Icky bugs and rude drivers
A bug’s life
This week Red Phone got in touch with its icky side when a caller let us know about an aphid infestation plaguing the Modesto Ash trees the city has planted on the corner of Valleyview and Westward. There are so many little pests, apparently, that the thick slime they produce (called ‘honeydew,’ for the record) has coated the surrounding ground, and the caller claims he has to wash his sidewalk at least once a day to get the “sticky goo” off.
We called Clay Lee at the city’s Public Works department, and as is often the case with complaints of this nature, they are aware of the problem. Seems that Modesto Ash trees are particularly susceptible to insect infestation and other diseases – something his predecessors failed to take into account years ago when they were planted. Money is tight, and what little they have is for emergency responses, such as when a storm damages a tree to the point that it endangers someone’s property. Mr. Lee invites readers to call him, however, at 636-4370, and a team will examine the trees in question and try to take care of it.
For the more proactive reader, however, Red Phone dug up a little information on your behalf. According to the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management program, abnormally large populations of aphids can cause serious damage not only to the plant or tree they live in, but any number of surrounding trees as well, if and when they decide to move on.
If you’re not a fan of commercial pesticides, your best bet is to introduce a natural enemy of the aphid to control the population. Wasps, which often lay their eggs in the dead bodies of aphids, are the most aggressive of natural enemies– but then of course, you have a wasp infestation. Not cool. Ladybugs, however, are pleasant to have on one’s property, inexpensive and available at most hardware or garden stores. And they love aphids.
Granted, this might seem like a lot of work. If you think funds should be relocated to spraying the trees, call our friends at the city council and tell them.
If you call them, they will act
After Red Phone calmed down from our insect gross-out fest, we got comfy and settled in to handle more – you guessed it – road complaints. One caller claims the cycle on the stoplight at Hwy. 156 and The Alameda is busted, the other wants action taken against neighbors who park illegally and block the sidewalk. Done and done.
The stoplight is the responsibility of Caltrans, who might have never known about the light’s cruel and reckless behavior had Red Phone not alerted them. Public Affairs Manager Collin Jones has promised to look into the matter, and assures Red Phone that we’ll have an answer in time to let our readers know by Wednesday. The suspense may be unbearable, but we’re all in this together, folks. Stay tuned.
As for our other caller, there are ways to deal with rude neighbors. However, before involving the authorities, Red Phone suggests finding the owner of the car, and calmly and politely expressing your concern. We understand of course, that some people are just plain jerks and won’t listen. In these cases, the non-emergency police are your best friends.
Call them up at 636-4330 with an address and they’ll send an officer to try and straighten things out. Hopefully, all they’ll have to do is talk to the car owner. It’s amazing what a friendly chat with a uniformed officer can do for some people! Should the owner make himself scarce, or refuse to cooperate, he’ll have to learn to enjoy eating Top Ramen after he pays off the ticket he’ll receive.
That’s all for today, dear readers. Have complaints? We can take it. Call the Red Phone at 635-9219.
