Beth has a question for the collective mind of Frederick Maryland Online:
What are the purple boxes hanging in trees around the area? There is one on Rt 40 going west (past the Golden Mile before Gambrill Park Rd), I saw another downtown and then another one on 355 south right before the bridge.
I have no idea. Anyone out there know? Answer in the comments.
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http://loudounextra.washingtonpost.com/blogs/living-loco/2009/jun/02/mystery-purple-boxes-answered/
“The purple boxes are for trapping insects, specifically the Emerald Ash Borer, an invasive green beetle from Asia that is rapidly destroying ash trees in a number of states from Michigan to Virginia. “
Thank you! I drive by one everyday and I was very curious! I appreciate the response.
Thanks. I was wondering what the boxes were myself. I saw that they were catching bugs, but I was not sure of the purpose. It makes sense now because I have seen the boxes mostly in Ash trees.
They’re all over the place. I’ve seen them from Gaithersburg all the way out to West Va.
Different type of object but same sort of question I’ve been wondering about: In the weigh station area of 270 near the Hyattstown exit, both north and southbound, poles were erected in the last few months that overhang the roadbed and suspend some sort of small gizmos above both lanes. What with the speeder-catching cameras being erected in Montgomery Co., that sort of thing was the first thought that occurred to me. But it may be something else entirely…sure hasn’t affected the speed of traffic traveling through there. Anybody know?
I think the boxes by the weight stations are supposed to be a way to do the weight while the truck is still moving. When we were in NC they were experimenting with it. I’m not sure how it works, but they are always by the weight stations.
According to my truckdriving boyfriend, who pointed them out to me yesterday while out on the bike: The first one you see heading towards the scale house it the height detector for trucks. The second one as you get closer to the scale house is a PREPASS reader. Its kinda like an EZ Pass for trucks for the scale house. We have also noticed new cameras as well.
Thanks for the reply. I had suspected it could just be something related to the truck/weigh station operation.
Clarification on the PRE PASS fixtures:
One of my drivers picked up the paperwork today while being inspected by the troopers at the weigh station; the first fixture across the highway electonically identifies your truck and at some stations, there will be a weight sensor in the highway. This will also verify your truck creds with the weigh station computer. The second fixture will light up green to let you by pass the weigh station if your creds are accepted and in some cases your truck weight is acceptable. The light will turn red to notify the driver that he must go thru the scale house if his creds don’t register or if his weight is questionable. The last sensor on the highway outside the weigh station is to validate the PRE PASS bypass if the truck is given a bypass (Not having to pull into the scale house) Apologize for the lengthy explanation but this would be a great thing for companies that have trucks running up and down 270 & 70 and have to stop when they only have minimal weight on their trucks.
for even more information regarding those omnipresent purple boxes, visit: http://www.hgic.umd.edu/content/emeraldAshBorer.cfm