Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

Late-summer gardening needs your time and effort. Supplied

The tricky part of gardening is understanding how the seasons change and the demands for your attention change also.

This is late summer and here is what you need to know about late-summer gardening:

Lawn:Days are shorter, evening cooler. This is ideal for grass. The next five to six weeks is the best time of year to sow a new lawn or thicken an old one. The weather works in favour of seed germination and root development, which is also good for growing sod.

Prepare the area with three to five cm of lawn soil or triple mix. Broadcast quality grass seed over the area, rake it smooth and step on it to firm the seed into the soil. Water well. Keep it reasonably wet until germination, which should occur in 10 days to two weeks. Fertilize later this fall.

Veggies:Get weeds under control. A tomato plant does not enjoy competing with deeply rooted weeds for water, soil-borne nutrients and sunlight. No matter what food crop you grow, make sure the garden is as weed-free as possible.

Water. If we run into a prolonged dry spell, where less than two cm of rain falls in a week, water veggies deeply but infrequently. We never water more than once a week. Drying soil drives plant roots deeper, making them more drought-resistant. This is true for flowering perennials also. Avoid watering tomato plants now as the blight is lurking and will be promoted by wet foliage.

Herbs. Allow to dry more deeply than vegetables. Water only once every two weeks in a drought. Exception: basil. Water weekly.

Mulch. This is a good time of year to apply a layer of cedar bark mulch, clean straw or even several layers of newspaper to insulate the soil from weeds and the drying effects of the sun. Your mulch will break down over time, adding organic nutrients to the soil.

Harvest. Pick before the vegetables mature into seed-producing machines. Remember that a pea plant is not programmed to produce food for humans: it is programmed to produce seeds for reproduction. This is true for all plants, including tomatoes, peppers, and the like. Pick, eat and be healthy. And keep picking.

Perennials. Many of your flowering perennials have finished flowering. Cut the finished flower stem off now as many will bloom again later in the season. This works well for veronica, salvia and delphiniums. Many perennials will produce flowers in September through November. Plant garden mums, asters, hydrangeas, rose of Sharon, sedum, perennial hibiscus and even the native goldenrod now.

A special note on golden rod, which was considered a weed not long ago: Experts like Doug Tallamy, who wrote the book Natures Best Hope, tells us that goldenrod is one of the most successful perennial plants for attracting pollinators and insects that are favoured by foraging songbirds. The pollen, by the way, is sticky and therefore does not contribute to the airborne pollen that causes humans to sneeze.

Whether you know a lot or a little, the benefits of gardening are always huge and a bit more knowledge goes a long way.

Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author, broadcaster, tree advocate and a Member of the Order of Canada. His son Ben is a fourth-generation urban gardener and graduate of the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Halifax. Follow them at markcullen.com, @markcullengardening, and on Facebook.

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The Cullens: What you need to know about late-summer gardening - The Beacon Herald

Larry Ukestad first set eyes on iconic Washington Field as a grade-schooler in the 1950s.

Having sisters who attended high school at Fargo Shanley, Ukestad can recall tagging along to Jamestown to watch their boyfriends battle the Blue Jays on their home turf next to the James River. Turf in which the future JHS football coach would recruit his players to help replace in 1973, part of a renovation project that utilized donated sod from an open field near Spiritwood Lake leading up the fields rededication in honor of JHS coaching legend Ernie Gates.

Gates and the Jays hosted state title games at Washington Field in both 1941 and 54 -- falling 6-2 to Minot in 41 and 20-7 to Shanley in 54. The Jays were again slated to host the states largest prep football game at their beloved field in 56 before cold November weather canceled the contest versus Fargo Central resulting in co-championship honors for both schools.

JHS and its storied coach first reigned supreme 1933, defeating Fargo 12-6 on the field at Moorhead State Teachers College.

Ernie, he would dress 90 kids, Ukestad said. I never thought they would ever quit coming out of that old shed.

I thought, My God, that is really something.

Ernie Gates Field, bearing its new name over the past 47 seasons and home to the Blue Jays since 1928, according to newspaper reports, is slated for retirement in 2021. JHS is scheduled to shift its home games to the University of Jamestown campus and Taylor Stadium next fall, the culmination of an $11 million joint capital project between the Jamestown Public School District and UJ to renovate the 86-year-old college stadium.

Its the end of an era, Ukestad said. But I think its definitely something that needed to be done for the community and I think itll work out.

Ukestad guided the Blue Jays to its first of exactly 100 victories -- and counting -- at Ernie Gates Field since the 1973 rededication: a 13-8 victory over Fargo South on Sept. 21, 1973.

Jamestowns Doug Hogan took the handoff from Kim Stiefel on a reverse punt return, received a key block from Mike Fisher, and scampered 65 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the second half.

Ukestad, who coached the Jays from 1970-79, said his players mostly make up his memories of Gates Field, like when Paul Monson, Dean Richardson and Miles Pederson turned into the offensive stars hosting South again on Sept. 16, 1977.

After putting up just 68 yards of offense in a scoreless first half, JHS offensive coordinator Joe Kroeber reportedly delivered a fiery speech in the old shed locker room -- mostly referred to as The Shack -- located at the southeast corner of the field. Jamestown surprised the Bruins, rolling to a 14-0 win with Pederson scoring on the ground from 25 yards in the third quarter and quarterback Monson finding Richardson for a score through the air in the fourth.

The kids are the memory I have, said Ukestad, who in 71 led the Jays to an 8-1 record and a share of the East Region title with future NFL player Doug Beaudoin in uniform. Some were great athletes, but they were all good kids and you always want that.

Former JHS head football coach Larry Ukestad is photographed at Ernie Gates Field on Aug. 10, 2020. John M. Steiner / The Sun

Gates Field would witness a harrowing 8-7 victory over Fargo Shanley in the snow with JHS coach Dudley Butts at the helm on Oct. 23, 1980. Tim Jakowskis successful two-point conversion pass to Mark Goehner in the fourth quarter made the difference, and in 1984 Blue Jay quarterback Jim Roaldson led a 12-6 homecoming victory over Wahpeton by completing a pair of first-half touchdown passes.

Jamestown went 4-1 at home in 80, its best record in the Gates Field era up until new head coach Bill Nold and the Jays duplicated the feat in 1986, part of Jamestowns first winning season since 77 at 5-4 overall.

Jamestown ended Nolds first year as head coach at Gates, defeating West Fargo 16-14 on Oct. 24.

I never heard anyone say it wasnt a great place to watch a game, Nold said. Gates Field is unique in that theres not a track around it. The grandstands are right on top of the field and thats good and bad.

A senior running back for Wahpeton in 72, Nold was reminded early of Gates -- then Washingtons -- close fans and intimate sidelines. On Oct. 27 of that year, the future Jamestown Jimmie rolled up more than 250 total yards while intercepting a pass defensively and accounting for five touchdowns in coach Ray Kuklenskis power sweep offense, as Wahpeton defeated Jamestown 43-14.

But there was another part to Nolds big day.

They used to have tin yard markers attached to the bleachers and I can remember smashing into one of those, said Nold, whose Wahpeton team also ended Jamestowns 71 season with its only loss to split the conference crown. There wasnt a lot of room on the sidelines but it was great for the spectators. There were times when you couldnt hear yourself think between the students being loud and the adult fans.

Itll be something else not to have it there anymore.

Nold essentially oversaw the golden years at Gates Field. From 1990-94, Nolds teams played to an impressive 21-5 record at home, including a 5-1 playoff mark and a perfect 6-0 homestand in 1991.

JHS' Casey Carr (86), Jon Sjomstrom (62), Tim Fletcher (42) and Sean Fredricks (44) surround a Red River ball-carrier during the Jays' 21-0 Class A state semifinal playoff win over the Roughriders at Ernie Gates Field on Nov. 5, 1991. Sun File Photo

Arguably one of the biggest games held at Gates since the 54 title game was the 91 Class A state semifinal played between Jamestown and Grand Forks Red River. In the snow and ice on Nov. 5, the Blue Jays won 21-0 with Sean Fredricks and Tim Fletcher combining for 108 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

Cornerback Darin Erstad also recovered an early Red River fumble.

One of my biggest memories was just how doggone cold it was, and I kinda chuckled because Red River was on the east side where the visitors still stand, said Nold, whose Jays ultimately fell to Bismarck St. Marys 21-7 in the state championship game Nov. 9 on a muddy Hughes Field in Bismarck. I remember the northwest breeze in their face the whole game and their big fullback (Mark Murdock) slipping and falling multiple times trying to take handoffs.

The old frozen field was a good thing that year.

The spectrum flipped to hot in 94, the year Jamestown kicked off the postseason on fire -- literally.

Apparently touched off by a crockpot used for melting mouthguards, the current Ernie Gates locker room built in the early 80s to replace The Shack sustained serious damage on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 28, ruining player equipment and delaying that afternoons state playoff quarterfinal between Jamestown and Mandan to Tuesday, Nov. 1.

Former JHS football coach Bill Nold holds burned equipment following the locker room fire at Ernie Gates Field on Oct. 28, 1994. Sun File Photo

Wearing the orange helmets of Jamestown College, the Blue Jays defeated the Braves 14-0 at Ernie Gates before falling to Bismarck St. Marys in the Class A title tilt at the Fargodome later that month.

We were scrambling to find anything that wasnt smoked out, Nold said. Fortunately back in those days, the kids would always take their game stuff home. So game uniforms -- jerseys and pants -- were OK. Everything else was not usable anymore.

Nold, like Ukestad later served as JHS principal, sees the benefit of a shared facility with the local university. After all, the Blue Jays and the Jimmies could be found sharing Washington Field prior to the 1934 construction of Taylor Stadium.

On Nov. 3, 1933 -- the same year JHS won its first state championship -- the main sports headline in the Jamestown Sun read: Cassells Jimmies Down Valley City 42 To 0.

That drubbing of the Vikings occurred at what is now called Ernie Gates Field.

Having a beautiful game field is great, and weve had that in Jamestown at the high school and the university for as long as Ive been around, said Nold, who in 1978 graduated from then Jamestown College. But we spend a day on that game field every week, or every two weeks when were playing on the road.

The thing that I really look at is to make sure we can upgrade and do a good job with our practice facilities. Thats an important consideration for the athletes and their athletic health.

Three more head coaches -- Bill Cahill, Tim Fletcher and current coach Bill Nelson -- and two more Gates Field playoff wins have followed Nold and the 94 Blue Jays.

Cahill directed the Jays past Bismarck 15-14 in the opening round of the Class AAA state playoffs here in 1999. Darin Gerlach churned out 149 yards and two scores on 13 carries in the game, breaking off a 78-yard scoring run in the third quarter, as Jamestown erased a 14-0 deficit at the half.

Nelson, entering his sixth season as coach, and the Blue Jays blanked Devils Lake 20-0 at Gates Field in the state AA quarterfinals on Oct. 27, 2018. Current University of Jamestown freshman Jeremy Williams faked a reverse on the opening kick, took the play 90 yards to the house and the Jays never looked back.

Jamestowns Jeremy Williams (10) returns the opening kickoff for a touchdown behind teammate Aaron Mack (47) in the Class AA state quarterfinal playoffs held at Ernie Gates Field on Oct. 27, 2018. The Jays defeated Devils Lake 20-0. Sun File Photo

All told, Jamestown is 100-118 overall and 7-4 in the playoffs at home since Washington Field became Ernie Gates Field 47 years ago. Nelson has directed 10 of those wins and said saying goodbye will be difficult.

Jamestowns final home game is scheduled for Oct. 15 against Bismarck High.

Getting emotional thinking about it, Nelson said Aug. 11 inside the locker room at Ernie Gates. A lot of people -- a lot of blue and white -- have walked in and out of that door.

Nelsons favorite memory of the historic field to date helped lighten the mood.

Having first latched on as a volunteer assistant under Cahill 18 years ago, Nelson wound up in charge of videotaping games early in his coaching career. The date was Oct. 11, 2002, the Jays were hosting Minot in a driving rainstorm with local broadcaster Mark McKenzie and former coach Nold calling the game on the radio from the press box.

Im right over their shoulders and I can hear them talking. Coach Nold, do you smell something burning? Nelson recalled. They had a space heater down below and of course Im in shorts. Coach Nelson, your legs are on fire!

Here that thing was singing the hair off my legs and I was so into the game I had no idea it was even happening.

JHS head football coach Bill Nelson is photographed at Ernie Gates Field on Aug. 10, 2020. John M. Steiner / The Sun

Jamestowns Casey Conway and Nick Tews combined to rush for 203 yards out of the split-back veer in a 24-14 victory over the Magicians, whod later fall to West Fargo in the Class AAA state title game. Jamestown has only defeated Minot twice since 1998.

You remember the kids, said Nelson, echoing Ukestad. I can name almost every senior that year. You dont forget the names and the faces, and now weve got kids coming back and theyre rising families.

Jamestown Public Schools has committed $2 million to the Taylor Stadium renovation project, which also includes the construction of a turf practice field and locker rooms at the high school.

Nold said he had always envisioned a JHS football stadium at the current high school, which was opened in 2004. But in 2018 a proposed $34.4 million Jamestown Public Schools referendum that wouldve included $7.5 million for a new athletic complex failed with voters.

The Taylor Stadium rebuild, which will include adding lights and replacing its existing grass field with turf, is scheduled to begin this fall in preparation for the 2021 season. Jamestown and Fargo Davies are the only Class AAA schools still playing on grass football fields.

We need a turf field in this town, but we werent gonna get it without going together with somebody at Jamestown College, Ukestad said.

But Gates Field will certainly never be forgotten.

Jamestown's Grant Geiszler runs the ball wearing a Jamestown College orange helmet at Ernie Gates Field on Nov. 1, 1994. The Jays defeated Mandan 14-0 in the Class A state quarterfinal playoffs. Sun File Photo

It took me awhile to figure it out, but this is a special place, Nelson said. We did a lot of things to make this place home. Were still gonna have our own locker room when we go play at Taylor Stadium, and thats going to be a whole new special thing because were probably going to be the first team to play under the lights over there.

Coach Ernie Gates retired in 1965 and passed away at age 74 in February of 78. His obituary in the Bismarck Tribune credited him as having won three state championships with the Blue Jays when four can be argued.

After running the table and defeating Fargo in 33, Jamestown again went unbeaten in 37 and tied Fargo 6-6 on the road in the final contest of the season. Prior to the cancellation of the 56 title game in Jamestown, the 45 season came down to Jamestown and Williston in the West and Grand Forks and Fargo in the East when winter forced the seasons closure.

Nobody can say how the 56 title game wouldve actually ended had it took place at Washington Field. But its easy to imagine how it wouldve looked.

The crisp November air, fans packed snug to the sidelines, and 90 of Gates blue and white running out onto the field.

Its gonna be missed, man, Nelson said. All good things must come to an end, but theres always bright, new beginnings.

JHS' Page Klostreich (32) fights for yards behind a Paul Kaiser (40) block during the Jays' 16-14 victory over West Fargo at Ernie Gates Field to close the 1986 season. It was Jamestown's first winning season (5-4) since 1977 and was directed by first-year head coach Bill Nold. Sun File Photo

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FLY'N THE NEST: Thrilling wins, bitter defeats and a fire, Ernie Gates served Blue Jays well - Jamestown Sun

McKnights Long-Term Care News and McKnights Senior Living will delve more deeply into the impact of COVID-19 on providers operations during its Online Forum on Thursday, Sept. 10. And attendees can receive continuing education credits for listening to each webinar.

Two sessions during McKnights Online Forum VII will examine different facets of senior living and care during this period. First is a session on telehealth. Telehealth and Care Collaboration: Unlocking New Possibilities for Virtual Care and Care Coordination will take place at 10:30 a.m. ET. Speakers are Colin Banas, M.D., vice president of clinical product solutions for DrFirst; Petros Karamanlakis, M.D., chief medical informatics officer of health information services for Northwell Health and a member of the Department of Hospital Medicine at Huntington Hospital; and Steven Maly, APRN, a medical informaticist.

Next is a webinar on pest control. Adapting Your Pest Management Services During COVID-19 will start at noon ET. The speaker is Glen Ramsey, senior technical services manager for Orkin.

Learn more and register here.

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Upcoming 'McKnight's' Online Forum to examine impact of COVID-19 on telehealth, pest control - Events - McKnight's Long Term Care News

Holes found in baby food packaging was likely due to mice, according to officials in New Zealand.

Initial investigations also looked at the possibility of a manufacturing fault and involved New Zealand Police to ensure the damage was not caused deliberately.

Supermarket chain Woolworths NZ recalled squeezable baby food pouches from stores nationwide after holes were found in about 30 packets in its Auckland and Napier supermarkets.

The individual pouches of baby food with damaged packaging were found across six supermarkets in Auckland, and one in Napier. All these products have been removed from shelves. Woolworths New Zealand has also checked all baby food in their stores and distribution centers across the country to ensure no damaged product is still on shelves.

Damage due to mice infestationThe move follows the discovery of a mice infestation at two of Woolworth NZs Auckland distribution centers.

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) reported no associated illness but advised anyone who had health concerns to seek medical advice.

Gary Orr, New Zealand Food Safety director of compliance, said: It now looks likely that the damage was caused by these mice infestations. However, we continue to work to rule out any other possible issues in the supply chain. In the meantime we are working with Woolworths NZ to ensure corrective actions are taken so that this doesnt happen again.

Product is being removed from Countdown, SuperValue and FreshChoice stores across the country.All dates, flavors and batches of Smiling Tums, Only Organics and Natureland brands sold at these stores are affected. None of these items were exported. Organics and Natureland are sold in 120-gram or 170-gram pouches. Smiling Tums comes in a 120-gram pouch.

Importance of pest controlOrr advised consumers who have any affected product to return it to retailers or throw it out.

Mice must be kept away from food because they can contaminate the food and packaging with harmful microbes from their saliva, urine and droppings. Any food contamination is serious, but for babies it can be particularly significant, so we ask that parents check every squeezable baby food pouch in their home to ensure it is not affected by the recall, he said.

Parents should routinely check baby food pouches for damage even if they are not affected by the recall, according to Orr.

You can do this by giving the packet a light squeeze to identify any holes or other damage. Of course, any product with any damaged packaging should not be consumed. Damage to packaging does occur from time to time as part of the process of manufacturing and distributing food, he said.

In all the damaged product found, the holes were prominent and easy to see without squeezing, according to officials.

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News,click here.)

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Packs of baby food damaged by mice leads to recall in New Zealand - Food Safety News

This is the second in a multi-part series

We are continuing on our integrated pest management journey this week with a discussion of mechanical and biological controls for home landscapes.

Mechanical control is the simple act of physically removing the problem from your landscape with the use of tools such as mowers, shovels, or your own two hands.

If you have limited mobility, there are many ergonomically designed tools available that will help make weed removal very easy.

Mechanical control is certainly more labor intensive than using herbicides; however, repeatedly hand-pulling weeds will often stress them to the point that they will no longer grow, or will get out-competed by other desirable plants.

For weed control in landscape beds, cardboard is an excellent, low-cost option you can put down before you mulch an area. It also has the added benefit of being compostable and can be laid each time you re-mulch landscape or vegetable beds.

I do get questions about landscape fabrics, and I would recommend avoiding those if at all possible for long-term weed control.

A main drawback for fabrics or plastic mulches is that they only block annual weed seeds already present in the soil; they do a poor job at controlling perennial weeds and, assuming you add some type of mulch or compost over the fabric, new annual weed seeds will have a perfect environment on which to grow in just a years time.

A better option is to apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch, which, in addition to cardboard, provides an excellent, biodegradable weed control option each year.

Coarse bark mulches are well-suited for weed control and, fun fact, hardwood mulches can help adjust soil pH slowly over time, which can be immensely helpful as we deal with our acidic mountain soils.

Destruction of old plant materials is a great form of mechanical control in vegetable or annual beds. By destroying left over plant materials, you will reduce the amount of habitat that pest insects like to lay their eggs in.

Tillage can be a great form of control for soil-dwelling insects like Japanese beetle grubs, as well as weed seeds. Exposing these pests to the soil surface will provide a bounty of food for many songbirds and other beneficial insects.

Remember too that cultural practices like crop rotation or cover crops can be used in conjunction with your mechanical controls and will provide even better control over weeds and insect pests.

Your yard is alive and teeming with an abundance of beneficial insects, many of which are predators or parasites of insect pests, and all of which rely on nectar and pollen as a part of their diet.

Providing a diversity of plants that flower at different times of the year is a great way to ensure that you have a sustainable population of beneficial insects each year. Insects like insidious flower bugs, big-eyed bugs, assassin bugs, and tiger beetles are just several of the beneficial insects you might find patrolling your garden throughout the season.

When selecting plants for pollinators, consider ones like cardinal flower, goldenrod, coneflower, joe-pye weed, crimson clover, and bee balm. These plants provide attractive additions to the landscape, but also serve as a year-round habitat for beneficial insects.

Thinking about what you want, doing some research ahead of time, and selecting plants more purposefully will give you a leg up in managing pests. Remember that you will have a greater population of beneficial insects if you choose perennial plants and plant in areas that receive little disturbance over time.

So far, we have discussed cultural, mechanical, and biological control options for pest management in home landscapes. By now, you can start to envision the type of system whereby you are using a variety of options to become more proactive about pest management.

Next time, I will cover chemical controls, including organic and traditional options for pest management.

To learn more about IPM, visit http://haywood.ces.ncsu.edu, where you can post your questions via the Ask an Expert link, or contact the Haywood County Extension office. For more information on home gardening in general, visit extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu.

Sam Marshall is the horticulture agent for the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Service.

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Learn to Grow: Try these ideas to manage garden pests - The Mountaineer

As devastating as the human toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been, it also has created myriad disruptions to life as we knew it, from remembering to bring a mask to keeping us cooped up at home with our families.

And, for many, with rats and mice.

The increase in rodent activity has been going on for a while, said pest-control experts, but the food supply has changed since Connecticut went into lockdown in March. No longer able to dine at the dumpster behind their favorite restaurants, the experts said, rats have been on the move, away from the closed businesses downtown and in the suburban shopping plazas and to the garbage cans behind our homes.

And we, tossing out more garbage because we're working and eating at home more often, are their new suppliers, experts say.

However, the changes wrought by COVID have only highlighted what has been occurring over the last few years: an explosion in wildlife populations generally, especially of rodents.

"It's absolutely mindboggling. This year is unprecedented. I've never seen anything like it," said Rocco Cambareri, co-owner with his wife, Jane, of Insecta X in Norwalk.

Normally, calls for rats and mice increase in late fall and winter, when the rodents are looking for warm places to hide out and any opening in your foundation is going to attract an intruder.

"Rats are rats. It's not like they hibernate," Cambareri said. "But you see more of them in the fall and winter because they need warmth."

But the increased rat sightings this spring and summer may have two COVID-related causes: less business at restaurants and more people noticing the rodents because they're at home more.

"There's a lot of restaurants where I live and it's right smack in the residential area," said Cambareri, who lives in Fairfield. "Then the residents are seeing more activity in their own yards."

Rodents have been moving "from the garbage dumpsters to the garbage cans in the residence," he said.

"I haven't been inundated with phone calls about rats," Cambareri said. "But I know for a fact that there's rats running around because of COVID."

To make sure they're not running around your house, he advised not leaving pet food or water outside -- rats need fluids -- be sure garbage cans are closed tightly and "look around your foundation. If you see a hole, get it patched up," he said. Garage doors, especially the rubber strip at the bottom, are also potential entryways. "A rat can chew through metal if it wants to. It can chew through concrete if it wants to," Cambareri said.

Mike Lipsett, owner of Connecticut Pest Elimination in Orange, said "the rodent population in Connecticut and here in New England has gone through the roof" for as much as the last seven or eight years.

"I have never ever seen the amount of rodent activity that we have right now," he said. "Fifty percent of the calls to our office right now is rodents, rodents, rodents."

Lipsett said people may be noticing more rats and mice simply because they're home more during the pandemic.

"Is it possible that there could be more rat or rodent calls because the average household has more trash because they're home and not going out? That's a possibility," he said.

Lipsett's message is: Be proactive to prevent pests from getting into your house in the first place.

"If you can control the perimeter you're going to reduce or eliminate what can get in there," he said. Bait boxes firmly anchored to the ground or heavily weighted are best to catch rats, he said. Bird feeders should be removed and overgrowth should be cleared, he said.

"If you don't bring the food source close it may help you in the long run," he said.

John Neary, owner of J. Neary Pest Control in Monroe, said he's had more calls for mice than for rats, but that "one of the theories" for the increase in rodent activity "is that because we're home more we're not going out to eat, there's more trash."

"The cleaner you can be, the faster you get rid of your waste, the better off you're going to be," he said.

John Curley, technical services manager for Precision Pest Control in Fairfield, also believes COVID-19 has changed the behavior of rats and other rodents.

"Our theory is because all these commercial properties are closed, offices are closed, restaurants are closed, we've definitely seen a higher-than-usual amount of residential ... mouse and rat activity," he said.

His company extends into lower Fairfield and Westchester counties.

Other reasons for the increases: "People being home more. They're also leaving doors open," Curley said. "They're producing more residential garbage, debris." Barbecue grills left uncleaned don't help, either.

"Residentially we are busier than we normally would be," he said.

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Experts: Connecticut has more rats; pandemic conditions send them to homes - theday.com

Ramesh Arora

PESTICIDES are toxic chemicals applied to crops for killing insect pests, plant pathogens and weeds. Less than one per cent of the more than one million identified species of insects are pests. Rather, a large number of insect species provide essential ecosystem services as plant pollinators, nutrient recyclers, trash burners, natural enemies of pests, and act as food for birds, fishes, amphibians, reptiles and small mammals, as components of food chains and food webs. Without these services, agriculture, forests and even human civilisation as a whole will notsurvive for long. Therefore, the pesticides need to be applied with utmost caution to minimise their adverse impact on humans, non-target organisms and the environment.

Rachel Carson, in her monumental book Silent Spring (1962), effectively focused the attention of the public, scientists and policy-makers on the consequences of the indiscriminate use of pesticides and prompted governments around the world to start regulating the use of pesticides.

In India, the Insecticides Act, 1968, regulates the manufacture, import, sale, and use of pesticides. Under the Act, the Government of India has over the years banned the production and use of 40 pesticides. The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare constituted an expert committee headed by Anupam Varma in 2013 to review the use of 66 pesticides, which were already banned or restricted in other countries. Based on the committees recommendations, followed by the regulators decision and its own decision on the subject, the ministry issued a draft order on May 14, 2020, banning 27 pesticides in the country. Stakeholders were given 45 days (later extended by another 45 days) to file their response to the draft order.

In view of the order, state agricultural universities (SAUs) are making efforts to replace the banned items with alternative pesticides in their recommendations for the farmers. This is not a desirable approach to integrated pest management (IPM). In Europe, when many chemical pesticides were banned by the European Food Safety Authority, most of these were replaced by the release of natural enemies for biological control of pests. In India also, there is a need to replace the banned chemical pesticides with non-chemical tactics, especially pest-resistant genotypes, cultural control practices and biological control, and shift crop protection steadily towards bio-intensive approaches. Ecosystem biodiversity in the form of inter-crops, trap crops, and plants in adjoining fields/non-cropped areas would help to keep populations of most pests at the sub-economic level. About 350 species of natural enemies (predators, entomopathogens) are commercially produced and utilised in crop management around the world. In India, only about a dozen such species are being mass-multiplied.

There is unlikely to be an adverse impact of the banning of 27 pesticides on agricultural production because safer alternatives are available in the market. But agricultural universities need to be more stringent while recommending new pesticides for crop protection. Data on the impact of new chemicals on all non-target organisms, especially pollinators, natural enemies, secondary pests and microbiota, must be generated for informed decisions on new recommendations.

In Punjab, the only significant challenge to replacing the banned pesticides appears to be herbicide pendimethalin, which is widely used as a pre-emergence treatment in direct-seeded rice and other crops. The cultural method of stale seed bed is useful and needs to be popularised among farmers as a component of integrated weed management (IWM). It helps to significantly lower the weed density in the field.

The banning of the 27 pesticides presents a golden opportunity to agricultural universities, state departments of agriculture and the farming community to take the big leap required towards bio-intensive IPM for environmentally safe crop protection. This can be a win-win situation for farmers and consumers, besides the environment.

The writer retired as SeniorEntomologist, PAU, Ludhiana

Originally posted here:
Lets do it the eco-friendly way - The Tribune India

Emerald ash borer has been confirmed again in Nebraska.

Confirmation doesnt necessarily mean treatments are in your near future. Find out what treatments entail and what makes trees good candidates for those treatments.

A quick review of what Emerald Ash Borer is and what it does:

Emerald ash borer is an invasive beetle that attacks and kills all species of ash (Fraxinus spp). It is a small, metallic-green beetle about 1/2 inch long. The larvae of this wood-boring insect tunnel under the bark of ash trees, disrupting the flow of water and nutrients, ultimately causing the tree to die.

EAB-infested ash trees will exhibit thinning or dying branches in the top of the tree, S-shaped larval galleries under bark, D-shaped exit holes and suckers or advantageous growth along the trunk and main branches. Trees can be preventively treated or removed prior to infection.

If treatments are selected, they need to be made at the right time, to the right tree, and the right proximity to your location. Once EAB has been confirmed within the 15-mile radius of your location, then you can begin the proper treatment applications on healthy trees.

Treatments are not always recommended for all trees; they must be good candidates for treatment. A tree that isnt a good candidate for treatment is one with a stem girdling root, a tree without a trunk flare, trunk damage or missing bark on the trunk, a tree with more than 50% canopy decline, trees with obvious signs of internal rot (holes with soft or squishy rotted wood) or trees with fungi growing directly out of the trunk (another sign of internal rot).

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Emerald ash borer back to infest trees in the state - Grand Island Independent

Biocontrol products must be used at the right stage of development in a pest and/or disease life cycle to maximize efficacy. Photo courtesy of Koppert Biological Systems

Biocontrol application mistakes add up in terms of lost time and money, not to mention crop losses due to ineffective control of the targeted pest. Many biocontrol products work great when used in accordance with the manufacturers direction. But when applied incorrectly, compromised efficacy and inadequate coverage can occur.

Here are three mistakes to avoid when applying your biocontrols.

1. Rigging Up Your Own DeviceThe equipment you choose to apply your biocontrols is critical to your success. Beware if you have plans to put your own dispersal system together. You may harm or stress the insects you are trying to disperse, compromising their performance.

Although growers are very creative in rigging up their own systems, they often skip the step of making sure that the insects are not compromised in the process, says Danny El-Aaidi, Sales Manager for Koppert Biological Systems. This is especially relevant when any type of force, suction, or pressure is used to disperse the biocontrol. Rig up your own dispersal system, and you run the risk of harming the insects youre trying to disperse. In addition, certain insects are just more sensitive than others, and you need to know which ones fall into that category.

2. Timing Your Applications WrongTiming is everything. Biocontrol products must be used at the right stage of development in a pest and/or disease life cycle and during the right environmental conditions in the field to maximize efficacy.

Many biocontrol products are live organisms and require time to populate at levels in or on the target pest to deliver the best efficacy. Depending upon the biocontrol product, this can take a few minutes or up to 72 hours for control to be realized, says Mike Allan, Certis USA Vice President, North America.

Allan adds that understanding the mode of action and how, when, and where biocontrols should be applied is essential to maximize success from a biocontrol application.

3. Mixing Product InadequatelyMake sure the dispersal product you use for biocontrol application has the proper agitation capabilities to keep a product mixed well, or you will get uneven introduction. Also, nematodes and other microorganisms applied in water require oxygen to survive. You must take precautions with stock and tank solutions to provide adequate aeration during the application process. And dont forget about tank mix compatibility. Not all biocontrols can be tank mixed, so its prudent to familiarize yourself with the compatibility information for the specific products you plan to use.

Precision Biocontrol Application Via Sensor Technology on the Horizon

Biocontrol application devices have progressed from traditional hand-dispersal methods to simple handheld blowers, fully automatic blowing devices, tractor- and rail-mounted devices, and high-tech drones. Meanwhile, there have been many advancements in monitoring or scouting systems that track pests, weeds, and disease.

Sensing technologies are the perfect fit for biologicals because these products work best when applied preventatively at early stages of disease or before pest pressure rockets out of control.

The ability to identify pest, weed, and disease pressure with sensing technology takes away a lot of the guesswork when scouting a crop where timing and weather play a big factor in the success for both biologicals and conventional control products, Allan says.

In the future, a combination of application devices with monitoring or scouting systems technologies could be the key to precision delivery of biocontrols. Its just a matter of time before the technology is available for biocontrol application.

The scouting programs are making pest pressures visible, and when linked with the application devices, its theoretically possible to apply what is needed, where it is needed, El-Aaidi says. To do this automatically is still under development; however, farmers are already making applications in line with this. For example, they drive the tractor at half the speed in hot spots, thus doubling the introduction rates with a Koppert rotobug in those areas. In the same way, drone flight patterns can be changed based on the pressure.

4 Steps to Vet Biocontrol Application DevicesThere is a lot that can go wrong with the application of beneficials. So before you start using dispersal devices for biocontrol application, El-Aaidi suggests you do the following:

Janeen Wright is Editor for Greenhouse Grower. You can email her at [emailprotected] See all author stories here.

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3 Biocontrol Application Mistakes to Avoid in the Greenhouse - Greenhouse Grower

Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market: Overview

The drive for Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market stems from the traction that affordable homes have gathered in worldwide populations. The growing popularity of prefabricated homes is a key trend that has bolstered the expansion of the Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market. Manufactured, modular, and mobile homes all are different terms, technically. The key differentiating parameters are design and construction; body and frame requirements; thermal protection; plumbing and electrical fire safety; and energy efficiency.

The contours of the global manufactured homes, modular homes, and mobile market has witnessed the rise of site-built homes that are made to comply to regional, local, and national regulations and building codes. One such code is Federal Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act in the U.S. Key application areas are commercial and residential sectors.

The drive for affordable housing for people who need to move frequently has propelled the demand of manufactured and mobile homes. The increasing trend of making modular and manufactured homes customized has spurred growth in the Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market. Modular homes are especially attractive due to the fact that they produce less waste since they are made in climate controlled home building facilities. The key advantages underpinning the popularity are energy savings, shorter build times, and robust build.

Advances being made in safety standards are boosting the growth potential for businesses in the Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market. These homes also reduce weather-related delays.

Are you a start-up willing to make it big in business?Grab an exclusive PDF Brochure for this report

Companies in the Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market are aiming to offer home buyers a mix of site-built and off-site homes. Most players are expected to gain a foothold by adopting state-of-the-art design and home building technologies. Several players are fervently meeting the needs of strength and durability of manufactured homes by using quality materials. Top players are cautious of meeting all local and regional housing building codes. They are employing trained craftsmen also.

Several players in the Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes market are attracting prospective dwellers with cost-efficient solutions. They are keen on ensuring that all stages of offs-site building process is closely monitored. Top players are leveraging their technical expertise to customize the homes to meet the changing demands of consumers, particularly in relation to flooring, cabinetry, and exterior finish.

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Impact Of Covid-19 Outbreak On Manufactured Homes and Mobile Homes Market - Bulletin Line