April 2020 Town of Pelham Newsletter
April 2020 Town of Pelham Newsletter
Town of Pelham declares State of Emergency: A message from Mayor Marvin Junkin
Residents of Pelham,
On April 3, 2020, in coordination with the Region of Niagara and all Niagara municipalities – save for Niagara-on-the-Lake who has previously declared – I have declared a State of Emergency in Pelham.
Taking the step to declare an emergency is not made without thoughtful consideration and productive conversation with trusted advisors and health experts. This step symbolizes the very real situation we are in and the absolute necessity of adhering to guidance and orders issued by all levels of government and health units.
Each municipality in Niagara is unique, with its own challenges, demographics, and services. A declaration of a state of emergency, though equally important regardless of community, is done with its residents in mind.
The Town of Pelham has a high population of seniors, a demographic that has been strongly urged by the provincial government to stay at home and self-isolate regardless of health. I, too, encourage those who are 70 years old and older to stay home. We want to keep this group, and everyone, safe.
The Town also has many residents who work in the health care industry and travel outside of Pelham to perform critical and essential service. Keeping these front-line workers healthy and offering support is paramount. If these people become ill, who will we depend on to keep us healthy?
Many of you understand the gravity of this pandemic and are complying with requests to self-isolate, stay home, and physically distance. Thank you.
There are some, however, who have still not fully appreciated these messages, and I call on you now to re-evaluate your decisions to gather in groups or to go out for non-essential reasons. It is not too late to change your behaviour. Your friends, family, and community depend on you.
It is more critical now than ever to obey mandatory directives:
• Stop all gatherings of more than five people (this includes private gatherings of extended family)
• Avoid all outdoor recreational amenities, including parks, playgrounds and sports fields
• Close all non-essential businesses
• Stay home as much as possible and only leave the house once a week if required
• Self-isolate for 14 days if you have symptoms or have returned to Canada from being outside the country
• Practice physical distancing and wash hands frequently
We can and will get through this, but we can’t do it alone, we have to do it together.
If you need or want to learn more, visit the Town of Pelham website at www.pelham.ca/covid19 for updates, information, and more about this pandemic.
Sincerely,
Mayor Marvin Junkin
Home methods of controlling gypsy moth this season
Gypsy Moth is in the egg stage between early September and late April. Egg masses can be found on tree trunks, branches, buildings and on objects around the house. As one egg mass contains about 300 eggs, by destroying them you significantly reduce the number of caterpillars that emerge in spring.
Scrape off egg masses with a dull knife and place them in soapy water for a few days before discarding them in the garbage. If they fall to the ground crush them with your shoe.
Late April to Late May
Place sticky barriers, or bands on the tree trunk. Wrap duct tape around the tree trunk and apply a thin coat of sticky material (commercially available at most garden centres) to the duct tape. Alternatively, you may use a double band of duct tape, the outer band with the sticky side out. This band will prevent smaller caterpillars from climbing the tree.
Mid-May to Early June
Spray with bacterial insecticide, Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Btk). The primary objective is to protect vulnerable trees from moderate to severe defoliation. Reducing the nuisance factor caused by the presence of gypsy moth is an additional benefit of this treatment Consider having your trees sprayed with Btk by a licensed pesticide applicator if:
- There are a high number of egg masses that cannot be removed mechanically from the trees.
- Large numbers of egg masses are on susceptible tree species, primarily on oaks, birches, beeches and spruces.
- If damage that is caused by gypsy moth feeding is severe for at least one or two previous years, another severe defoliation event may cause the decline or death of the host tree.
Late May to August
Replace sticky bands with burlap (cloth) bands. Trap and destroy caterpillars by placing burlap (cloth) bands on trees. Wrap burlap that is approximately one metre wide around the tree trunk, tie it at the middle with a rope and fold it. Caterpillars feed at night and find shelter from the heat during the day. They will congregate under the burlap.
Destroy caterpillars from under the burlap every late afternoon before they crawl back to the canopy to feed. Caterpillars can be killed by squishing them or placing them in soapy water. Use this method until all the caterpillars finish their life stage, usually in August, and turn into cocoons and later into adult moths.
Don’t flush wipes: be mindful of what you flush during COVID-19
While wipes might look a bit like toilet paper, there are major differences. Wipes are made from a very tough material, and are often infused with cleansing chemicals, disinfectants and cosmetic scents. Wipes behave very differently in sewers than toilet paper which is designed specifically to disintegrate in water.
When in sewer pipes the wipes do not break down and have a tendency to entangle with other wipes or waste to create blockages.
Blockages can cause the sewage to back-up into your home or may lead to back-ups throughout your neighborhood as a result of flushing wipes or other items down the toilet.
For more information on what cannot and should not be flushed, visit: https://www.niagararegion.ca/living/sewage/not-a-trash-can.aspx