Will a Mantis help grow healthy food? I have read that the Mantis has been used as a form of bug control for organic gardening for many years so I expect this one will help in the kitchen garden. It seems to enjoy spending time near small ponds of still water with almost no extra vegetation near by.
Over the next few months I will monitor the mantis and report any changes in insects or growing changes. For now it seems to be, in the very least, an excellent visual addition. Maybe we will see more of them on farmville as well.
Yesterday I found a giant grasshopper in one of the raised beds from the kitchen garden. It did not seem to be eating any of the food but I believe it may have been enjoying the moist environment with partial shade. I have a few low understanding of the various type of grasshoppers but my best guess is a common Macrotona australis.
I have read that grasshoppers are used in some parts of Mexico for a protein source but I did not try it this time. If you have had any experience with this type of grasshopper please leave your comments here. It was found in Southern California near Los Angeles.
Giant Grasshopper
Will A Carbon Block Improve My Drinking Water Quality From A Tap?
People keep asking me if a carbon block or just a general carbon filter will really help the quality of tap water. My answer up until this point was that I do not know. I do know and prove every day that the water from my RO filter produces a better taste and clarity of the water and I can see the TDS go down to 3-30 ppm after the filtration. I was not sure about the ability of the Carbon Block to remove dissolved solids, normalize the pH, or change the ECs. Carbon filters are similar to common “Britta” or “Pur” filters you might find in a local store or supermarket.
Carbon Block Opinion On Chlorine
Some people have said that the carbon block will remove Chlorine but it also turns into a gas so any filtration or evaporation will help remove it. Also I have not found a location where the amount of Chlorine out of a tap is greater than the EPA’s secondary drinking water standard so I have not had a burning* need to remove it.
Test Administration
This test was administered in a residential area near the 405 and 101 in Los Angeles Southern California. Please note that these are only my opinions, I am not a professional water tester, and I can not say weather or not water is “safe” to drink. The test took around 10 minutes to complete which may be one reason for the reduction in temperature from tap water, carbon block, and RO.
This test was conducted with a Hanna HI 98129 tester in room temperature with many distractions. Three separate drinking glasses were used. The pH changes very slowly so it may not be completely accurate on each test. The water was swirled with the tester a few times during each test to help.
Tap water in this test is assumed to be the constant however tap water changes greatly depending on your location, local pipes, and many other factors. This tap was was taken on August 13, 2010.
Tap Water Results:
pH: 8.26
EC: 348 μS
Temp: 81.7 F°
TDS: 171 ppm
Carbon Block Results:
pH: 7.99
EC: 310 μS
Temp: 78.1 F°
TDS: 155 ppm
Reverse Osmosis Results:
pH: 7.42
EC: 37 μS
Temp: 78.1 F°
TDS: 18 ppm
Water Filter Test Interpretation:
Carbon filters may reduce some dissolved solids in tap water from this area but it is not very significant. It might be possible that carbon block or pellet filters may help to greatly reduce dissolved solids in water that does not meet the secondary standard (TDS 500+) in an effort to make the water a higher quality based upon the EPA’s secondary drinking standards however this was not tested. I would personally prefer to drink the water from the RO filter in this test but all of the water in this case does meet the EPA’s secondary standards for the items tested.
Really the only significant change in water quality that I can see here is after the water has been put through a Reverse Osmosis filter. If you need help finding a filter or have any questions please leave them on this page.
