CALENDAR. Insects Invading Homes

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1 Coopera ve Extension Service Harlan County 519 South Main Street Harlan, KY (606) Fax: (606) extension.ca.uky.edu CALENDAR February 5 Harlan County Beekeepers Depot 6p March 5 Basic Beekeeping Workshop Depot 6p March 7 Homebased Micro Processing Training Depot 9a March 19 Basic Gardening Workshop Depot 5:30p Insects Invading Homes Before too long, those outside temperatures will continue to stay warm, and it will be shortly followed by lady beetles and Marmorated Stink Bugs showing up in homes across Harlan County. These bugs typically enter the residential areas of buildings after harboring themselves inside the crawl spaces and the attic of the home during the previous fall. As temperatures warm during the late winter/early spring, insects once again become active. This usually occurs first on the sunnier, southwest side of the building. As awakening insects attempt to escape to the outdoors, some wander inward, emerging from behind baseboards, walls, attics, suspended ceilings, etc. Since the insects are attracted to light, they are often seen around windows and light fixtures. Pest proofing your home is the most efficient way to prevent pest entry. It s best to deal with lady beetles outside, before they enter your home. Following these guidelines will help pest proof your home or place of business. Several tips also will conserve energy and increase the comfort level this fall and winter. Install door sweeps or thresholds at the base of all exterior entry doors, paying particular attention to the bottom corners that are a common entry location. Check for light entering under doors; this indicates possible pest entryways. To close other potential pest entries, apply caulk on the bottom outside edges and sides of door thresholds; fit garage doors with a rubber bottom seal because vinyl seals poorly in the winter; and seal gaps under sliding glass doors by lining the bottom track with foam weather stripping onehalf to three-fourths inches wide. Utility openings where pipes and wires enter the foundation and siding are common entry points. You can use caulk, cement, urethane expandable foam, steel wool and copper mesh to plug openings around outdoor faucets, receptacles, gas meters, clothes dryer vents and telephone or cable television wires. Apply a good-quality silicone or acrylic latex caulk to cracks around windows, doors, fascia boards and other openings. Before you apply the caulk, clean existing caulk, and remove any that s peeling to aid adhesion. To reduce the entry of lady beetles and other overwintering pests, repair gaps and tears in window and door screens. Keep windows closed to prevent entry. Another way to prevent pest entry is to apply an exterior (barrier) treatment with insecticides. To gain the most from this effort, apply long-lasting liquid formulations that contain synthetic

2 Harlan County Ag News February/March 2019 pyrethroids. These products are available at some hardware, lawn and garden shops. If you apply the barrier treatment, treat the base of all exterior doors, garage, crawl space entrances, foundation vents, utility openings and up beneath siding. It s also useful to treat the foundation outside perimeter with a two-to-six-foot wide band along the ground and two to three feet up the foundation wall. If insects are already inside the home the best way to remove them is with a vacuum cleaner. Insecticide foggers or sprays are generally not recommended for eliminating the lady beetles and stink bugs indoors. These insects need to be sprayed directly, or they have to crawl over a surface that is treated with an insecticide. Using such applications will create pesticide residues on walls, counter tops, and other surfaces. Therefore, a vacuum cleaner is more sanitary and effective. Successfully Starting Vegetable, Flower Seeds Indoors Starting seed indoors enables gardeners to select the exact varieties they want for vegetable or flower beds, whether an heirloom tomato or new zinnia variety. There are other benefits from having a variety of home-grown vegetables and flowers. One of the most satisfying is to say, I grew these plants myself, from seed. Vegetable seeds that are easy to start indoors include tomatoes, peppers, squash, cabbage, eggplant and cucumber. Marigold and zinnia flower seed also are simple to start inside. Garden centers and mail-order catalogs offer many varieties from the newest and improved ones to favorite standbys. To avoid buying too many seed, calculate how many plants of each variety are needed for the garden. For greater success starting seed indoors, don t plant them too early and give them adequate, but not excessive, water and sufficient light. Seed planted too early result in overgrown plants that are yellow, crooked and spindly before it is even time to transplant them outdoors. Thus, it is critical to properly time the planting of new seed so young seedlings will be large enough to transplant in the garden when the danger of a late frost is over. To determine when to start the seed, check the outdoor sowing time on the seed packet or last late frost date for your location. Plant seeds three to four weeks prior to the recommended seed packet date, or time for the last late frost. An exception is squash and cucumbers, which require only seven to 10 days for seedlings to grow large enough for transplanting in the garden. When it s time to plant seed, gently press potting soil into each small container; add two seed per container at the depth recommended on the package, and put the containers in leak-proof trays. Unless you are using a peat product, be sure containers have at least one drainage hole. Then, slowly water each small container to saturate the potting mix, using slightly warm tap water. Never allow containers to sit in standing water. Throw away excess water that seeps into the trays. Put the leak-proof trays in a warm location such as the top of a refrigerator or freezer to help seed germinate, usually in seven to 10 days. A sprout emerging from the potting mix indicates germination. Plants need a bright area to grow indoors, but unfiltered sunlight will dry out the containers too quickly. After seed germinate, move the trays to a south window or sunroom with filtered light. An alternative is to put incandescent or fluorescent bulbs six to eight inches from the containers to provide light necessary for germination. Leave the lights on all the time, and occasionally rotate plants that begin to grow towards the light source. Fluorescent lights are preferable because they do not get as hot as incandescent lights. A hot bed or cold frame may be a good investment for gardeners planning to produce lots of seedlings to transplant each year. It is critical for newly-germinated seedlings to have water available for the next two to three weeks, so frequently check the moisture content with your finger to keep from damaging tender roots. Carefully and consistently water when the soil feels dry a little below the surface for the first Page 2

3 Harlan County Ag News February/March 2019 two weeks. You can slowly apply a watersoluble fertilizer the third week. Be sure to follow instructions for the amount of fertilizer to use. To avoid common problems starting seed indoors, use a high-quality starter mix, don t plant seed too early; select a warm area to germinate seed; provide a high-light environment for seedlings to grow; and keep developing seedlings moderately moist. Honey Raisin Muffins ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour ¾ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 2 cups bran flake cereal with raisins 1 cup skim milk ½ cup honey 2 egg whites 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce 2 tablespoons canola oil Jeremy N. Williams County Extension Agent for Agriculture / Natural Resources Combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine cereal, milk and honey; let stand for 2 minutes to soften. Stir in egg whites, applesauce and oil; mix well. Add dry ingredients and stir until moistened. Fill a greased or paper lined muffin pan 2/3 full. Bake at 400ºF for minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan. Yield: 12 muffins The Cooperative Extension Service prohibits discrimination in its programs and employment on the basis of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability, or national origin. To file a complaint of discrimination, contact Tim West, UK College of Agriculture, ; Terry Allen or Patty Bender, UK Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity, ; or the USDA, Director Office of Civil Rights, Room 326- W Whitten Bldg., 14th & Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC ( ). Nutrition Analysis: 150 calories, 3 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 15 g sugar, 4 g protein. Page 3

4 Ge ng to Know Your Woodlands: A Primer for Beginners (A Five Session Forestry Series, attend all or a few) February 21 February 28 March 7 March 14 March 21 Southern Forests and Your Woodlands Getting to Know Your Woodlands Managing Your Woodlands Identifying and Managing Woodland Threats Wildlife and Woodlands Session wrap-up All sessions will be held from 7:00p to 9:00p At the Harlan County Extension Depot 110 River Street, Harlan, KY Kentucky Master Loggers will receive two hours of CEUs per session attended For More information or to register, call us a

5 2019 Plant Order Form Purchaser Information: Name: Address: City, State, Postal Code: Telephone: Cooperative Extension Service Harlan County 519 South Main Street Harlan, KY (606) Fax: (606) harlan.ca.uky.edu Quantity Item Unit Price Total bundles Strawberries (Allstar) (June bearing larger berry) $4.00 / 25 plants bundles Strawberries (Earliglow) (June bearing smaller, sweeter berry) Asparagus (Jersey Knight) $4.00 / 25 plants $1 each bundles Onion plants (Candy) $4 (bundle of 60) Total Due Pre payment is required by Friday, March 15, for all plant orders. Make checks payable to: WTA Ag Fund Payment Information: Amount Paid: Date: Received by: Check No.: or Cash Plants are expected to ship from the nursery during the first week of April. We will send you a postcard to let you know when the plants will be available for pickup.

6 Harlan County 519 South Main Street Harlan, KY PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID HARLAN, KY PERMIT 831 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED