Coming Events
- September 9-11, Husker Harvest Day, Grand Island
- September 9, 15, 17 & 18, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Archery Education Classes, 4-H Building, York; for information call Dan Barrett 402-366-4380
- September 18, 6:30 p.m., A Celebration of Our American Heroes, Seward Ag Pavilion, Seward
- September 21, 4:00 p.m., Beginning Youth Trap Shooting Clinic, Ikes Gun Club, York; for more information call Russ Linhart at 402-362-1469
- September 22, 7:30 p.m., Extension Board Meeting, Extension Office, York
- September 23, 25, 307 & 10/2, 7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m., Hunter Education Classes, 4-H Building, York for information call Dan Barrett 402-366-4380
Our Changing Weather
You sure cannot predict our Nebraska Weather. I just check our August Totals and the official amount is 10.22 inches for the month. I’m not 100% sure that my 94 years of data is 100% accurate, however our August total would rank as the fourth most in a single month in York since 1921.
So the most recorded rainfall was in July of 1950 when they recorded 16.04 inches, 2nd most was in June of 1967 when they recorded 13.60 inches, 3rd most was in July of 1958 when they recorded 10.46 inches. We have only one other month over 10.00 inches and that was August of 1977 when they recorded 10.03 inches.
Our average yearly total is approximately 26.90 inches and we’ve already received 29.78 inches for the year.
Husker Harvest Days
It’s hard to believe that this is Husker Harvest Days week! This year’s theme in the UNL IANR building is “Always Looking Forwardâ€. As you’ve heard on many occasions, this year marks 100 years since the establishment of the Cooperative Extension System, and we are focusing forward to the next 100 years.
Exhibits will include: using agricultural sensors to manage nitrogen and water use; pollinator importance in our food system; digital diagnostics for homeowners and crop production; management tools to better understand climate variability; alternative forage strategies for the beef industry; mitigating the Shiga-toxin producing E.coli bacteria; broadband and economic development; and agricultural literacy.
Also as usual, we will have representatives from UNL’s IANR, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis, the Nebraska LEAD program, and IANR’s Market Journal. Several Extension Educators will also be on hand to greet visitors and visit about our On-Farm Research efforts.
Critters Wanting To Move In
It’s that time of year when critters are beginning to move in and our office has started receiving questions about bats, crickets, and mice. I’ve already receive a few calls about bats and wanted to share some info about them. This is a quick link to our bat publication called “Bats in and Around Structuresâ€: http://go.unl.edu/bboy.
Bats are often misunderstood and are not scary creatures unless they are in your home. Bats are not a rodent like a mouse or rat, but are the only mammal capable of true flight. Over 1,200 species of bats exist worldwide with diets of fruit nectar to insects. All 13 species of bats found in Nebraska feed only on flying insects like mosquitoes and moths. One little brown bat can eat 600 to 1,200 mosquito-sized insects every hour.
Bats typically leave roosts at dusk to hunt and may return several times during the night. Most bats normally live under loos bark, among foliage in hollow trees, rock ledges etc, but in urban area, they can reside in attics or behind shutters, downspout, seams of bridges and even in storm sewers. As temperatures cool and less insects are available, they’ll migrate to suitable hibernation sites.
Prevention is the best way to avoid having bats in your home (the same goes for mice and crickets). It is important to seal all cracks, plug all holes and use good screens and tight-fitting doors prior to having a problem. So if you have bats in your attic, check out the link I shared for tips about what to do.
Our wildlife specialist wanted to remind us that if you hire a “Bat exclusion services†for the eviction of bats residing inside structures that you should carefully read the fine print of contracts. His understanding of standard industry practices is that the warranty for bat eviction services should last for at least 1 year. Some companies guarantee bats won’t return inside the structure for 2 or more years provided the building has not been modified. So be sure to read and understand the contracts with bat exclusion companies that do not guarantee eviction of resident bats for at least 1 year.
Fall is a great time of year, when temperatures begin to cool and we begin to hear the cricket chirping and begin to see spiders, ladybeetles, and boxelder bugs trying to find warm places for the winter like our homes. None of these really warrant any control by a pesticide, they are fairly easy to control and do not do any real damage to your homes or to you.
The best control for these insects is to keep them out of the house in the first place. This can be done by filling in any holes or cracks in your foundation or home and sealing up the windows and doors so they cannot get in to your house in the first place. If they do find their way into your home, the best control for them is to vacuum them up and release them outside.
The final pest I want to visit today are mice. Stephen Vantassel and Scott Hygnstrom, UNL Wildlife Ecology Specialists shared a recent story in our Acreage E-Newsletter about mice. It’s available at: http://acreage.unl.edu/enews-sept-2014#Mice. They indicated that excluding mice now can save a lot of money and time later. If they cannot access a structure, they cannot cause any damage.
They suggested four steps or strategies.
1. Seal cracks and crevices – Carefully inspect structures for cracks and crevices a ¼-inch in size or larger. Use sealants to secure gaps up to a ½-half-inch in diameter. For larger openings, such as gaps around pipes, use copper Stuf-fit or Xcluderâ„¢ mesh to fill the gap and follow up with a sealant appropriate for the surface.
2. Screen passive air vents – Quarter-inch hardware cloth is ideal, but galvanized ½-inch mesh is effective also. Be sure, however, that screens will not restrict airflow excessively.
3. Establish a weed-free zone – Around out buildings, pour ½-inch crushed gravel to a depth of 3 inches to create 12- to 24-inch apron around the structure. The crushed gravel removes ground cover needed by rodents to hide from predators as well as hinders burrowing.
4. Cut back the plants – Sometimes rodents use trees, bushes, and other tall plants to gain access to structures. Ideally, tree branches should not be within 6 feet of the structure and shrubs should grow no higher than 4 feet of the roof’s edge. In addition, mow tall grass to reduce cover and food availability for mice.
Good luck with your pest control measures!
Archery & Hunter Education Classes Planned
Dan Barrett, stopped by last week and wanted me to share that he has scheduled sessions for Hunter Safety Education Training and Archery Safety Education. He will be conducting these classes in the 4-H Building here in York located at 2400 Nebraska Av. Archery Education classes will be held from 7:00–9:30 p.m. on September 15, 17, 18, & 22. The Hunter Education Classes will be held the same time on September 23, 25, 30, and October 2nd.
These classes are designed for youth 12 years old and above. To register go to huntsafenebraska.org and click on the appropriate link. For more information call Dan Barrett at 402-366-4380.
Beginning Youth Trap Shooting Clinic
I was also asked to mention that the York Street Bullseye Buster 4-H club will be having a beginning youth trap shooting clinic starting Sunday September 21. This clinic will run for four consecutive Sundays and will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Ikes Gun Club in York. Russ Linhart, who is a certified 4-H shooting instructor, will be providing instruction on beginning trap shooting for any youth over the age of 10 who are interested in learning the sport of trapshooting. Please call Russ at 402-362-1469 to register or if you have questions.
Wanted: Craft and Hobby Entrepreneur’s in Nebraska
It’s hard to believe, however, holiday shopping will soon be happening in Nebraska. Some of this will occur in week-end craft and hobby shows across the state. The majority of the items are made by local crafters working from their home.
Anita Hall, UNL Extension Educator is coordinating educational opportunities for this growing segment of entrepreneurs. The initial task is to develop a list serve to receive educational emails related to the business of marketing and selling crafts and hobbies. So, if you are a self-employed Nebraskan involved in the craft and hobby business and would like to be a part of this listserve, please email your contact information to: Anita Hall, UNL Extension Educator. Her email address is: ahall1@unl.edu. This listserve is for educational use only by UNL Extension and will not be shared.
