All areas of the state should be in some stage of tent caterpillar activity. They have been active in eastern counties for several weeks. In the Piedmont they seem to be in the crawling/dispersing phase. Personal observation is that there are many fewer webs this spring than in years past. These hairy caterpillars can make a cherry or crabapple tree look a little ugly, but most trees seem to recover and re-foliate. Unless trees are taller than 15 feet or you have dozens to deal with, a long stick or pole can be used to destroy the web masses quite effectively. Resist the temptation to burn them! See Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 61 (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note61/note61.html) for more information.
From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist
Monday, April 19, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Alternative Ag Classes
Below is a link to a website, from Dr. Jeanine Davis, which list upcoming alternative agriculture classes, workshops and events.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/events/specialtyhort-events-calendar.html
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/events/specialtyhort-events-calendar.html
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Grape Pruning Workshop
North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Mitchell County Center will be holding a Grape Pruning Workshop on Thursday February 25, at 4:00 p.m. The workshop will be held at the Extension Center in Bakersville. Topics for the training will include pruning timing, training and trellising of grapes, and proper equipment. Weather permitting we will go outside and do some hands on pruning. To register contact the Mitchell County Extension Center at 828-688-4811.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Evaluating Storm Damaged Trees and Shrubs
What do you do with trees and shrubs that have been damaged by recent shrubs or that could be damaged before winter is over? The first thing to do is not automatically go and get the chainsaw and start cutting everything down.
The first thing to do is to take care of trees or limbs that may pose a hazard to life or property. Then you can remove debris and start work on removing damaged limbs and maybe even the entire tree. How do you know which trees to remove? Begin by evaluating the tree. The following are a few steps to determining if a tree should be removed or not.
- Is the tree healthy and vigorous other than the storm damage? If the tree is basically healthy, not creating a hazard and did not suffer major structural damage it should recover.
- Are major limbs broken? The larger the broken limb is the harder it will be for it to recover. If the majority of the branches are gone the tree probably should be removed.
- Has the leader been lost? The tree can live without the leader, but it will be deformed and stunted.
- Is at least 50% of the tree’s crown (branches) still intact? A tree with less than half of its branches remaining may not be able to produce enough foliage to nourish the tree through the coming growing season.
- Are there remaining branches that can form a new branch structure? The limbs that are left will grow more vigorously as the tree tries to heal itself. Check to see if the branches are in place that can fill in the holes left by broken limbs.
- How large are the wounds from broken branches? The larger the wound is the less likely that it will heal. If the wound is small compared to the size of the branch it should heal over in a couple of years.
After evaluating the tree it is decision time. Should the tree be left? Yes, if the damage is light, the tree was healthy and vigorous before, there are ample branches to replace the broken ones and keep the trees form, if the tree is young, still has a central leader and good branch structure. No, if more than 50% of the crown is lost, the tree lost the central leader, the tree is posing a risk, or the tree is old, diseased or dying from some other cause.
If you are not sure what to do and if the tree does not propose a risk or hazard then wait and see how it responds during the growing season. Remove any damaged limbs, and see what happens. Avoid allowing untrained individuals to talk you into cutting back all of the branches in an effort to avoid breakage in future storms. This method of “topping” causes many weakly attached branches to grow back from the stubs and these will tend to break out when the next storm strikes.
Information for this article was taken from the University of Missouri Extension publication, “First Aid for Storm-Damaged Trees.”
The first thing to do is to take care of trees or limbs that may pose a hazard to life or property. Then you can remove debris and start work on removing damaged limbs and maybe even the entire tree. How do you know which trees to remove? Begin by evaluating the tree. The following are a few steps to determining if a tree should be removed or not.
- Is the tree healthy and vigorous other than the storm damage? If the tree is basically healthy, not creating a hazard and did not suffer major structural damage it should recover.
- Are major limbs broken? The larger the broken limb is the harder it will be for it to recover. If the majority of the branches are gone the tree probably should be removed.
- Has the leader been lost? The tree can live without the leader, but it will be deformed and stunted.
- Is at least 50% of the tree’s crown (branches) still intact? A tree with less than half of its branches remaining may not be able to produce enough foliage to nourish the tree through the coming growing season.
- Are there remaining branches that can form a new branch structure? The limbs that are left will grow more vigorously as the tree tries to heal itself. Check to see if the branches are in place that can fill in the holes left by broken limbs.
- How large are the wounds from broken branches? The larger the wound is the less likely that it will heal. If the wound is small compared to the size of the branch it should heal over in a couple of years.
After evaluating the tree it is decision time. Should the tree be left? Yes, if the damage is light, the tree was healthy and vigorous before, there are ample branches to replace the broken ones and keep the trees form, if the tree is young, still has a central leader and good branch structure. No, if more than 50% of the crown is lost, the tree lost the central leader, the tree is posing a risk, or the tree is old, diseased or dying from some other cause.
If you are not sure what to do and if the tree does not propose a risk or hazard then wait and see how it responds during the growing season. Remove any damaged limbs, and see what happens. Avoid allowing untrained individuals to talk you into cutting back all of the branches in an effort to avoid breakage in future storms. This method of “topping” causes many weakly attached branches to grow back from the stubs and these will tend to break out when the next storm strikes.
Information for this article was taken from the University of Missouri Extension publication, “First Aid for Storm-Damaged Trees.”
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Agri-tourism Workshop
Jan. 28—The Business Side of Agritourism Workshop Lake Logan Episcopal Center, Waynesville
Agritourism is an exciting new enterprise. Increasingly, consumers are interested in visiting farms, learning about farm life and purchasing products directly from the farm. From hayrides, barnyard animals and corn mazes to pick-your-own and roadside stands featuring fresh fruit, vegetables, Christmas trees and value-added products to bird watching, fishing, hunting and camping—let your imagination take you and your customers to a field of dreams. To help you, NC Cooperative Extension Agri-cultural Agents have developed a one-day workshop for farmers interested in learning more about The Business Side of Agritourism. Registration fee for the workshop is $35. To register, contact the Mitchell County Extension Center by January 22 at 688-4811.
Agritourism is an exciting new enterprise. Increasingly, consumers are interested in visiting farms, learning about farm life and purchasing products directly from the farm. From hayrides, barnyard animals and corn mazes to pick-your-own and roadside stands featuring fresh fruit, vegetables, Christmas trees and value-added products to bird watching, fishing, hunting and camping—let your imagination take you and your customers to a field of dreams. To help you, NC Cooperative Extension Agri-cultural Agents have developed a one-day workshop for farmers interested in learning more about The Business Side of Agritourism. Registration fee for the workshop is $35. To register, contact the Mitchell County Extension Center by January 22 at 688-4811.
Starting Transplants from Seed
Mitchell County Rural Living Workshops Each 4th Thursday—4:00 p.m. January-December
The Mitchell County Center of NC Cooperative Extension will be offering a monthly series of workshops for homeowners and farmers that can help them to cut their cost of living expenses by becoming more self-sustaining. January's program will be on starting vegetable and flower transplants from seed.
The Mitchell County Center of NC Cooperative Extension will be offering a monthly series of workshops for homeowners and farmers that can help them to cut their cost of living expenses by becoming more self-sustaining. January's program will be on starting vegetable and flower transplants from seed.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Cool Weather Brings on Lady Bugs
First, an update on what's new about the lady beetles - absolutely nothing.
The beetles do not lay eggs in the walls and they are not reproducing indoors which is what some people claim causes the large numbers of beetles seen. Most of those stories
come from people who think that the lady beetles hatching from eggs look just like the ones you see. Lady beetle larvae (immatures) bear no resemblance to the adults and these larvae form pupa which subsequently transforms into the adult (not to be confused with the Transformers in the movie).
We still don't have the magic bullet insecticide that will be durable enough
to keep lady beetles from finding some entry points. Even if we had a
chemical that might work, there's still the issue of covering all critical areas
on the house. Seriously, the last thing we need are people blasting away
at their house with their garden hose sprayer and raining chemical down
on themselves, their deck, kids and pets.
People googling for lady beetles (not the same as bobbing for apples) will
see reports of studies showing camphor or other chemicals repelling lady
beetles. Yup... these chemicals will repel them in laboratory studies.
So, if you live in a laboratory, you can manage the beetles. Let's
think practical for a second - even if the camphor did repel the beetles:
a) Where do you place it? in every wall voids, b) How would you apply it?
The question has come up about lady beetles biting. There have been
reports that the beetles periodically 'nip' when landing on someone. This
is different from the people on airline flights who have several nips *before*
landing. We don't have any practical advice on avoiding/preventing these
"casual encounters" (maybe, bite back??)
We still recommend the tried-and-true method of vacuuming up wayward
beetles indoors, although this recommendation rarely appeases those irate
callers who then make rude, socially unacceptable and physically impossible
suggestions as to what you can do with vacuum cleaner bags full of beetles.
One potential problem with vacuuming up the beetles is the odor from the
accumulating dead and/or squished beetles inside the vacuum cleaner bags,
particularly if the bags are not changed frequently. This can actually be an
issue for people who do become sensitized to the beetles and might develop
allergic reactions. You can suggest that they insert a knee-high stocking into
the vacuum's extension hose and then secured it with a rubber band before
putting the attachment back on. This allows you to trap the beetles inside
the stocking, which then conveniently closes up at the end with the rubber
band when you remove it. You can also simply tie a knot in the end of the
stocking. You then have a few options. Some people have tried keeping
the beetles in the refrigerator over the winter and then release them into
their gardens in the following spring. Unfortunately, many (likely most) of
the beetles will not survive this long winter's nap in your refrigerator.
The other choice is to freeze them and just discard them. Many people
are not inclined to put insects in their freezers but they simply toss the
beetles back outdoors, some many very simply find their way back in.
Of course, we also give the usual suggestion of getting a bucket of caulk
and sealing every possible opening through which the beetles can enter.
In many cases, this will often generate the same suggestion to you that was
made about the vacuum cleaner bag full of beetles.
The bottom line is that the beetle invasion can be minor and "An Inconvenient
Truth", but at times the numbers can reach thousands and can become
more than a simple irritation to your nerves to a real irritation to your
respiratory system and serve as an asthma trigger. So, while we make
jokes about this situation, it can become a real issue for which we simply
have no good solutions.
Our information about lady beetles can be found at:
http://insects.ncsu.edu/harmonia.htm
Information from Michael Waldvogel, Extension Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
The beetles do not lay eggs in the walls and they are not reproducing indoors which is what some people claim causes the large numbers of beetles seen. Most of those stories
come from people who think that the lady beetles hatching from eggs look just like the ones you see. Lady beetle larvae (immatures) bear no resemblance to the adults and these larvae form pupa which subsequently transforms into the adult (not to be confused with the Transformers in the movie).
We still don't have the magic bullet insecticide that will be durable enough
to keep lady beetles from finding some entry points. Even if we had a
chemical that might work, there's still the issue of covering all critical areas
on the house. Seriously, the last thing we need are people blasting away
at their house with their garden hose sprayer and raining chemical down
on themselves, their deck, kids and pets.
People googling for lady beetles (not the same as bobbing for apples) will
see reports of studies showing camphor or other chemicals repelling lady
beetles. Yup... these chemicals will repel them in laboratory studies.
So, if you live in a laboratory, you can manage the beetles. Let's
think practical for a second - even if the camphor did repel the beetles:
a) Where do you place it? in every wall voids, b) How would you apply it?
The question has come up about lady beetles biting. There have been
reports that the beetles periodically 'nip' when landing on someone. This
is different from the people on airline flights who have several nips *before*
landing. We don't have any practical advice on avoiding/preventing these
"casual encounters" (maybe, bite back??)
We still recommend the tried-and-true method of vacuuming up wayward
beetles indoors, although this recommendation rarely appeases those irate
callers who then make rude, socially unacceptable and physically impossible
suggestions as to what you can do with vacuum cleaner bags full of beetles.
One potential problem with vacuuming up the beetles is the odor from the
accumulating dead and/or squished beetles inside the vacuum cleaner bags,
particularly if the bags are not changed frequently. This can actually be an
issue for people who do become sensitized to the beetles and might develop
allergic reactions. You can suggest that they insert a knee-high stocking into
the vacuum's extension hose and then secured it with a rubber band before
putting the attachment back on. This allows you to trap the beetles inside
the stocking, which then conveniently closes up at the end with the rubber
band when you remove it. You can also simply tie a knot in the end of the
stocking. You then have a few options. Some people have tried keeping
the beetles in the refrigerator over the winter and then release them into
their gardens in the following spring. Unfortunately, many (likely most) of
the beetles will not survive this long winter's nap in your refrigerator.
The other choice is to freeze them and just discard them. Many people
are not inclined to put insects in their freezers but they simply toss the
beetles back outdoors, some many very simply find their way back in.
Of course, we also give the usual suggestion of getting a bucket of caulk
and sealing every possible opening through which the beetles can enter.
In many cases, this will often generate the same suggestion to you that was
made about the vacuum cleaner bag full of beetles.
The bottom line is that the beetle invasion can be minor and "An Inconvenient
Truth", but at times the numbers can reach thousands and can become
more than a simple irritation to your nerves to a real irritation to your
respiratory system and serve as an asthma trigger. So, while we make
jokes about this situation, it can become a real issue for which we simply
have no good solutions.
Our information about lady beetles can be found at:
http://insects.ncsu.edu/harmonia.htm
Information from Michael Waldvogel, Extension Associate Professor and Extension Specialist
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