Knock me over with a feather.......

[SueA]

I'd never heard of Love Canal, I've just read S.B.P.'S link & it seems that what people had hoped would be a great place to live is a toxic dump, wonder how on earth they got permission to build there, but as you say Snohare big money is probably at the heart of it?
On a much smaller scale something similar happened a few years back near to where I live. A small housing estate was privately built on old industrial land which was supposed to have been made safe, it's unadopted & is not maintained by the council. I can't remember how it came about but someone tested the soil & suddenly the residents were told not to eat any produce they'd grown in their gardens there & not to let children & pets play in the soil! I don't know if it was ever resolved, I think they just monitored the soil & people still live there (although the houses are difficult to sell!)
Sorry Wellie, we've all hijacked your thread & gone off on toxic chemicals, sunscreen & surfing topics, but they're all very interesting, never knew that about waxing surfboards & combing the bumps!

[faerieprincess]

If you want an environmentally friendly way of getting rid of the sticky stuff just use some Eucalyptus oil. As a teenager working in a supermarket in Australia i was once given the task of cleaning the sticky residue off the edges of the shelves with eucalyptus oil dabbed onto a cloth and it worked a treat. As a bonus it will clear your sinuses if you are feeling a big congested!!!

[Jeanied]

Midgies

...I'm more worried about getting eco-friendly midgie repellent !

A friend of mine recommends using a body oil to deter midges - the one she gave me is Avon 'woodland' fragrance oil. Possibly a pine-ish smell - it is really old.
How about a midge predator instead? What you need is a roost of pipistrelles! They each eat about 2000 midges a night - so given a good sized roost of, say 200, - you're the scientist!

[snohare]

Sadly Jeanie, there are not the necessary habitats nearby - no trees big enough, it is mainly birch here rather than conifers. It is a shame, because we do have the water for them.
I do have something like a dozen nests of housemartins/swallows within a hundred metres...and let me tell you, inveterate aerial protein ingestors though they be, they are overwhelmed by the numbers ! Not much call for garden furniture hereabouts...
Faerie, I am going to keep a note of that eucalyptus oil trick, definitely one worth remembering !

[Jeanied]

Hi Snohare - if you want bats -put up batboxes!!! I have mine on the house.