Gift
Catalog
We have assembled a
good selection of decorative items, discovery toys and tools for
exploring nature. We work with biocontrol everyday and look for insect related
items that have style, authenticity and creativity. Some are RVI
exclusives. We think that you will enjoy them too. Call, fax or email to order.
Twenty five percent of
the gross sales of gift catalog items is donated to the non-profit Dietrick
Institute for Applied Insect Ecology, providing learning
opportunities in ecological agriculture. http://dietrick.org
Books: The
Practical Entomologist, Good
Bugs for Your Garden, and Tiny Game
Hunting
Insect
Collecting & Mounting Kit
Bugdorm-2
Rearing Cage
World's
Best Bug Viewer
Magnifying
Lens
Discovery
Scope Naturalist Kit
Beneficial
Finger Puppets
Lacewing
Place Mats
Bug
Pins, From Yipes!
Pesticide
Free Zone Sign, Flag
Organic
Garden Sign
Beneficial
Insect Packages for Garden Pests
Insecta-Flora
Beneficial insect habitat seed mix
Ordering
Notes
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The
Practical Entomologist
Author : Rick
Imes
Published by : A
Fireside Book, 1992
ISBN
0-671-74695-2
$16.00
age group 8-15
From exploring
the basic principles of entomology to starting a collection, The
Practical Entomologist is the perfect introduction to the world of
insects. For beginners who wish to be serious hobbyists, Fireside's
"Practical" series can also help high school and college
students understand basic tenets of entomology. |
Beginning with the
basics, the text describes what characterizes an insect, including anatomy and
the life cycle. It takes an order-by-order look at insects, explaining how each
group differs from another and why certain types of insects have been classified
together. The book shows you not only what to look for but how and where to look
for it - from capturing and keeping live insects to ways of making a
collection and taking photographs. The book describes proper fieldwork
procedures, explains how to employ collecting tools and techniques. Tips on
keeping a field notebook are also included. Practical Entomologist lists
organizations and biological supply companies that sell collecting gear and
insects for study. Packed with more than 200 full-color illustrations, this
comprehensive guide is a valuable reference tool for nature enthusiasts.
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Good
Bugs for Your Garden
by Allison Mia
Starcher
Media: Hardcover
Book
Publisher:
Algonquin Books
Release Date:
May, 1995
Price: $11.00
Age group 6
through adult
This is a
beautiful introductory book on beneficial bugs! It's warm, enthusiastic
& friendly, & it doesn't get bogged down trying to show you every
little variety of bugs out there. |
Author Allison takes
you on a tour through her backyard and her father's garden. It's amazing once
you start looking at bugs and watching their behavior. The bugs she covers range
from prominent garden bugs, such as ladybugs & bumble bees, to almost
undetectable critters, like the Aphidius wasp. Allison includes personal
comments about the bug (why she likes it, curious behaviors, where she usually
finds it, which grubs to spare and which to do in). Charming sketches are
combined with helpful information for creating habitat to attract and maintain a
native population for your yard.
About the Author
Allison Mia Starcher is
a professional illustrator specializing in plants and insects. Her work appears
regularly in the Southern California Gardener and she drew the cover for the RVI
catalog. She lives in the Los Angeles area.
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Tiny
Game Hunting Environmentally Healthy
Ways to Trap and Kill the Pests in Your House and Garden, New Edition
Hilary Dole Klein
and Adrian M. Wenner
Illustrations by
Courtlandt Johnson
Publication Date:
June 2001
Subjects:
Environmental Studies; Biology; Entomology; Gardening
278 pages, 6 x 9
inches, 80 line illustrations
Paperback $14.95
Age group 10+
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"Tiny Game Hunting is the delightful name of a useful book that tells how to get ants to move by
pouring a blended solution of lemon peel on their nest, how to repel gophers
with Juicy Fruit gum, and how to confuse thrips with aluminum strips. There is
some very good natural history on each pest--so you can better understand what
makes them tick--and it is told with a fine sense of humor. There are dozens of
pests described and hundreds of clever cures in this book."--Los Angeles
Times
"This book
advocates the rational use of alternative home remedies, rather than commercial
long-lived biocidal death sprays... The authors present commonsense, forgotten,
and little-known tactics for dealing with troublesome pests in and around the
home."--Backyard Bugwatching
"This
commonsensical, well-organized book details more than 200 non-chemical methods
for dealing with insect pests. Combining useful illustrations, natural history
and advice, Tiny Game Hunting offers hundreds of environmentally friendly, often
little-known ways to rid yourself of house and garden pests, including how to
get rid of ants with lemon-peel solution and repel gophers with chewing
gum."--Toronto Globe & Mail
Every year Americans
use a staggering five hundred million pounds of toxic pesticides in and around
their homes, schools, parks, and roads--a growing health risk for people and the
environment. But are these poisons really necessary? Tiny Game Hunting,
written in a lively and entertaining style and illustrated with detailed
drawings, appealing to the hunter in us all, shows how to triumph in combat with
pests without toxic chemicals.
About the Author
Hilary Dole Klein is a writer living in Santa Barbara and the author of A
Guide to Nonsexist Children's Books (1976) and Substituting Ingredients (third edition, 1994), among other books. Adrian M. Wenner is Professor Emeritus
of Natural History at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the
author of books, articles, and a chapter in Comparative Psychology of
Invertebrates: The Field and Laboratory Study of Insect Behavior (1997).
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Student Insect
Collecting & Mounting Kit
Complete
instructional unit for secondary level students or beginning collectors.
Kit contains all the fundamental equipment needed to collect, prepare and
maintain specimens of most orders of insects.
Age group 10-15
Collecting &
mounting kit COLLECTK each $55.00 |
Contains:
-
Collecting net,
12" diameter, aerial bag, 18" hardwood handle
-
2 collecting jars, 4
oz., with plaster poured bottoms
-
Insect killing fluid,
ethyl acetate, in 8 dram vial, for collecting jars
-
50 glassine
envelopes, 2-3/4 x 4-1/4" (70 x 108 mm)
-
Folding magnifier,
4X, with plastic case
-
Forceps, spade tip,
stainless steel
-
Spreading board,
12" (305 mm), soft plastic pinning surfaces, varied center groove
Insect pins, size 2,
pack of 100 -
Pinning block,
hardwood, three-step style
-
100 blank labels,
black borders, 7/8 x 1/2"
-
Label pen, permanent
ink, fine line, .3 mm
-
Fiberboard insect
box, polyethylene foam pinning bottom, 9 x 13 x 2-1/2" (23 x 33 x 6.4 cm)
-
Fumigant strip
-
Illustrated
instruction booklet, 32 pages
|
Great cage to
watch insects, grow them, or perform experiments |
BugDorm-2
Rearing Cage
BugDorm-2's
tent-like design facilitates easy assembly, transport, and storage. The 24
x 24 x 24" (60 x 60 x 60 cm) cage is self-supported by solid
fiberglass poles. Front, rear, and bottom panels are clear vinyl, allowing
optimum observation of insects. The two side panels are fine 104 x 26
mesh/inch white polyester netting, and provide ventilation. The front
panel has two access points. A large crescent-shaped zippered panel,
21" (53 cm) across the bottom x 16" (40 cm) high, allows the
user to place a host plant or other material into the cage. The smaller
access sleeve located in the middle of the front panel is 8" (18 cm)
diameter x 15" (38) cm long. This permits specimens, food, or water
to be inserted or removed with lowered risk of escape.
Price each BugDorm-2
rearing cage, BUGDORM $58.00 |
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World's
Best Bug Viewer - container with
magnifying top to watch bugs. Use the 2X magnifying top or flip over the
2X lens to get 4X magnification,
World's Best
Bug Viewer (2X+2X) BV1 each $6.75, 5+ $5.75 |
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Magnifying
lens - for
getting up close and personal with small creatures 10X lens. All of our
entomologist friends carry one of these on a ribbon around their necks
when out in the field. When they find a bug, they just pick up the lens
and get a closer look. For the well dressed biological explorer
ML100 each 12.80 |
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DISCOVERY
SCOPE NATURALIST KIT
Hand held
microscope,
one mini-clamp,
one multi-use
chamber holder,
two 1" x
2" clear view chambers, and
one water dropper
packaged in
custom bag with shoulder strap & belt loop.
Discovery Scope
Kit SCOPEK Price: $45.00 each
Age group 6+ |
Discovery Scope for
young people of all ages. Children of about age 6 or 7 and up usually need about
2-5 minutes of instruction to master the use of Discovery Scope. It's a great
educational tool for children because they can share their discoveries with
other children or adults. Discovery Scope encourages children to explore and
enjoy nature. You can focus on a specimen with Discovery Scope and then pass the
'Scope' around so that everyone can see. It's great for opening the minds of
others about the world of the small.
Discovery Scope is so convenient and
compact, it can be used anywhere you go. With no metal parts, it will never
corrode. It's small enough to fit in a loose pocket or a small nylon bag, ideal
for backpacking, park exploring, kayaking and all outdoor activities. The
subject is held in place in front of the lens by a unique holding system. Once
the subject is in focus, it's fixed in place; until it moves or you move it. The
secret to great micro/macro viewing is good lighting. With Discovery Scope you
can move the entire imaging system and the specimen into any light condition you
want. You can easily get light to bounce off the front or side of the subject,
or you can shine light directly through the subject to see details right inside.
See activities for teachers at http://www.discoveryscope.com/Activities.html
Folkmanis
beneficial finger puppets
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BAT This little
bat puppet spreads skin-thin wings, ready to take to the sky on the tip of
your finger. With silk-screened detailing and beady black eyes, this
aerial rodent will make a fine specimen to add to your finger puppet
collection. Bats help by eating many mosquitoes and fruit eating moths. |
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BEE
IN FLOWER
Pollinating and
honey making keep this bee busy. Hold the bright pink blossom in your palm
while one finger pokes up through the middle to animate the bee. |
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BUTTERFLY
Gossamer wings flutter gracefully on the tip of your finger with the
Butterfly finger puppet. Colorfully decorative blue and purple tones
capture the mood of whimsy the butterfly conveys. Stretchy nylon body will
fit fingers of many sizes. |
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MONARCH BUTTERFLY
The sheer wings of this finger puppet, silk screened with the realistic
orange and black markings of the Monarch Butterfly, flutter gracefully up
and down with the motion of your hand. Its stretchy nylon fabric body fits
fingers of many sizes. |
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DRAGONFLY With
this glittering blue-tailed Dragonfly finger puppet hovering on the tip of
your finger, you'll be the hero of the season, chasing mosquitoes and
other summer pests. Stretchy fabric fits fingers of many sizes. |
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LADYBUG This
friendly and cheerful garden symbiont is a favorite among children, both
for her part in nursery rhymes and her bright, colorful shell. As a finger
puppet, the Ladybug makes a great gift for gardeners of all ages. Ladybugs
eat aphids and other soft bodied pests in the garden. |
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OWL A beautiful
spotted Owl in miniature? What a hoot! As a puppet, he perches on your
finger, ready to dispense owlish wisdom. Whooo could be cuter? Owls eat
many rodents, like gophers, helping to keep these pests in check. |
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PRAYING MANTIS As
oversized insects go, this one definitely uses her power for good, not
evil. Devout, humble and helpful, she'll crusade against garden pests with
righteous wrath and ne'er harm a hair on your head. This Praying Mantis
puppet comes to life when you wear her on your finger. She eats many pests
in the garden. |
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bat |
PUPBAT |
$4.00 |
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bee |
PUPBEE |
$3.50 |
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butterfly |
PUPBUT |
$3.50 |
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monarch butterfly |
PUPMON |
$4.00 |
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dragonfly |
PUPDRAG |
$5.00 |
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ladybug |
PUPLB |
$4.00 |
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owl |
PUPOWL |
$5.70 |
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praying mantis |
PUPMANT |
$6.00 |
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Set of 8, one each |
PUPSET |
$32.00 |
(now you don't
have to choose) save $3.70 |
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Lacewing Table Place Mats
laminated print of hand painted original on canvas by Alice Williams, an
RVI exclusive. Graceful delicate lacewing on a leaf in gold, green, and
fuchsia with a bronze border. Lacewing - effective biocontrol agent and
delightful table accent. Easy care, just wipe off, laminated finish
resists stains.
Lacewing Design Place Mats, PLACEMATS 11 X 17 inch, set of 4. $48, additional
PLACEMAT $9.00 each (after buying set). |
Dressy Bug Pins
From Yipes! Created by Joyce Fritz, these brightly colored insects are individually crafted from polymer clay, wire and beads. Colors may vary, but all are beautiful. The lacewing was a special request from RVI.
Lacewing pin PINLW $30.00
Ladybug pin PINLB $30.00
Ladybug earrings EARLB $32.00
Scarab pin PINSCAR $40.00
Dragonfly pin PINDRAG $48.00
Welcome to the Pesticide
Free Zone!
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Yard Sign, 8 inch
metal circle, designed by Joe Draeghert for a public awareness campaign of
Marin Beyond Pesticides Coalition, seeking to change the way people view
and use pesticides: Identify your home landscape as free from toxic
pesticides. This location welcomes butterflies, birds, babies & bare
feet!
SIGNFREE price
$12.50 each |
Have
you been wishing for a way to identify your home landscape as free from toxic
pesticides? Well, we've got good news. Welcome to the Pesticide Free Zone,
a project to mark unsprayed landscapes with attractive signs. Originating in
Marin County, California, we're hoping to get thousands of these signs out
there in neighborhoods to show that we are gardening naturally. Awareness about
pesticide toxicity has increased in recent years, with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency announcing phaseouts of the two most popular consumer lawn
insecticides [diazanon and chlorphrifos (DursbanTM)] because of
health and environmental concerns. We've become accustomed to seeing flags
warning of sprayed lawns, but the Pesticide Free Zone sign proclaims that it's
safe to walk on the grass here, safe to smell the flowers. Many people don't
use pesticides, but they are largely silent. Now you can identify your yard, in
a positive supportive way, as non-toxic and begin educating your community.
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Pesticide Free
Zone flag to brighten up the porch, rooms,
displays, festivals. 28 x 42 inch nylon, FLAGFREE $40 each
Another festive
way to raise awareness of biological rather than toxic options for pest
control. Produced by Pesticide Awareness & Alternative Coalition (PAAC),
in Santa Barbara to raise funds for their educational activities.
www.organicfestival.com Your purchase does double duty to help PAAC and
the Dietrick Institute. |
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Organic
Garden Sign, Please Do Not Spray. Let
local spray crews know that you would like them to spray elsewhere. From
Catnip Farm
Black wording on
bright yellow background, 12 x12 inch, Heavy gauge aluminum, 1 per
entrance, SIGNOG, each $20.00
also available
Organic Farm sign
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BENEFICIAL
INSECT PACKAGES for Garden Pests
You know your friend
has a garden and has whiteflies, here is gift for that friend. A package or kit
of beneficial insects and products to control a specific pest. Sent at
appropriate time for zone and pest development.
FOR APHIDS
|
Item Code |
Package |
Function |
|
LWC1 |
1,500 lacewing
eggs on 10 tabs |
general predator |
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AA250 |
Aphidoletes
aphidimyza predatory midge, 250 pupae/tray |
aphids |
|
IF6OZ |
Insect food - 6
oz jar |
attract
beneficials |
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TANGL6 |
Tanglefoot - 6
oz tube |
keep ants away
from LW & AA |
FOR WHITEFLY
|
Item Code |
Package |
Function |
|
LWC1 |
1,500 lacewing
eggs on 10 hangable tabs |
general predator |
|
EN1 |
1,000 Encarsia,
100/card, 10 cards in strip |
greenhouse
whitefly parasite |
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STY10 |
yellow sticky
cards-10 |
monitor and trap
whitefly |
|
ORANGEC |
Orange oil - 4
oz bottle |
mix for natural
contact spray |
|
add 2nd
LW1+EN1 |
ship LW1+EN1 in 2
wks |
maintain pressure
over time |
FOR ANTS
|
Item Code |
Package |
Function |
|
BOR4 |
Boric acid, 4 oz
bottle |
ants |
|
ANTCAFE12 |
Plastic
containers for putting out boric acid sugar bait |
ants |
|
TANGLE6 |
Tanglefoot - 6
oz tube |
exclude ants from
beneficials |
|
ORANGEC |
Orange oil - 4
oz bottle |
mix for natural
contact spray |
|
ANTINFO |
Recipes for safe,
organic ant bait and ant spray |
ants |
FOR THRIPS
|
Item Code |
Package |
Function |
|
LWC1 |
1,500 lacewing
eggs on 10 hangable tabs |
general predator |
|
HYP6K |
6,000 Hypoaspis
miles predatory mites in bran carrier |
thrips |
|
STY10 |
yellow sticky
cards-10 |
monitor and trap
thrips |
|
AC1 X 2 |
2 bags 1,000 A.
cucumeris predatory mites in bran carrier |
thrips |
For Whitefly
PACKWF $40
with second shipment of LW, EN PACKWF2 $54
For Aphid
PACKA $40
For Ant
PACKANT $40
For Thrips
PACKT $40
Insecta-Flora
Beneficial insect habitat seed mix
The primary use is
providing habitat for beneficial insects to aid biological control of pests.
Insecta-Flora is a wildflower mix with flowers that bloom at different times
through the year. It creates a natural insectary that attracts and supports the
beneficials and provides an alternate target for crop destroyers, drawing them
into an insect ambush. Some have open flower structures that permit large and
small insects to get nectar. Some have lots of pollen. Some will tolerate shade,
some will take mowing, and all attract insects. Developed by Paul Albright of
Albright Seed Company, Paul put an emphasis on what is attractive to insects and
beautiful to humans. Many other flowers could have been added, in fact, you can
add your favorite wildflowers when you plant the mix. Secondary uses for
Insecta-Flora include cut flowers, herbs, soil building, erosion control, and
screening. This mix also provides habitat for birds, amphibians, reptiles, and
soil microbes.
Planting
Prepare a seed bed by
scratching the surface to get aggregate particle size of ½ to 1 inch range.
Drill in the seed or broadcast and lightly cover the seed. Note the planting
density. If you plant the mix more densely, the faster growing plants will
overwhelm the slower growing plants, and the resulting diversity will be lower.
Plant 11 pounds per acre, 1 pound per 4,000 square feet, 1 ounce per 250 square
feet, 1 gram per 9 square feet. Fall planting is best in a Mediterranean
climate, giving plants time to establish in the rainy season. If planted in the
spring, water to get established. In dryer areas Insecta-Flora may need watering
several times during the summer.
Comes in three mixes
Standard FLORA3
Low, about 1 foot tall FLLO3
Tall, about 3 foot tall
FLHI3
3 g packet, plants 25
ft2, $3.80
also available by the
pound in our Catalog of Beneficials
Ordering
Notes Minimum Order $25. See other notes at ordering.
To order, call, fax or e-mail
your order to our friendly customer service staff.
800-248-2847 fax
805-643-6267
bugnet2@rinconvitova.com
find a pdf Gift Catalog
at Catalog.
Twenty five percent of
the gross sales of gift catalog items is donated to the non-profit Dietrick
Institute for Applied Insect Ecology. http://dietrick.org
Providing learning
opportunities in ecological agriculture.
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