This page lists significant changes in presentation and content

Apr. 30, 2008 Photographs added to the Establishing White Clover in Lawns, also information about sources of clover seed received from visitors to the site.

Apr. 1, 2008 Links added under Quick Links to Pesticide-Free N.S. (new organization), and Pesticide Free? Oui! (Suzuki Foundation Report).

Sep. 13, 2007 Comments on the PMRA's Harmonization Proposal posted.

Aug. 18, 2007 Update on the soap issue added.

Aug. 17, 2007New concerns about pyrethrins, see PYRETHRINS/PYRETHRUM: Health Hazards

Aug. 16, 2007 IMPORTANT UPDATE: Use of Pyrethrins and Neem Oil to Control Chinch Bug

Aug. 14, 2007 Photos showing remarkable weed control.

July 19, 2007
Introduction and comments on flowering added to the page on Establishing White Clover in Lawns.

May 19, 2007
Neem oil available in a local retail outlet.

May 17, 2007
Most links have been checked and updated as nec.

May. 15, 2007
On the Permitted Materials page, usefulness of the ACORN Directory highlighted.

May. 13, 2007
A proposal to repace Administrative Order No. 23 by direct reference to a professionally maintained, 3rd party list.

Mar. 28, 2006
Added new material on scything.

Jan. 31, 2006
See photos of drought damage on slopes with and without clover

Jan. 27, 2006
Major revision of the page about endophytes, and page moved to a new location (same site). See www.versicolor.ca/endophytes. Home page changed from the fall to the spring version.

Nov. 25, 2005
Subsection on use of native species added to Section VI (Control by Redesign).

Aug 10, 2005
An update on pesticide product displays in HRM stores.

June 29, 2005
Some comments about suitability of HRM water for soap solutions (for control of pests) added on the Acute Controls page.

June 20, 2005
Some information about pollution from gas and cordless electric mowers and benefits of using (manual) reel mowers added. See Mowing.

April 7, 2005
The host server had security problems and replaced content with an older backup version which was available Apr 5 and 6. The proper updated version was posted on April 7.

March 22, 2005
Defintion of 'hard' and soft' pesticides provided in the Acute Controls page

Some revisions made to the Establishing White Clover page.

March 18, 2005
Links checked out and updated on the main pages.

March 17, 2005
Major reorganization/conceptual simplification of the CONTROL section and related content on other pages. Controls are now considered under 3 categories (ACUTE, CULTURAL, REDESIGN) rather than under 4 'levels' as before. (The old level 2 was eliminated; 'Watering' was added to level 3 which is renamed 'CULTURAL CONTROLS'; 'Biological Controls' was added to level 1 which is now called 'ACUTE CONTROLS'; level 4 is called 'REDESIGN', as before).

March 6, 2005
Diagram showing major cultural factors affecting chinch bug added to home page.

March 3, 2005
Links to HRM By-Law Overview, RATE priorities, and Letter to Council posted under Quick Links & Current Issues on the Home Page

March 2, 2005
Format of Top of Home Page changed: subtitle added to Site Title so it now reads:
Control of Chinch Bugs Without Pesticides
   and Other Ecological Lawncare Practices
to emphasize that the site is about more than just control of chinch bugs; New subsection inserted on the Home Page (1. Quick Links & Current Issues)

March 1, 2005
Section on excess nitrogen modified to include citation of early studies showing a direct stimulatory effect of high nitrogen on chinch bug egg production and longevity.

February 7, 2005
Update on the Soap Issue (Legality of Using Soap)

February 4, 2005
Gardening Life Magazine says clover lawns are in vogue
(Page added as a link to The Clover Option)

January 23, 2005
Home Page updated to relate to 2005. (Other revisions begun.)

November 15
Ongoing difficulties in deciphering the PMRA position on use of household soap See Legality of Using Household Soap...

August 30
Statements concerning legality of using household soap to control chinchbug changed in accordance with a clarification on this issue by the PMRA. See OK to use Household Soap

August 22
Extracts from HRM Council minutes (2004) dealing with the By-law posted: see under LINKS on the Home Page

August 20
Some format changes to Home Page

August 19
Added a page with web resources for identifying Other Pests and Diseases


August 12, 13
Facing a Chinch Bug Problem NOW? posted and the navigation system modified to accomodate it (QG CHINCH NOW).

August 3
Some improvements seen is a store selling pesticides are reported on the Label Examples page

July 27
Photographs of nymphs, adult chinch bugs added to Biology and Monitoring pages

July 24
Site Map added.

July 22
Summaries, in purple print, added to several pages.

July 14
SEARCH function added

June 16
Added link to Sierra Club Pesticide By-law Toolkit on Home Page.

June 15
References added. News Item added (see link on Home Page to News Items).

May 19
Some changes in the text under Purpose on the Home page were made to emphasize that changing the cultural conditions has benefits besides controlling chinch bug.

May 18
Control Level 4 added.
Guidelines Added, (3 of the 5 sets).

May 11
Acetic acid was added to the cross reference list in Section V. Permitted Materials.

Links on the Home Page reorganized, two added.

May 10
Some changes were made in the description of documents provided by the PMRA for the purpose of seeking extensions in use of pesticides, or for use of products not registerd in Canada. These changes are in Section V. Permitted Materials; subsection 7 (Product Label Extensions). Also in subsection 5, mention of the need to check the site of pesticide use as well as the target pest was added and the title was changed from 'The Pest Must be Listed' to 'The Pest and Site Must be Listed'. These changes were made following receipt of feedback from the PMRA (May 10) in response to a request to review these materials (May 4).

May3,4
Major changes in the Home Page, and Permitted Materials Page mostly to take into account clarification of the legalities of using soap, pesticidal soap and diatomeacous earth to control chinch. Thanks to Kevin Brooks of Clean Nova Scotia for some direction in this regard.(See Questions and Answers) Control LevelS 1, 2 and 3 added. Subtitles for level 4 and Guidelines posted, and DRAFT of Guidelines 1 (Actions to Combat Chinch on Properties Where Signficant Damage Occurred in 2003)

April 22
Note added under Permissible Materials that Insecticidal Soap and Bt are NOT registered by PMRA for use on lawns. Thanks to Kevin Brooks of Clean Nova Scotia for pointing this out.

April 21
Short statement about IPM added to the 'Focus' section on the Home Page.

April 19
Site reorganized. A section on Permissible Materials was added. The Control Section is presented in 5 separate pages: an Overview (posted), and four paages corresponding to the four levels of control. The Sections are now as follows:
I HOME, II BIOLOGY, III MONITORING, IV FACTORS, V PERMISSIBLE MATERIALS, VI CONTROL (Overview, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Level 4), VII GUIDELINES, VIII PHOTOS, IX REFERENCES
A document on 'Reading the Labels' was posted. It is accessible via a Link in the Links subsection of the Permissible Materials section.

A number of changes were made in the content of the Home Page was

April 12
Monitoring of Chinch Bug in Section III (BIOLOGY) expanded and added as a separate section.

Template for a second CONTROL section added so now there are nine sections (I HOME | II BIOLOGY | III MONITORING | IV FACTORS | V CONTROL/A | VI CONTROL/B | VII GUIDELINES | VIII PHOTOS | IX REFERENCES)

April 7
Sections III (FACTORS) and VI (PHOTGRAPHS) posted.

April 5, 2004
Site posted, with Home Page, Section II (BIOLOGY) and HTML tempates for five other sections (I HOME | II BIOLOGY | III FACTORS | IV CONTROL | V GUIDELINES | VI PHOTOS | VII REFERENCES)