These are a group of predatory worms (annelids, related to earthworms), one type of which attacks mammals. They lie on shallow, mucky (not sandy) bottoms in quiet water and react to moving shadows by swimming towards the shadow-casting object. Their bite is totally painless and non-toxic because the saliva includes anesthetics, anticoagulants, and powerful antibiotics, […]
A small aphid-like insect from Japan, the woolly adelgid can kill mature hemlocks and can become a serious problem around Lake Sagamore and, more generally, in the Northeast. Make sure that you inspect your trees (those infected will have brittle, dark leaves covered with white wool on the underside). To prevent the loss of the
Deer ticks are the vector for Lyme Disease (as well as 15 other diseases, including erlichosis, babesiosis, and spotted fever) because ticks feed repeatedly during their life cycle and carry infection from one animal to another. No bigger than a poppy seed in their nymph stage, and the size of a pin head as adults,
Deer, usually an icon of nature’s pastoral beauty, can also be a pest when their population is in an expansion cycle. Residents are encouraged to landscape with plants that are generally unattractive to deer, such as mountain laurel, ferns, daffodils, and evergreens (but not arborvitae). Despite lists (such as this) of vegetation deer may spurn,
Erroneously considered to be larvae of gypsy moths, tent caterpillars emerge every several years in vast numbers and can severely defoliate trees. While healthy trees rarely die as a result of caterpillar action, the infestation is unsightly and damaging. Egg masses of tent caterpillars are easily seen in fall and winter, as black “bracelets” clasped
Canada geese are a protected species, yet without their natural predators to control the geese population they can become a pest. Their droppings may foul lawns and contribute unnecessary nutrients to the Lake. The Association annually receives a Federal EPA permit to have geese eggs addled, which has enabled control of their proliferation. Geese prefer
The normal yearly cleanup that most of us do in late summer or early fall affords a wonderful opportunity to increase the beauty and usability of our Lake. Every nutrient we keep out of the water will mean fewer weeds the following spring. Here are some suggested steps: Leaves and Cuttings: Rake your leaves and
Yard Maintenance, and Cleanup Read More »
The environment of our water, trees, and lake define the Lake Sagamore community. It is our responsibility to maintain and preserve our environment. Bug infestations in one area spreads to another. Septic systems leeching into the provides food for weeds and damages the water quality for everyone. Removal of mature trees around the lake removes
Today, New York City has the largest unfiltered surface water supply in the world — and Lake Sagamore is a part of the City’s reservoir system. The lake collects water from about 12 square miles in an area extending westward past the Taconic Parkway. Around 1830, the City of New York decided to satisfy its
The Reservoir System and the Development of Lake Sagamore Read More »
Lake Sagamore is in good health. Yet because of its small size and “softness,” it is relatively vulnerable. Two main factors protect our fragile lake: first, the care taken by residents to minimize human impact; and second, the fact that the lake watershed — an area of some 12 square miles extending beyond the Taconic
Our Lake – Ecological balance Read More »