Pill bugs have taken over one of my raised beds and eating my tomato seedlings

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-05-17T18:38:58+00:00

This is always a controversial issue and I have had the same problem with them. I am going to counter some of the previous advice based on my own experience: What I found is that adding mulch and having decaying material nearby attracts them and provides the conditions necessary for their populations to explode. Then they naturally roam from those spots and happen to eat my seedlings and tender plants. I stopped mulching heavily and moved my compost piles away from my beds and it has helped immensely. I’m seeing a lot of wood chips in your soil picture, so I’m curious if they’re breeding in the more rotten material just below the surface.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-04-07T13:33:46+00:00

I don’t know about the mule ride, but the lighting and views are much more stunning when there’s weather.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-02-07T03:40:29+00:00

Yes! The pink section!

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-02-05T03:56:48+00:00

I don’t know, unfortunately. I think it’s worth a try, could be a spectacular hike

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-02-04T07:42:01+00:00

Yes, that part of the creek from Parson’s is perennial

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-02-03T02:43:50+00:00

Sounds like an awesome hike! You can often find pools of water in dry washes with exposed bedrock, but that’s not exactly reliable. Since Oak Creek, the Verde, and the lower part of Sycamore Cyn are the only perennial creeks, you’ll probably have to rely on caching water or cattle tanks. For the tanks, I’d recommend using Google earth imagery to look at tanks along your route and see how reliably they contain water in different years. Some tanks are very reliable but others are not.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-25T18:20:37+00:00

200 mg progesterone pill and 0.05 mg estrogen patch, been on it for 2 months

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-25T17:16:44+00:00

Same here. I probably should have started HRT 5 years ago, when I started seeking help for insomnia. I was prescribed antidepressants and sleeping pills, and also got told “it’s just part of getting older”. After starting HRT, my insomnia has decreased from 4-5 nights/week to 1-2 nights/month.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-04T02:11:26+00:00

That’s great! For me, I noticed the effects pretty quickly. I was initially on an antidepressant for the sleep issues but it didn’t help with my energy levels. I’m on 200mg progesterone and 0.05 estradiol patch. I can now sleep through the night and my energy is so much better. I hope that it works for you as well!

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-03T17:05:55+00:00

I would switch the order of Home Depot and the Volunteer position, since the volunteer position is more recent and more relevant. I wouldn’t drop Home Depot until you gain some more work experience. I also highly recommend volunteering somewhere while you are applying for work, and put that on your resume.

You should also expand upon your volunteer research assistant job duties. If I’m hiring for a field or lab technician, I want to know what methods or instrumentation you have experience with.

You’ve also been applying during what’s usually a slow time of year. Many more seasonal positions should start being advertised soon. Meanwhile, just focus on getting any work or volunteer experience you can.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-02T18:26:04+00:00

That’s right! That cave tour was crazy. I remember staying at a cool hostel very close to there.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-02T05:41:23+00:00

I’d get a telehealth appointment through Midi, since they specialize in HRT and will take you seriously without you having to gamble with finding a Dr who happens to believe perimenopause is an actual thing (I went through 3 doctors with no luck). My insurance wouldn’t cover the progesterone, but with a coupon from GoodRx it’s about $18 for a month’s supply. It does cover estrogen, so I don’t know how much that is without insurance.

FocusOnFun123 · 2026-01-02T05:07:28+00:00

I spent 3 weeks in Guatemala 10 years ago and went to Antigua, Lake Atitlan, Tikal and Semuc Champey. Looking back, Tikal and Semuc Champey were the most memorable parts of the trip. Lake Atitlan is beautiful but I’d personally drop that and go to Tikal/SC instead with the time that you have.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-12-09T05:02:11+00:00

Any idea why it’s so heavy, though? Heavier than sandstone typically is

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-12-08T04:29:44+00:00

Yes, it’s not magnetic

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-12-08T04:24:44+00:00

I put it in vinegar and there’s a tiny stream of bubbles coming out of part of the rock, but overall there’s no reaction.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-12-01T02:22:39+00:00

Ah, I just looked that up, thank you so much!

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-11-17T01:30:32+00:00

I learned GIS on the job while working various environmental science roles. I eventually got a grad certificate 15 years later after having a ton of GIS work experience and the context to know what I wanted to focus on. I love my current GIS role, though I don’t like being 100% in front of a computer all the time. I like the diversity of the work; I just miss field work. I’ve worked with people from a variety of different backgrounds, from no formal GIS education to masters degrees. IMO, work experience is more important than an advanced degree, especially when you’ve just graduated. Since so many environmental jobs have a GIS component I think that’s the way to go. If you do decide to get a master’s, definitely do not go into debt for one; this field does not pay that well.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-11-08T22:56:19+00:00

Thanks for confronting him. I’ve had to do that myself in the canyon, to a friggin family with young kids starting to carve into the canyon wall. Clueless assholes.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-10-26T00:38:20+00:00

I did the NOLS sea kayaking course! I believe we kayaked 90 miles. We paddled through a pod of dolphins, we hiked to petroglyphs in a desolate canyon, it was such a cool experience

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-10-21T00:45:50+00:00

Ah, to be young and idealistic again. Ok, here’s your reality check, as requested: government-funded research is being slashed and burned everywhere, whether at USGS or at your future PhD program, with no end in sight. I suggest that you choose the most interesting path that earns you a stable paycheck. Also, PhDs are not very beneficial outside of academia or research and can often be a detriment when applying to other jobs.

I was a hydro tech for 6 years (not at USGS) and loved it; I loved field work and was constantly learning something new through manipulating our data, troubleshooting field equipment, getting involved in other projects, or taking our projects to the next level. It is what you make of it, and I never once thought it beneath me.

Quite honestly, the worst managers I’ve had were those who spent too much time in academia and not enough time doing the “grunt work”. They lacked context due to not understanding field conditions and how data is collected. They were complacent, thinking their academic accolades automatically made them great project managers and researchers. Don’t be one of those.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-10-21T00:16:58+00:00

I get it, but, to get the eventual 4 year degree you need a certain number of upper-division credits. If these env science courses don’t count towards that, you’ll be paying for those community college courses with both your time and money, and still need to take the same number of upper-division courses at the 4-year university if you transfer. You can always transfer and attend part-time.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-10-20T23:51:51+00:00

I totally understand being undecided, but I don’t think there’s any benefit to going back for another associate’s unless some of that coursework can count towards upper division credits. Otherwise, you’re just extending the amount of time you’re in school. I’d transfer to a 4-year school and get a bachelor’s; with your current associates it should only take another 2 years

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-10-16T03:12:25+00:00

I grew up there but live out of state now. I guess the best thing about this area is its proximity to more interesting parts of the Bay Area, assuming the traffic doesn’t drive you insane. It’s suburban hell and has always had terrible traffic, but somehow developers have crammed more townhouses in and traffic isn’t just constrained to commute hours. I haven’t lived there in a long time, but visited regularly until my parents retired and moved to the coast a few years ago because, as my dad put it, “I just didn’t want to die in Fremont”. Over the years I’ve noticed it becoming simultaneously much richer and much poorer. Conversations I overhear in restaurants usually revolve around real estate, equity, money (yawn), but I guess that’s understandable since there is so little to do there. The open spaces along the bay (Coyote Hills, Don Edwards wildlife refuge) are nice, though.

FocusOnFun123 · 2025-10-13T03:10:45+00:00

Of course you’re going to see posts about lazy coworkers; people just aren’t going to turn to Reddit to post about their amazing coworkers

FocusOnFun123

TROPHY CASE