The Story of the Treaty Oak Tree

To celebrate Arbor Day, we’re going to share a story about one of the most famous trees in Texas, the Treaty Oak in Austin. This is a 500 year old tree in the center of the city. Folklore holds this as the spot that Stephen F. Austin, leader of the colony that eventually became Texas, signed the first treaty with the Native Americans that lived there. The American Forestry Association put the Treaty Oak into its Hall of Fame as the most perfect specimen of a North American tree. Suffice to say, this is a pretty important tree both locally and nationally.

In 1989, Paul Cullen poisoned the Treaty Oak, using enough of the herbicide Velpar to kill 100 trees. He thought the tree represented his love for his ex-girlfriend, and he would no longer love his ex-girlfriend if the tree were no longer alive. Arborists thought that the tree was doomed. Former Presidential Candidate Ross Perot wrote a blank check to fund efforts to save the tree. His money was put to good use by the arborists. They did everything they could to save the tree. DuPont, the manufacturer of Velpar, said that they never needed to reverse the effects and didn’t know how, but offered their assistance and a reward for finding the poisoner. A piece of the tree was cut off and planted next to it, in hopes that if the Treaty Oak died, there would still be something to remember it by. Eventually, with a lot of sugar to counteract the Velpar and a lot of pruning, the tree survived. Both the main tree and the baby tree are thriving today. Paul Cullen was sentenced to nine years in jail and passed away in 2001.

The Treaty Oak isn’t a cedar tree, but it’s still a great tree worth celebrating this Arbor Day. It’s a symbol of our Texan heritage and strength. Just like we wrote about Lewisville Lake, it shows how people and nature can combine to create something great. But mostly, we just wanted to share an interesting story about a tree.

More info:
Wikipedia
Criminal podcast episode 36: Perfect Specimen

Thanks to Matthew Rutledge on Flickr for the photo.

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Humans and Nature: Lake Lewisville

CedarCide has a lot in common with Lewisville Lake, the 29,000 acre lake that’s about a mile from our warehouse in Lewisville, Texas. Both are combinations of human power and nature to create something awesome. Lewisville Lake, like every lake in Texas, was man made. The lake provides water to the city of Dallas and its surrounding suburbs, and CedarCide provides natural insect protection to people around the world.

The lake’s primary purpose is to provide water, but it gives so much more. There are 10 parks around the 233 miles of shoreline, providing beaches, picnic facilities, and scenic golf courses. There are 7 campgrounds that allow people to really get in tune with the lake. Fishing is a common activity on the lake, and there have even been fishing competitions. There are a few restaurants and bars on the shores as well as Captain Jack’s Floating Bar and Grill which is actually on the lake. The lake provides commerce as well, with many companies selling, renting, repairing, or storing boats. CedarCide matches the lake again, offering pet shampoo and sunscreen in addition to the insect products.

Many of the people who work at CedarCide have a personal connection with Lewisville Lake. Ray and Dave take Dave’s boat out to the lake and go wakeboarding every weekend when it’s warm enough. They’ve also been known to go when it’s freezing cold. A few of us have accepted their invitations to join them. Matt used the lake as his training ground while he was training for a marathon last year. The I-35 bridge over Lake Lewisville provides a great view for Austin and Neil, who live in Denton. They’ve been able to appreciate it for an extra long time due to the 4 year construction project on that road.

We’re very big fans of Lewisville Lake. It’s a wonderful, powerful combination of nature and human engineering that we aim to be as well.

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Update on Zika

We previously reported on suspicions that pesticides used to combat Zika, and not the Zika virus itself, were causing microcephaly in babies. It turns out that this is not true. Reports in the New England Journal of Medicine and the journal Science directly associate microcephaly with the Zika virus. This just adds to the urgency in containing and eliminating the virus.

Zika virus has not become a huge problem in the USA, but it has also definitely not gone away. As of April 6th, there have been almost 350 cases of Zika found in the States and all of them have been linked to travel in areas heavily affected by Zika. Nobody in the continental US has acquired Zika from a local mosquito, which hopefully means that there are no Zika-carrying aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the country.

The best way to avoid Zika is not to travel to countries that have affected mosquitoes. The Center for Disease Control has issued a warning against travel to over 40 countries due to Zika. They keep that advisory up to date with the latest Zika outbreaks. All of the normal advice against mosquitoes still applies: wear long clothing when possible, try to avoid wet areas where mosquitoes thrive, and use effective insect protection. CedarCide offers CedarCide Original Biting Insect Spray, a natural and effective insect repellent that does not contain DEET.

• 

  CedarCide Original Natural Personal Insect Repellent

  from $19.95

Sources:
http://www.cdc.gov/zika/geo/united-states.html
http://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa1601824
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2016/04/11/science.aaf6116

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Cedar Trees are Weeds, but We Love Them Anyway

As a kid, I loved dandelions. They’re pretty, plentiful, and there are a thousand fun ways to play with them. Then someone told me that they were weeds and I was confused. How can they be weeds when they’re so great? Weeds are simply plants that aren’t wanted by the land owner. The owner certainly didn’t plant and cultivate those dandelions.

Today, I feel the same way about cedar trees. Cedar trees, of course, are where we get cedar oil from. Cedar oil is an almost magical substance that has many great qualities in addition to its power to kill and repel insects. It’s great for skin, has a calming influence, and has other impressive qualities. Unfortunately, the cedar tree itself is a weed.

There are three big problems with cedar trees. The cedar trees cause a seasonal allergy called “cedar fever” that affects nearly everybody in the region. They also use a lot of water, which is a problem in a place like Texas that doesn’t always get much rain. The last reason is that a lot of dry cedar trees is a big fire hazard.

CedarCide gets its cedar oil from Texas cedar trees. Cedar oil is made by chopping down the tree, cutting the wood into small pieces, and distilling the oil out of the wood. Of course, this destroys the tree. However, cedar trees are constantly being chopped down by land owners for a variety of reasons and usually these “scrap trees” are simply burned.

Cedar trees are weeds. They’re unwanted plants. We make something great out of them and we’re proud of that.

Sources:
https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/2012/09/20/texas-most-hated-tree-drought-wildfires-renew-interest-in-cedar-eradication/
http://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-war-on-cedar/
https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-cedar-wood-essential-oil.html
http://www.texasmedclinic.com/news/symptoms-remedies-cedar-fever-and-allergies-austin-san-antonio/

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Our GMO Future

Genetically modifying organisms is a hotly debated topic right now. On one side are people who are concerned about scientists playing with the building blocks of life. The other side is trying to make it illegal to tell people whether they are putting genetically modified food into their body. Sometimes it seems more like an argument than a debate, with the two sides disagreeing on everything and not listening to each other. What’s clear is that GMOs are going to be a big part of our future and the sooner we figure everything out, the better off we’ll be.

Many popular crops have been modified. Ninety four percent (94%) of soybeans and cottom grown have been genetically modified. Modified corn is ubiquitous as well at 92%. There is one main reason why crops are genetically modified – to make them easier to grow. Crops that are resistant to herbicide means that it’s easier to avoid killing the crops when killing weeds that suck water and nutrients from the soil. Monsanto is known for their popular genetically modified crops that are resistant to the herbicide RoundUp. Insecticide resistance means that farmers spend less money on insecticide. Maybe the future will bring genetically modified crops that are healthier and taste better, but that clearly isn’t the priority.

People in favor of GMOs say they’re completely safe and necessary. It’s a common claim that GMO foods are required to feed the global population of 7.4 billion people that’s growing. Scientists say that genetically modifying food is not any different than what people have done for centuries by choosing which seeds to plant. Replanting the seeds of large crops is essentially the same as modifying the plant to be larger.

There have been many studies that indicate GMO crops are 100% safe, but this hasn’t ended the argument. The Center for Food Safety found that the scientific community hasn’t reached a consensus. Then there are some more questionable actions. The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1599 to prevent states from requiring GMO foods to be labelled as containing GMOs, but this bill did not become law. Opponents have called this the “DARK Act”, saying that it keeps consumers in dark and prevents them from knowing what they’re eating. Finally, there are arguments other than safety about why GMOs are bad. Planting so many GMO crops eliminates the variety and flavor of the local crops they replace. It also makes our food supply more susceptible to disease, similar to the situation that the Cavendish banana is in right now.

It’s pretty safe to say that everyone in the USA has eaten genetically modified food. They’re extremely prevalent in today’s food supply. Many people are uncomfortable with this situation and are looking to change it. There’s one thing for certain: GMO foods are a part of our immediate future. Maybe they will be improved and stick around, or maybe they will be found unsafe or unwanted and will go away. Let’s hope we get to a situation where everybody is comfortable.

Sources:
USDA GMO trends
House of Representatives bill 1599
Center for Food Safety

Thanks to James Emory on Flickr for the photo.

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From Your Garden to Your House DIY Pest Control Is Easier Than You Think (Recipes Included)

Natural pest control is actually less expensive than using pesticides, and it’s safer for your garden, your family, wildlife and the environment. Each year North American homeowners use a staggering 136 million pounds of pesticides on lawns, gardens and inside their homes.

The shocking reality is that homeowners use about three times the amount of pesticides as farmers. Most wildlife pest poisonings and most of the water contamination from pesticides actually comes from residential homes.

The best way to prevent insect damage in your garden is to discourage them from coming in the first place. A healthy garden is the best defense.

Garden pest control: prevention tips

1. Weed out any weak or infected plants. Pull the plant and dispose of it away from the garden area.

2. Use Seaweed mulch. Seaweed contains trace elements including iron, zinc, calcium, sulfur and magnesium, which grows healthier, sturdier plants. Seaweed mulch also repels slugs.

3. Minimize the possible insect habitat. Clear your garden area of any debris and weeds as these attract insects and allow a perfect place for insects to breed. Use clean mulch.

4. Water early in the morning so plants will be dry for most of the day. Wet leaves may attract insects and can result in fungal damage to your plants.

5. If you’ve been working with infested plants, clean your tools, garden gloves and shoes before moving on to other garden areas. This will reduce the spread of unwanted pests.


Read More: From Your Garden to Your House DIY Pest Control Is Easier Than You Think (Recipes Included)

Related Article: 28 All Natural DIY Pest Control