trees

No!

Scale to the left, snail to the right,

No, I’m pretty sure it’s not a winning combination. For now, however, it’s what we’ve got. Ugh.

We had a major infestation last summer, with little to do for it while the tree was blooming. I pruned close to 30% of the branches, removing the worst of the infestation. Then, we waited.

Early this year, while the tree was dormant, I worked at removing all traces of the pest. Once I’d scraped away the hard scale, I took a bucket of warm soapy water, and wiped down every single branch, removing the black, sooty scale as well. I checked the tree the following day, removing what I’d missed.

They’re back! The infestation isn’t *as* bad, but it’s back nonetheless.

The interesting turn of events is the snails. I counted six or seven of them as I inspected the tree. I was momentarily hopeful. Could it be that this garden pest would actually snack on the scale?

That was a long climb to slime a flower

Scale encrusted branch

Snail making tracks

Y do you ask?

Nope! My research tells me they eat fruit, leaves, even paper, but not scale. Boo!

If you’re looking for pet snails, these are free for the asking. Time to move on to plan C.

The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

I grew up reading Dr. Seuss books, and for the most part remember them for their nonsense rhymes and abstract illustrations. I wanted to walk up those endless stairs, slide down the hills and cross the bridges of his fantastic literary world. In between the original book and The Lorax movie released this month, was the television special by the same name. I remember it as dark and sad and very scary when I first saw it at age 12. In many ways Seuss was ahead of his time. The environmental message was a powerful one, though far too frightening for me.

We joined friends on this cold, March day to see the updated film, loosely based on the book. We all enjoyed it for what it was, a kid-friendly and amusing tale with a message from the Lorax himself, who “speaks for the trees.” The New York Times stunningly bashes this film, with a review as spiritless and gray as the 1972 TV special. I read another review by a mom who suggested the Times lighten up.

What I enjoyed the most is the conversation we had after the movie, and the knowledge that my children are far more aware of deforestation, endangered animals and how important it is to be stewards of the earth.

I wish the incomparable Dr. Seuss could have lived to see the Occupy Movement spread around the globe, for he said it best: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax