Thursday, March 19, 2020

Vinegars Effects on Plants essays

Vinegars Effects on Plants essays Vinegar is a sour liquid made by fermenting cider, wine, etc. and its used as a condiment and preservative. Its usually used for food but what will happen when used on a plant? Plants need water, nutrients, and light from the sun to grow into a healthy strong plant. Water is used so that the nutrients can be carried throughout the plants roots, stems, and leaves. Nutrients help plants grow healthy and faster. But also mixed with nutrients are some harmful substances that can slow down the growth of a plant and also harm it. We use vinegar in many ways one is to preserve food. Vinegar also contains acid that can or cannot harm the plants. Its believed the plants are adapted to acid because therere acid in the rain. But will the acid in vinegar help plants or not? Will vinegar help plants since they help us preserve food or will it be categorized as a harmful substance to the plants? Will vinegar effect the plants in anyway? Specifically, would it stunt the plants height? Plants receive liquids and many other nutrients from the soil. We do this experiment to see if the plant will benefit with the extra ingredients in the vinegar or be harmed by it. If we put vinegar in a plant, it will reduce its growth rate and life. We think that if you add vinegar to a plant it will hazardous to the plants health. If vinegar does reduce the plants growth then the plants that received the vinegar will show its reduced result. 1. Plant radish seeds into the soil disk thats already in a container thats labeled. 2. Water all THREE plants with 10ml of water. 3. Measure and record each plants growth in centimeters. 5. For plant 1 add 10ml of water; for plant 2 ad ...

Monday, March 2, 2020

Assassin Bugs in the Garden

Assassin Bugs in the Garden Assassin bugs get their name from their predatory habits. Gardeners consider them beneficial insects because their voracious appetites for other bugs keep pests under control. All About Assassin Bugs Assassin bugs use piercing, sucking mouthparts to feed and have long, slender antennae. A short, three-segmented beak distinguishes Reduviids from other true bugs, which generally have beaks with four segments. Their heads are often tapered behind the eyes, so they look like they have a long neck. Reduviids vary in size, from just a few millimeters in length to over three centimeters. Some assassin bugs seem rather bland in brown or black, while others sport elaborate markings and brighter colors. The front legs of assassin bugs are designed for catching prey. When threatened, assassin bugs may inflict a painful bite, so be careful handling them. Classification of Assassin Bugs Kingdom – AnimaliaPhylum – ArthropodaClass – InsectaOrder – HemipteraFamily – Reduviidae The Assassin Bug Diet Most assassin bugs prey on other small invertebrates. A few parasitic Reduviids, like the well-known kissing bugs, suck the blood of vertebrates, including humans. The Assasin Bug Life Cycle Assassin bugs, like other Hemipterans, undergo incomplete metamorphosis with three stages- egg, nymph, and adult. The female lays clusters of eggs on plants. Wingless nymphs hatch from the eggs and molt several times to reach adulthood in about two months. Assassin bugs living in colder climates usually overwinter as adults. Special Adaptations and Defenses Toxins in the assassin bugs saliva paralyze its prey. Many have sticky hairs on their front legs, which help them grasp other insects. Some assassin bug nymphs camouflage themselves with debris, from dust bunnies to insect carcasses. Assassin bugs do whatever it takes to catch a meal. Many employ specialized behaviors or modified body parts designed to fool their prey. One termite-hunting species in Costa Rica uses the dead termite carcasses as bait to attract live ones, then pounces on the unsuspecting insect and eats it. Certain assassin bugs in southeast Asia will stick their hairy front legs in tree resin, and use it to attract bees. Range and Distribution of Assassin Bugs A cosmopolitan family of insects, assassin bugs live throughout the world. They are particularly diverse in the tropics. Scientists describe 6,600 distinct species, with over 100 types of assassin bugs living in North America.