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Erath Extension Agent Lonnie Jenschke
A multi-county Farm and Ranch Seminar for farmers and ranchers conducted by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in District 8 is scheduled for December 14, 2023. The Erath, Hood and Hamilton County location will be held at the Annex III 222 East College Street, Stephenville.
The December 14th seminarwillgiveparticipants the opportunity to receive up to eight CEUs. Topics include Managing Forages Before, During and after Drought, by Dr. Larry Redmon, TDA (Texas Department of Agriculture) Laws and Regulations Compliance by Elizabeth Prokop, Forage Related Pest by Dr. David Kerns, External Parasite Control in Livestock by Dr. Sonja Swiger. TDA Laws and Regs Update by Dr. Renchie, Herbicide Mode of Action byDr.ScottNolte,Herbicide & Pesticide Options for Cotton Production, Dr. Ben McKnight, Grass Bur Control by Dr, Zach Howard.
Licensed commercial and non-commercial applicators will be able to obtain their required five hours within the first five hours of the program.
Program registration cost is $60, which includes lunch, breaks and handout materials.
If interested in attending the program on December 14th you can pre-register by contacting the Erath County Extension Office at 254-9651460
How to help beneficial insects survive winter Sonja Swiger, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist and professor in the Department of Entomology in the Texas A&MCollegeof Agriculture and Life Sciences, Stephenville.
Keep some weeds
“Weeds, perennials and grasses all provide shelter for beneficial bugs in the winter,” Swiger said.
If you’ve already started to prune, pile up cuttings in a corner of the yard or garden and allow it to compost over the winter while providing insects a home.
Some beneficial insects including bees and wasps need the hollow stalks and stems of plants to lay their eggs.
Keeping some weeds around as well as planting perennials can essentially create an insect nursery. And when overwintering eggs, nymphs or larvae, and pupae hatch in the spring, you have a built-in flourishing insect population.
Give ‘em shelter
While some bees and wasps live in hives or nests, keep in mind that more often than not they are ground nesters. These pollinators will need some loose soil and leaf litter to get through the winter.
You don’t want to enclose where they are, you just want to provide some protection from the elements. You can utilize wire mesh or add wood protrusions to provide some protection.
Leave the leaves, please Leaves make a great compost ground cover for beneficial insects and their different life stages. Composting leaves from trees such as oak will not only prepare your beds for spring but leaves also provide sustenance and protection for helpful insects now.
“Leaving 1 or 2 inches of leaf litter on the ground can make a big difference for insects,” Swiger said. “This can be concentrated to one area of the yard or a flower bed to keep an area looking tidy and to not impact the grass underneath.”
Protecting beneficial insects through the colder months will not only help your own garden, but it also helps support agriculture in your area and that benefits everyone, Swiger said.