spcrnr Open Thread for the Week of July 12 pdf
by matthew on Sun Jul 12 00:00:00 CDT 2009
Some of our most productive and interesting conversations have come from open threads where almost anything goes. Speaker's Corner is a topic that is dedicated to open-conversation about almost anything that's on your mind.
The real Speaker's Corner is located in the north-east corner of London's Hyde Park where public speaking is allowed. There is no immunity from the law at speaker's corner, and while the police tend to be tolerant, they do not allow profanity or unlawful behavior. You may be jeered, ridiculed, enthusiastically supported, or completely ignored. Now, what's on your mind?
by Sue on Tue Jul 14 07:11:34 CDT 2009
Well, the mortgage crisis just hit home for me.   One of my favorite little girl's family just got kicked out of the home on my block they have rented for 9 years.  A single mom who has always worked and paid her rent and kept her place up and her 3 really well behaved kids was kicked out by the bank when landlord was forclosed on....  This makes me sick.  They are moving into an apartment.... 

Sue
by matthew on Tue Jul 14 10:16:26 CDT 2009
Wow, Sue that’s a bummer. Anything we can do as a community?
by haydiz on Tue Jul 14 10:25:58 CDT 2009
The same thing just happened to my neighbor - a single mother with a young son just had to leave the house she was renting last week.  She's in an apartment now.  A problem we're having is that the house has a swimming pool in the backyard and the neighborhood is concerned about mosquitoes breeding in the stagnant water.  One neighbor has been trying to find out what bank has the house but hasn't had any luck.  It was on the market for over a year with Brinkoetter but never sold.  We don't know what's going on with the house - neither did the renter.  It's a mess right now.

Kris
by matthew on Tue Jul 14 11:08:19 CDT 2009
I don't know about swimming pools, but I used to pour a little bleach in to our fountains in Cerro Gordo....Not enough to hurt birds or critters (or people) that may come into contact with the water - just enough to keep the moss and mosquitos out.

Did they drain the pool before they left? 

The Mosquito Aabtement folks - which is a county service, I think - can also come out and toss a couple of bleach-tabets in the pool. 

It's a public health hazard after all!

by haydiz on Tue Jul 14 12:56:42 CDT 2009
There's water in the pool now and it hasn't been taken care of all year, as far as I know.  I haven't paid that much attention to it until recently.  A neighbor took pictures of the pool and was going to take them down to the city.  I guess I"ll have to get a hold of the right folks in the county to see what can be done.  Hopefully there aren't a ton of hoops to jump through for them to treat the pool.

I know the swimming pool issues are big problems in a lot of cities with lots of foreclosed houses.  Those pools can breed zillions of mosquitoes.  And West Nile was just found in batch of skeeters in Macon County too so we need to have it taken care of pronto.  I don't even want to work out in my garden, which is only 30 feet away from that pool.  I get eaten alive by mosquitoes in the best of conditions.  Mosquitoes must love A Rh- blood.  I'll be annihilated by mosquitoes in my yard if that pool isn't taken care of soon.  I guess if the county doesn't take care of it, I can toss some bleach tablets in it myself.  I'm not going to be a hostage in my house for the rest of the summer.

Kris




by Doug on Tue Jul 14 14:28:57 CDT 2009
Kris

Bleach (liguid chlorine) may work in a bird bath but in a large mass of water you would need a bunch.  This is what your supposed to use. I got this from online somewhere just type in treating water for mosquitoes and every one of them say this is the way to do it.  When I had the pool down because of the pump we got bugs living in the water and the chlorine level was very high so with bleach being basically chlorine you would need a bunch of gallons to do it. Even with the pool running normal some bugs thrive and so do the frogs you should see the one I caught out of the skimmer last night LOL.


For homeowners treating water to control mosquito larvae is best done with a bacterial insecticide called Bti (shorthand for Bacillus thurengiensis israeliensis). This bacterium is highly specific for mosquito and black fly larvae and won't harm plants, fish or other animals that drink the water.
by haydiz on Tue Jul 14 17:42:04 CDT 2009
Thanks Doug.  Luckily I won't have to worry about the pool.  Someone came over this afternoon to my neighbors house and took the pool down and hauled it away.  LOL!  I won't have to worry about it anyway.

We used to have a pool and I remember big ol' waterbugs skimming arcross it and having to scoop out big nasty looking beetles.  I hated that part of having a pool.  They're a lot of work - as you know.  ;-)


by vineseeker2 on Wed Jul 15 10:48:14 CDT 2009
Kris, if this ever comes up again or you see any standing water you should call the Macon Mosquito Abatement District 875-2722, they are a special district and only take care of the teritory in their border but all of decatur is in the district. They concentrate on treating the places where mosquitos can breed to control their numbers, especially things like abandoned pools and tires etc.
They are located on Cundiff road, north of I72
Username
Password