• Corn gluten, or vinegar, are both nontoxic and eliminate weeds when applied.

Insecticides and Repellents

If you have used commercial products to “kill bugs dead”, then you have used an insecticide, which are toxic to the natural environment, especially contributing to the decline of bees in Canada and worldwide. They can be toxic to humans as well if the instructions for how to use are not followed.

Ants can be of a particular nuisance once they have forged a trail from their nest to your kitchen, and there are numerous ways to be rid of them, without using potentially harmful commercial products. Follow the link which contains information related to 4 methods to kill ants without pesticides:  https://www.wikihow.com/Kill-Ants-without-Pesticides

Some insect repellents are meant to be used directly on people to repel mosquitoes, flies and ticks and may be necessary to prevent transmission of West Nile virus, transmitted in late summer by mosquitoes.  Lime disease transmitted by ticks may soon reach Lac Sam.  Still the health risk and use of insect repellents can be minimized or eliminated by

• Avoiding being outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active
• If outside at dawn or dusk, wear light coloured long-sleeved shirts and long pants
• Eliminate standing water from puddles, buckets, barrels, cans, or similar sites where mosquitoes prefer to breed
• Maintain window and door screens to keep mosquitoes out
• To avoid ticks, stick to centre of paths and trails, and try not to brush against grasses

Fungicides

Used to target moulds and mildews on plants, scientists now believe that fungicides are also contributing to the decline in bumblebees.  Fungicides can have a toxic effect on healthy plants, and can cause irritation of skin and eyes in humans. The long term effects on humans are unknown.  It is known that some fungicides are harmful to aquatic animals such as tadpoles and fish due to the chemical run-off from plants near water or groundwater.

To avoid fungal diseases in the first place:

• Provide good air circulation around plants by properly spacing them apart
• Water around the base of plants, instead of on the leaves
• Rake and remove fallen leaves of infected plants
• Apply a fresh layer of mulch to garden beds at the beginning of the growing season

Rodenticides (AKA mouse and rat poison)

Who hasn’t had a mouse problem of some degree at Lac Sam and who hasn’t at one time or another, used a commercial rodenticide such as Warfarin?  Mice are unwelcome guests, chewing anything including, drywall, insulation, wires (a fire hazard), and soap.  They also carry diseases, such as the Hantavirus, and aggravate allergies.   Prompt action is required to be rid of them. Warfarin and other mouse poisons may be effective in killing mice, but they also kill wildlife or pets who feed upon the poisoned mice. Children too are at risk of ingesting poison left out for mice.

To dispose of any unused rodenticides you may have, do not flush down a toilet or sink, or put in garbage, treat them as hazardous waste and dispose of accordingly.

The first step to managing mice is prevention.  Mouse-proof your cottage, an average mouse can fit through an opening of about ¼ inch, so eliminate those openings.   If that fails there are numerous non-toxic ways to catch mice, some more humane than others:

• Traditional traps, snap traps, live traps, glue traps, bait stations
• Mouse repellents:
  •            Sonic (still debate whether effective or not)
  •            Natural oils  (mice don’t like the smell of garlic, cayenne pepper, or peppermint)
• Soap
• Cat urine
• Pets

See https://www.pestcontrolcanada.com.  Also follow the link https://www.pest.org and search How To Get Rid of Mice which covers in more detail how to mouse-proof your cottage, the various ways to trap mice, and the recipe for Peppermint oil, an effective way to keep them at bay!   EH