I write a regular column for Llama Banner magazine about interesting or useful sites on the Net. They have graciously agreed to allow me to reprint the earlier columns from 96 and 97. This was the fifth column. As we all know, sites move, change and some simply disappear with time, so if something is no longer online... you missed it. I've disconnected the links to sites I can no longer find so you don't waste your time. Click here for Llama Banner subscription info.

You may *not* reprint this for any publication, handout, site, etc.
Yes, you can link to it.

    It’s a beautiful summer morning in the islands so I ambled out to pull Tansy (a never-ending sport around here) and noticed thousands of caterpillars chomping away at it. I was thrilled! (It doesn’t take much to excite me these days.) I emailed Tom, my county extension agent, with the news and asked for the name of these wonderful critters. He said they are caterpillars from the Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae). He also recently released Tansy ragwort flea beetles (Longitarsus jacobaeae) on Orcas island, which are reputed to work well in conjunction with the moths.

    The best photo I found of the moth was at Photos by Jos Dost and the best caterpillar photo was at the Population Dynamics of Rare or Invasive Plants and Their Herbivores by the ECRG. The background makes for difficult reading at Pasture Management for Control of Tansy Ragwort, but the info is valuable.

    Australia also suffers from Tansy ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) problems in pastures. It’s a problem for their forestry industry too, as it competes with pines during early stand establishment and affects their growth. For the full story see Biological Control of Ragwort in Victoria. Another interesting site, NRC Animal and Plant Pests in New Zealand, covers a variety of pests from possum to Tansy.

    Biological Weed Control in BC has an excellent page, complete with photos of the Cinnabar moth, caterpillar and Tansy ragwort flea beetle. There is also info on knapweed, purple loosestrife, leafy spurge, St. Johnswort, yellow and dalmation toadflax, bull thistle, Canada thistle, nodding thistle, hound's-tongue and scentless chamomile. This site also has links to other IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Resources on the Net.    Pest Management Resource Centre is a joint venture of Insect Investigations Ltd., the Welsh Pest Management Forum and Chapman and Hall, and provides info on pest management world wide.

    Or try Radcliffe's IPM World Textbook and the Weed Photo Album for identifying toxic and/or invasive plants. Tansy ragwort wasn’t listed, so I requested it be added.

    Looking for good bugs? Suppliers of Beneficial Organisms in North America may lead you to whatever you seek. I found the Forage Information System slow loading, but it's still a good starting point to learn more about pasture mixes and management. Their list of Online Seed Companies is great! I signed up for the free newsletter at Cascade Revolutionary Forages because they claim it's the way to stay in touch with new developments in the forage industry.

    The International Farm Shopper lists ads for new and used equipment, supplies, and livestock. Or are you Interested in Genetics?

    On-line Books features new books online, like Trapped In The Net or Nowhere Was Home: The Street Kids and Their Truth. You can search through 3500 other titles and authors to find what interests you.

    We’ve covered the Good and the Bad, might as well get to the Ugly. Find out who not to hang out with at The FBI's 10 Most Wanted.

    The most commonly used product for ERT (estrogen replacement therapy) is Premarin. It’s derived from the urine of pregnant mares. The info I found claims that the only company distributing it is Ayerst Organics Ltd, a subsidiary of American Home Products Co./ Whithall Laboratories (makers of Dristan, Advil, Chef Boyardee, Easy Off, Jiffy Pop, Neet, Pam, Preparation H, Sani-Flush, Woolite and other products).

    Mares are bred, tied in really small stalls with rubber sacks strapped on to collect the urine, denied free access to water so that their urine will be more concentrated, and most of the foals resulting from these pregnancies are shipped off to slaughter. See I.G.H.A. / HorseAid's Premarin(e) Q & A's for photos and more complete information.

    There are many effective estrogen-replacement drugs on the market which are derived from plant or synthetic estrogens. Some also have FDA approval for the prevention of osteoporosis and none of them cause this horrendous misery for mares and foals. As women, physicians, health care professionals, webweavers, animal lovers, we can put a stop to this cruelty by informing the public and/or choosing other alternatives for ERT instead of Premarin. If you are currently taking Premarin, educate your doctor and try changing to a more humane alternative.

    Now for the lighter side of the Net... I found the motherlode of virtual postcards, flowers, foods etc. listed at Karen’s Koncepts. Say It! Talking Cards is my newest favorite. I also enjoy renting home videos and Star Guide on the Net is great for checking out new (or old) releases, including descriptions and ratings.

    My granddaughter, Taylor (see Taylor’s Tale for a bedtime llama story), has a brand new sister, Shelby! So I’m off to find stuffed animal sites. My son is begging me not to get any more stuffed animals for the girls, but I’m laughing. It’s my job as ‘Bamba’ to see that that they have one of each critter, and I gleefully take that job seriously.

    Drop by the Cozy Corner or pop us an email about your favorite site or a topic you’d like more info about. Happy Cyber Trails til next time! Smiles & sleepy yawns, Chelle