Protect Crape Myrtles from Cold Damage

The seasons in Oklahoma seem to be changing. Our summers are getting hotter and our winters are getting colder for longer periods of time. This being said, what was normally a hardly shrub or tree for our area has changed in some instances.

One of those is the Crape Myrtle. This is a heat loving plant that has normally been cold hardy enough to withstand our winters. However, this last winter (2010-2011) changed that. It was abnormally colder for a longer period of time causing a lot of Crape Myrtles in our area to die back.

Most of them seemed to have come back with new shoots sprouting from the bottom or only died back at the top. For all of you Crape Myrtle lovers (me included) this was a wonderful relief. These ever blooming plants are such a beautiful sight throughout our summer.

Now that we’ve made it through a horribly hot summer we have to consider that our Crape Myrtles may have to endure another harsh winter. There isn’t much that can be done to protect the tops of a Crape Myrtle but we can at least give them a fighting chance by protecting the roots and lower limbs.

Buy a roll of 24” poultry wire with a 1” hex mesh design and fold it in half. Use this to make a little fence around the base of the plant. Fill the inside of the fence with mulch, filling inside and around the trunks and branches of the plant up to the top of the fencing. When spring arrives just remove the wire and let the mulch fall around the base of the plant.

Hopefully, as May and June roll around you’ll see that your beautiful Crape Myrtles are blooming a joyous thank you for your efforts.

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Where did that phrase come from, anyway. After all, many of us have never experienced bed bugs – or at least not until recent years. In days of old, bed bugs were a common nuisance much like the mosquito – you just dealt with the fact that you’d get a bite occasionally, hence the phrase that accompanied many night time rituals for children (yikes!).

Experts believe that the sudden surge in their commonality in recent years is due to an increase in international travel (they originate in Asia, Africa and Europe). Bed bugs hide in clothing sometimes, and if you travel internationally, you may bring some home with you as carry-ons. Additionally, staying in places with a high turnover rate of occupants, such as hotels, hospitals and homeless shelters, increases the risk for bedbugs to hang around.

Bed Bugs on Skin

What Do Bed Bugs Even Look Like?
Cut open an apple and pull out the seeds – now you have a prime example of the size (and maybe even color) of bed bugs. They are flat and oval shaped, usually with reddish brown coloring, and – you guessed it – the approximate size of an apple seed.

Where Do They Live?
Bed bugs get their name because they make their home in our beds – box springs, bed frames, headboards, mattresses, etc. Bed bugs feed on blood meal – much like the mosquito (again), they bit and suck blood. They are attracted to warmth and carbon dioxide, which is why they live in beds because they’re “prey” lay still, get warm and breathe deeply while sleeping. As mentioned, the mainly live in areas with high turnover rates, such as dormitories, apartment complexes and military barracks.

An important myth that needs to be debunked is that bed bugs only live in unclean homes. This is not at all the case. As long as they have someone to feed on, they can be anywhere – even an immaculately clean home or hospital.

How Do I Know I Have Bed Bugs?
The most common sign of bed bugs are bites. Bed bugs have two tubes protruding from their mouth – one to inject an anesthetic in their victim and the other to feed. Believe it or not, they can go about 18 months without eating (which means you could have them and not really know it), but its usually more like 5-10 days when they have a reliable food source (like you).

The bites are usually in rows or clusters, like the bed bug is just moving along the chosen area. Most commonly affected areas are the upper body or limbs that are usually outside blankets, such as arms, hands, face and neck. Typically you won’t get sick from bed bug bites, just itch red bumps a lot. However, some individuals have been known to have an allergic reaction to the bugs’ anesthetic saliva (in which case, you should see a doctor).

Size of Bed Bug

What is the Life Cycle for Bed Bugs?

Females, which live less than a year, lay about 200 eggs in their lifetime. Newborn bed bugs are colorless, so you’ll be hard pressed to locate any of them. They molt about five times while they grow, needing to feed for each molting.

How Do I Get Rid of Them?
While bed bugs were eradicated pretty effectively with the use of a pesticide called DDT after World War II, the pesticide has since been banned from use because of the pollutants it causes. This makes them rather hard to get rid of now. While there are several products on the market, such as sprays, dusts and other methods, it is highly recommended that you seek the help of a professional to completely eradicate the problem. If you want more information on at home methods, PestMall.com gives detailed information on the options and how to use them so you can make an informed choice.

You can, however, take preventative measures. Sleep at home as much as possible. Use mattress covers, pillow encasements and box spring encasements designed specifically for preventing access for bed bugs to live there. Don’t leave clothes or other items lying on beds or the floor when traveling. Have any pieces of second hand furniture you acquire thoroughly cleaned before bringing it into your home.

Taking these precautions will help you to sleep tight….. you know the rest.

Bags and Bags of Tent Caterpillar Bags

Tent Caterpillar Nest

Have you ever noticed those unsightly silken looking bags on trees as you drive down the highway (or maybe in your own yard). Those are the nests of tent caterpillars. Lately, they’re everywhere.

Every 13 years or so, the tent caterpillar population increases to record numbers – we may be on the cusp of such an event since trees have been lined with the tent nests the last couple of seasons. Generally, the population boost lasts around three years, and then an early frost or hot summer temperatures (maybe this year!) brings the population back down to management numbers.

There are two types of tent caterpillars.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar

Eastern Tent Caterpillar

The eastern tent caterpillar is the most common. It is hairy and predominately black in color, with a white stripe along the back and blue dots on the sides of its body. Before cocoon stage, mature caterpillars reach two to 2.5 inches in length. They usually feed on cherry or other flowering trees.

This is the caterpillar that lives in the large bag-like structure found at the end of tree branches. The caterpillars congregate here and feed on the leaves housed within the structure, then move on. That’s often why the tent increases in size over time.

Forest Tent Caterpillar

Forest Tent Caterpillar

Forest tent caterpillars are more common in the region of Minnesota, though they have been found all over the U.S. and Canada. These are also black and hairy, but have a light (sometimes bright) blue stripe on either side of their bodies and white “footprint” shaped spots along the top. They also reach about two inches in length at maturity. Forest tent caterpillars prefer aspens and other broadleaf trees.

While these are deemed tent caterpillars, they don’t actually form tents as nest in the same way that the eastern variety do. They make pad-like nests on branches and trunks for resting.

Life Cycle
Tent caterpillars of both varieties hatch from eggs in mid-May. For about six weeks, the young larvae feed on trees consistently within the tent structure. However, by the end of June, they become restless and start moving on to other nearby plants to build cocoons made of the same silk-like substance that the tents consist of.

Eastern Tent Caterpillar Moth

In mid-July, moths emerge from the cocoons. Forest moths are yellow to brown in color with two dark stripe on the wings, while eastern moths are red-colored with white/yellow stripes. The moths live for approximately five days, in order to mate and lay eggs in a band of 100-300 eggs around twigs of trees. The eggs then hatch the next May.

Damage
While they may look awfully in the trees on your lawn, all tent caterpillars will really do is defoliate your tree. Most healthy trees can survive this and will produce new leaves before the season is over (or next year for sure). However, if there is an over population of tent caterpillars over several years (four or more), then this continual defoliation will start to hinder the growth of the tree. It may even result in dying branches and eventual death of the tree. Additionally, unhealthy trees will likely not survive one season of tent caterpillar feedings.

Treatment
Soon, tent caterpillars will emerge from cocoons as moths and lay their eggs. To manage populations next season, remove the egg masses from branches and twigs on trees and destroy them before next season. If you choose to utilize insecticides, do so in the early season, when larvae are small. Mature larvae are harder to kill and may cause much more defoliation prior to dying out.

Another natural means of management would be the implementation of products like bug bands – a sticky band of glue that will survive the elements and keep the caterpillars from climbing into your trees to nest. This also helps even when you already have an infestation, since it will prevent mature larvae from leaving the tree to find a place to build their cocoons.

Some homeowners have been known to burn tents, usually in the evening when caterpillars are resting, as a means of control. However, this can be a dangerous choice, since you risk losing the whole tree or, worse, starting a fire (especially in awful heat of recent weeks). It’s better to use insecticides or spray the nest with water, remove it and put up a bug band to keep them from coming into the tree.

Whack the Wasps – Dealing with and Getting Rid of Wasp Problems

Native Paper Wasp (most common in Midwest)

Summer time brings cook-outs, dips in the pool, working on our elusive tan, and all the pesky bugs we manage to deal with but never really enjoy. Among the least favorites are those of the stinging variety – namely, wasps. Many of us fear their elusive sting and immediately go into eradicate-at-all-costs mode when we see a nest. However, knowing a bit more about these buzzing critters might help you to eliminate the problem more effectively.

Solitary vs. Social Wasp
Wasps, surprisingly, are either introverts or extroverts; they either form hives for a social lifestyle or stay to themselves with a small solitary nest. Those solitary swarmers won’t cause you many problems, since they like to be left alone by their species and ours. It’s the social clans you need to be concerned about.

While, most of the time, social wasps build hives in secluded locations, their idea of seclusion (i.e. the eves of your garage) may not be the same as ours (a tree deep in a forest somewhere). Social wasps start as one – a single female wasp who hibernates in the ground or cracks of walls/wood, complete with fertilized eggs. As the warm spring months approach, she emerges and begins to build a hive.

European Paper Wasp & Nest

The female wasp will lay a few eggs that will soon hatch to become sterile female workers. They start building on the hive more, while momma wasp lays more eggs. The hive continues to grow, as does the number of worker wasps, becoming a full-fledged swarm by fall (we’re talking hundreds… maybe even thousands of wasps). While it takes several weeks for eggs to hatch, so many are laid that new ones hatch every day.

Some of the worker larvae are given a different diet before hatching, making them fertile queens. During the fall, the momma wasp lays some unfertilized eggs and they become the male wasps, with the purpose of procreation. The queens are fertilized and leave the hive, while the remaining worker wasps die during the winter.

There are three main types of wasps:

• Paper Wasp (native and European variety)
• Bald-Faced Hornet
• Yellow-Jacket

Paper Wasp

Bald-Faced Hornet up-close

The most common paper wasp native to this region is red to brown in color and about an inch to inch-and-a-half in length. These wasps can be social or solitary, with nests ranging in size from as few as three egg “beds” to dozens. The nests, made of paper, dangle from overhanging eves by a stalk and are in the shape of an umbrella, with several canals for the developing eggs and larvae. Native paper wasps are most active in the earlier part of the warm season (spring) and are what you will usually find in the Midwest and Ozarks.

European paper wasps have long, thin bodies that are black and yellow in color. While this may resemble the yellow-jacket, European paper wasps do have a hint of brown in their coloring and are thinner. First discovered in 1978, European paper wasps are mostly found in the west, northwest and east coast regions. They are most active in the middle of June.  Their nest design is the same as the native paper wasp.

Bald-Faced Hornet

Bald-Faced Hornet & Nest

Yes, this is a type of wasp. Also known as the white-faced hornet or white-tailed hornet, this species of wasp is white and black in color. If a female feels the need to defend her nest, she will do so through repeated stings, an aggressive nature not harbored by all wasps. They begin building paper nests (chewed up wood and saliva) in the spring and these football-shaped apparatuses can reach up to three feet in length. The life cycle is the same as paper wasps. Bald-faced hornets, while all over North America, are usually found in the areas of the Rocky Mountains, and both the east and west coasts.

Yellow-Jacket Wasp
Yellow-jackets, as the name would surmise, are black and yellow in color. They’re smaller when it comes to wasps, often about the same size as a honey bee (about half an inch). Of note, honey bees have brown hair all over their bodies, while yellow-jackets do not. The hives, or nests, are similar to the other wasps in regard to the German yellow-jacket (dominant in the Midwest). However, eastern yellow-jackets (much less prominent) build their nests underground.

Yellow-Jacket

These wasps are social in nature. Another distinguishing characteristic is the fact that, before they land, they rapidly fly side-to-side. Again, the life cycle is the same as paper wasps, and they also have been known to sting repeatedly when agitated.

Wasp Nest Eradication
Pesticides, specifically wasp sprays, are the most effective in getting rid of a wasp overpopulation. You need to first locate the nest, which you can do easiest at dusk. Watch for several bugs flying in the same direction – this is an indication of the wasps going back to their nest for the night. Wait until it is dark outside for a few hours before commencing your attack, since this means the wasps will be less likely to create a counter-strike.

Spraying with a sweeping motion, while aiming mostly for the entry of the nest, is of the most benefit. Of note, pesticides only work on adult wasps. If there are eggs left in the hive, they will still hatch. Additionally, if you don’t kill the queen wasp, the process of reproduction will continue.

Alternative Method if the Nest Eludes You

Homemade Wasp Trap

If you’re having a hard time locating the nest, but wasps are swarming areas that you and your family frequent in the yard, then you may want to consider building a wasp trap. The process is quite simple, inexpensive and effective (and it works for bees, too):

• Cut the top (about 3 inches down) off of an empty two liter plastic soda bottle
• Invert the top into the remainder of the bottle to create a funnel, gluing it in place with silicone sealant
• Allow the sealant to dry for 24 hours
• Insert string or wire for hanging
• Fill the bottle ¼ of the way with a mixture of 50% water and 50% sugar

Simply hang the bottle on a tree or fence where there is a lot of wasp traffic. The wasps will crawl into the bottle throw the funnel to get to the sugar mixture, but won’t be able to get out. When it’s full, replace it.

Above all else, whatever method you choose, be cautious. Wasp stings hurt and, while there are several methods to help with the pain (baking soda or meat tenderizer pastes are popular home remedies), it’s still never a pleasant experience. You also may be allergic to their venom, much like some are allergic to bee stings, so do what you can to avoid provocation as much as possible.

Bagworm ALERT!!!!

 

Close up of Bagworm

Bagworms are attacking late this year!! I just discovered the beginnings of them all over our front landscape. They were eating Junipers, Spruces, Cedars, Plum trees….nothing is safe!!  Please check ALL of your beautiful plants. It used to be believed that they only eat evergreens but that is NOT true. They will eat anything they land on.

If you see them, immediately pick off all that you can find to slow them down and then run to Lowes or Home Depot and buy Bayer Advanced 3-In-1 Insect spray. It goes on your hose, and spray, spray, spray!! Don’t wait! Check now! They can destroy an entire tree in a few days!

Dealing with Black Widow Spiders

My husband used to have a pair of mud boots, clear to his knees, which he used to take the dogs outside in our previous home, before there was grass or a fence (it was a new construction home). One afternoon, my husband came rushing into the house from working in the yard, frantically asking for bug spray, Lysol or anything of the sort. When I asked what the panic was about, he announced that there was a spider in his boot.

Generally, my husband isn’t afraid of spiders, so this had me intrigued. I followed him out the door and while he proceeded to spray into the boot like a mad man, I asked what happened. Apparently, he went to put the boot on, which goes to his knees, and felt a spider web inside. He quickly retracted his boot, only to see a black widow begin to crawl to the top of the boot! He had nearly been bit!

Female Black Widow

That wasn’t the last we saw of the black widows during the nearly five years we lived in that house. The hung out under the back porch steps, but their favorite place to make camp was in the corners of the garage, just next to the little hole at the base of the door that gave them access outside and night and dark shelter during the day. As many readers know from my brown recluse post, I hate spiders. My husband and I killed countless numbers of them, and torched who knows how many egg sacks to prevent new minions.

While brown recluses are now our roommates, I’m still constantly on the lookout for black widows. Much like the brown recluse, a black widows venom is full of poison, though there is some debate over which spiders venom is worse. Regardless, it’s important to know what to look for, what you’re dealing with, and how to get rid of black widows spiders.

What the Black Widow Looks Like

Male Black Widow - brown

The female black widow, which is also the most dangerous, is black (or dark gray) in color, with a glossy sheen. The most defining characteristic is, of course, the red (or orange) hourglass shaped marking on the bottom of her abdomen. Female can grow up to 1.5 inches in length and have very large abdomens in relation to the rest of their body.

Male black widow spiders are generally about half the size of a female. They are usually black, but have also been seen in many different shades, including brown. There are markings on their abdomen as well, usually in a symmetrical pattern, often in white (though sometimes red or orange).

Where the Black Widow Lives
Black widows are nocturnal (like most spiders) and like to be in dark, warm locations, often in prime locations for prey to stumble upon their web. This most commonly translates to garages, outdoor sheds, basements and areas in homes where bugs frequent.

Black Widow's Web

The black widow’s web does not have an intricate pattern like some other spiders. It is usually very randomly created, but offers a clear access point from the spiders resting place to where prey get trapped. Their webs are also very strong.

Black Widow Spider Bite
The venom the female black widow excretes  (yes, males bite, but their venom isn’t usually dangerous to humans) is neurotoxic, affecting the nervous system. An individual’s reaction to this venom can vary depending on the individual’s physical condition, but in most cases, it is quite dangerous. Children and elderly are the most susceptible to adverse reactions. Symptoms of a black widow bite, which start occurring within 20 to 60 minutes, include (usually occurring in this order):

• Pain at the site of the bite
• Muscle cramps and severe pain
• Abdominal pain
• Weakness and tremors
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness and fainting
• Chest pains and trouble breathing
• Elevation of blood pressure (the most severe complication)

Male Black Widow - black

The abdominal pain can often be mistaken for gallbladder problems or appendicitis and the chest pains often feel similar to a heart attack. Again, the black widows bite is usually only life threatening in children and the elderly. In most cases, hospitalization is necessary, but a full recovery is quite likely. More information on when to see a doctor and treatment options is available on the eMedicineHealth website.

Getting Rid of Black Widows
Direct contact with an insecticide will kill them, but spraying the area they are located won’t – they will simply detect the poison and move on to a new location in the home. The best way to get rid of them is to kill those you find, destroy egg sacks (removing them from the home and burning them is the most effective), and preventing future access to your home.

Make sure that all access points are sealed, so spiders don’t have a way in. This is where insecticides are useful because detecting them will keep black widows from entering through that location. So, if you can’t fully seal something off, such as an outdoor shed, then spray away at the perimeter, windows, doors and other crevices. Additionally, work to get rid of the insects in your home, and the spiders will have to move on because there will be no food supply.

And always check your shoes before you put them on.

Dealing with the Brown Recluse Spider

Our home was built in 1916. It’s beautiful, with original hardwood floors, 12 foot ceilings and gorgeous wood trim. However, one thing that came with our house that we weren’t counting on is an infestation of brown recluse spiders.

I’m not going to lie – I have a pretty severe case of arachnophobia (fear of spiders). Mind you, I can kill one if I need to when my husband isn’t around, but I must do it with a shoe that has a flat sole, so I can get it on the first blow and it won’t sneak through the cracks (can you tell I’ve thought this through a bit). And even then I still pick the “dead” spider up with a piece of toilet paper and flush it down the toilet, just in case it wasn’t totally dead, so it will drown.

BR size

Personal Encounters
Last year I had a horrible encounter with a brown recluse while pregnant. No, it didn’t bite me, but it should have. Chalk it up to divine intervention — I got lucky. I was in my kitchen, putting away dishes when I felt a hair out of place tickling my back. So I reached back over my shoulder to brush the hair out of the way, only to see a monstrous brown recluse fall to the floor. What followed was a full blown panic attack. My husband killed it, but it took me several minutes to calm down.  Pregnant and bit by a brown recluse are not a good combination.

Since that time, there are glue traps in every corner of every bedroom in our house. I check them occasionally to see if they need replacing. Recently I checked the trap under my six month old’s crib. There were seven brown recluses in it, several of which were babies, meaning a nest was somewhere in the walls of his bedroom. Cue the panic attack again.

BRs are yellow to brown in color

What Brown Recluses Look Like
Brown recluses are, of course, brown in color. Their body has two segments and there is a darker pigmented violin shape behind the eyes. Keep in mind that only full grown BRs have the violin – babies may not have the pigment discoloration. While I could go into the details like the fact that the brown recluse only has six eyes (instead of eight), hopefully you won’t get close enough to examine that fact or other minute details. At least not until it’s dead, anyway.

Where Brown Recluses Live
Just as the name says, brown recluses are extremely reclusive. While the females do build webs, you’ll rarely (if ever) see one because most brown recluses live inside structures. In our case, they live inside the uninsulated walls of our turn-of-the-century home, so finding them in their “home” setting is a near impossibility. You’ll also find brown recluses in neglected boxes, usually in the attic or basement. In fact, their favorite places are the wood framing of basements, attics and crawlspaces. Occasionally they may infest furniture as well.

Where BRs live

The Nature of the Brown Recluse
Brown recluses only come out at night, and even then it is usually just the males that come out to hunt for prey (the females usually just wait around in the web). There are several disturbing facts about brown recluses that make them even more terrifying for arachnophobes like me, including:

• BRs can go months without a meal
• BRs love hot, dry conditions (which is why attics are their favorite place)
• Female BRs only need to mate once in order produce offspring their entire lives
• Female BRs can produce more than 150 young per year

The Brown Recluse Bite
The reason I fear brown recluses above all other spiders (even the black widow) is a combination of their reclusive nature and the disgusting and debilitating effect of a brown recluse bite. When a brown recluse bites a human, the poison spreads quickly and, within hours, the tissue at the wound side can go necrotic and die. However, this is often in extreme cases. Sometimes the wound gets no worse than a hornet sting, but it depends entirely upon how much venom is released into the bite and how sensitive the recipient is to that venom.

Brown recluses are not aggressive and only bite as a defense mechanism. That said, the most common ways people get bit are:

• Putting on clothing that was on the floor overnight, where a brown recluse crawled in to hide
• Perusing through easily accessible boxes and other items that go neglected for long periods of time without gloves or extreme caution
• By allowing bed linens to touch the floor, inviting a brown recluse to crawl up them and hide in your bed
  

  a bad BR bite

I personally know a couple of people who have been hospitalized for brown recluse bites, with significant scaring and damage done at the wound area. It’s no laughing matter and, while some of the images circulating on the internet may not even be the result of a BR, you need immediate medical attention if you have the slightest inkling that the mark on your arm is the result of a brown recluse. You won’t generally feel the bite itself, but the wound will soon start to hurt. Other symptoms include:

• Redness, swelling and burning of the wound within an hour
• Over the next eight hours, the wound sight will increase in size and may blister like a pimple – sickness may set in by this point as well
• By 24 hours after the bite, the wound (up to 2 inches in diameter) becomes hard to the touch and may scab over
• If the wound turn purple in color, then the skin is likely becoming necrotic and will result in a bad scar

Generally, BR bites heal in about eight weeks, but that depends on the severity of the bite and the body’s reaction.

Eradicating the Enemy
Unfortunately, eradication is a lengthy and expensive process because brown recluses are very difficult to get rid of. You may have pest control companies tell you that you can spray for brown recluses, but this is not entirely true. The sprays that most pesticide companies use are distributed around baseboards indoors and along the outer edges of your home.

First, brown recluses don’t usually come into your home from the outdoors – most of the time an infestation occurs because a BR hitchhiked on old furniture, boxes, etc. brought into your home. Secondly, while brown recluses do travel along baseboards, this won’t get rid of an infestation because you’re not attacking the home front. Brown recluses usually live within structures, such as walls, and, unless you’re willing to drill holes all over the place to find them, pesticides alone won’t work.

BRs in a glue trap

Pesticides are just one item on a long list of things you must do in order to obtain control over a brown recluse infestation. Employee the following steps, together, to help eliminate the enemy:

• Remove clutter from places brown recluses like to hide
• Use plastic storage containers that seal tightly rather than easily accessible boxes
• Seal crevices in walls, furniture, doors, window frames, fireplaces, attics, crawlspaces, etc. to keep brown recluses from accessing them as hiding places
• Place glue traps (sticky traps) on the floor against baseboards to capture BRs “in their tracks” – best places are under and behind furniture (the more traps the better!)
• Target pesticides on cracks and voids
• Utilize residual pesticides or in powder form around areas were glue traps show a high infestation (just make sure kids and pets can’t get to them)

It may take months to see results of your eradication efforts, and you likely won’t get rid of the problem completely. But rest assured, even those living in homes with a large infestation rarely get bit if they take the right precautions to protect themselves from access areas that brown recluses like to hide.

Getting Rid of Gophers

Gophers? Isn’t that just another name for moles? And didn’t we just post an article on that?

Well, no, not exactly. While gophers are pesky little creatures that burrow their way through your yard, much like moles do, they are actually quite different, as is the process for getting rid of them.

Signs of Gophers

Gopher Mound

First you need to determine if, in fact, you have a gopher problem or a mole problem. A gopher mound (see picture) is typically a hole in the ground very near a mound of dirt, while a mole hill is larger and the hole is at the top of the pile of dirt. Put more generically, gopher mounds have a fan shape to them, rather than the volcano like shape of a mole hill.

You may also find signs of gophers around the bottom of your trees. Gophers girdle trees and shrubs to sharpen their teeth. This will show itself as chew marks around the bottom of your tree or bushes, much like the way a ring on your finger looks.

Gopher Food

Gophers feed on vegetation, usually bulbs, grass, roots, flowers and garden plants. Their favorite plant snacks are bamboo, alfalfa, dandelions and rose bushes.

Because they have small eyes and ears, their sense of touch is their best ally, which means they come about their food in a rather unusual way. Gophers usually simply eat roots they come across while digging or pull a plant through the ground and into their tunnels. Occasionally they will surface for a specific plant, but they usually prefer tunnel access.

Gopher Damage

While the damage to the plants in your lawn is obvious, gophers can cause damage in areas you might not expect. As mentioned, they don’t have very good eyesight, which means they pretty much dig with no regard as to what they’re digging through. So, they can burrow through water lines (causing a flooded yard) and underground power lines. They often uproot sprinkler heads and destroy sprinkler system water lines.

Watch out, because you may also soon find that your trees and shrubs are dying. Not only do gophers girdle the bottom of trees, but they burrow right through tree and shrub roots, expose root systems or clip them all together, causing fatal damage.

Eliminating the Gopher Problem

Pocket Gopher - the most common

A fence to protect smaller areas, like your vegetable or flower garden, can be very effective. Dig a trench 2 feet deep and use chicken wire or hardware cloth, bringing it at least one foot above the surface. Of course, gophers can burrow through tree roots, so what’s to stop them from getting through a measly wire fence? Not to mention, they can sometimes burrow as deep as six feet, so don’t be surprised if this tactic isn’t 100% effective (though it’s a start).

Ever heard of “whack a mole”? Well, you may want to institute “whack a gopher” if you’re up for dealing with the pest in this way. First, flood the gopher(s) out of the tunnel system by digging until you have clear access to a tunnel. Stick a hose in the tunnel and run the water. It may take awhile, since gophers can dig systems up to 1200 square feet. Eventually you’ll see the little buggers emerge. A shovel is handy at this point for the somewhat less than humane “whacking” part.

Rodenticides are another elimination method. The most common is strychnine-laced barley, which you can usually purchase at a hardware store (though a permit is often required for large amounts). Typically you simply put a hollow pipe into the tunnel, pour the barley seeds into the pipe and then cover up the hole. Of course, the only way you’ll know if you’ve won the battle is if the damage to your yard and plants ceases. You may want to think twice about this method if you have pets that go outdoors (such as dogs) because, if they get ahold of a sick or dead gopher, they can be poisoned too.

Another recommendation is a trap, but experts say that live traps are often ineffective, and traps that kill may be difficult to deal with (and dangerous with children or pets around). If your gopher problem is pretty severe, it may just be easier (though not less expensive) to call in a professional. Your local conservation department or pest control company will have the licensing and ability to deal with gophers in ways you cannot, such as fumigation methods.

Whatever strategy you choose, the process can take some time. Be patient and keep Peppy’s phone number on hand to come recoup your yard after you’re sure those little rodent dirt tanks are gone.

Making Mountains Out of Molehills – Getting Rid of Moles

Ah, spring is approaching. Green grasses, beautiful flowers, warmer weather and cool breezes. Wait? What’s that mound in your yard? Why is your beautiful spring lawn disturbed by hills of dirt and soiled paths?

Looks like you have a mole problem, my friend.

Molehills

Signs of a Mole Problem
The most obvious sign that you have a mole problem are perfect little hills showing up in your yard that look somewhat like small volcanoes. While this could be the work of your 7 year old budding archeologist, it’s highly unlikely. The hills can, quite literally, show up overnight. You might also see raised ridges between the hills, which are the feeding tunnels directly under the surface of the ground connecting this network of access points.

Some might believe that damage to plants and vegetation is a sign of moles, but that’s generally not the case. Other types of rodents cause this damage. However, those rodents often use mole tunnels to gain access to your plants. Which brings me to my next point…

Moles have perfect limbs for digging

What Moles Eat
Contrary to popular belief that moles are after your garden vegetables, moles are carnivores. They eat insects that live underground – mostly earthworms and grub worms. Many websites state that the best way to get rid of a mole problem is to stop offering a smorgasbord of their favorite dishes. This can be an effective approach at reducing the mole infestation, but won’t take care of all of them. After all, while it’s a good idea to get rid of grub worms, you’ll never get rid of the earthworms in your soil effectively, so some provisions will be left behind.

Pest Control Options
One method, as mentioned, is to treat the grub worm infestation in your yard. You can find more details on how by reading a previous post on Treatment for Grub Worms. Grubs are Japanese Beetle larvae, so getting rid of them runs a two-fold benefit. As you’ll discover, however, this is something you’ll have to do each year, as beetles will continue to lay their eggs and re-infest your lawn.

Another treatment option is to flood the moles out. There is debate as to whether this is an effective method or not. Basically, you need to locate a straight feeding tunnel, insert a hose and open the flood gates. You’ll need to keep the water coming in until it starts pouring out of molehills, and be prepared to see moles flee the premises. You should probably have some help along and make an attempt to catch them though, because as soon as the water settles, they’ll likely be back.

Humane Mole Trap

Setting Traps
You can also set traps for the moles. There are humane trap options, should you choose to use them. The cheapest option is to locate a mole feeding tunnel and, doing as little damage as possible, dig out a section. Then dig below the tunnel and place a coffee can in the hole. Cover the exposed area with a board to keep it dark. As a mole works to repair the tunnel, it will unexpectedly fall into the can and will not be able to get back out. Then you can simply cover the can and take the mole to a new location – preferably the woods so no one else has to deal with it.

If you’d rather not deal with a mole face-to-face (at least not a live one, anyway), then there are several traps on the market that will take care of that phobia. Your options include mole-kabobs, decapitation or suffocation, to put it frankly. MolePro.com offers a comparison of several traps on the market, including those produced by Victor and Nash. I’ll save the gory details for you to examine yourself.

Mole Control

Star-nosed Mole - Canada & Northeastern U.S.

If you’re not so worried about your yard, but would prefer those pesky moles didn’t tear up your vegetable and flower gardens, then building a barrier is a good idea. You can use concrete blocks, gravel or anything of the sort that a mole can’t or won’t attempt to dig through. Just be sure that it goes at least two feet deep around the perimeter of your garden beds.

Another great way to keep moles under control is to have dogs. Even with indoor dogs that only go outside a few times a day, we don’t often have mole problems at my house. What few moles I’ve seen have not been due to molehills, but little presents my dogs have left on the porch as a badge of honor from the kill. Of course, the dog will probably need to be larger than the mole to be an effective deterrent. Chihuahuas and Teacup Poodles are probably not the vicious mole killers you need.

One final note about moles: stomping on and crushing the molehills won’t do anything to get rid of them. They’re brilliant dirt architects, and will quickly either rebuild the tunnels you destroy or create new ones for their escapades. Pesticides don’t usually work either, because moles only eat bugs and, therefore, have no desire to partake in poisoned pellets.

Now, get back to enjoying that beautiful spring day. The moles will wait until tomorrow to face your vengeance.

Preparing Your Vegetable Garden for Planting Season

In this era of everyone going green and choosing organic foods, having your own garden is a necessary element of the status quo. The end of February and beginning of March are prime preparation time for your garden so that you can commence planting your fruits and vegetables throughout the cooler and warmer days of spring.

Vegetable Garden

Pick a Spot
If you haven’t had a garden before, then it’s important to pick the right spot to obtain optimal growth from the fruits and vegetables you plant. Ideally, the location of your garden:

• sees full or near full sunlight throughout the day
• has prime drainage of rain water
• is composed of fertile soil
• is near a water source, such as a hose, for the dry summer days
• is away from the shade and root systems of trees and shrubs

While these conditions are ideal, in most cases, you can modify your plant selection to accommodate a garden location that is less than adequate. If drainage is a problem, then you can raise the bed of the garden. This is usually done by stacking cinder blocks and filling in the soil. If you don’t have an area with full sun, there are several plants that will grow in light or thin shade too, including:

• Beans
• Beets
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Leaf lettuce
• Peas
• Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Spinach
• Turnips

The Look of Ideal Soil

Planning What to Plant
There are far too many possibilities for planning what can go in your garden for me to cover them all. In general, when it comes to planning your vegetable garden, pick the plants that your family consumes the most. Then separate those plants by the seasons in which they are planted, either the cool planting season (those that thrive in temperatures under 70 degrees) or the warm planting season (those that thrive in temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees). Utilize this Vegetable Garden Calendar for help.

Perennial plants (which are right up my alley) are those vegetables and fruits that will come back every year and will be bigger and better than the previous year. These perennials include:

• Asparagus
• Bamboo Shoots
• Collard Greens
• Fruit Bushes (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc.)
• Garlic
• Horseradish
• Kale
• Onions
• Rhubarb
• Strawberries

No-Dig Garden Method

Before Planting
Now that you’ve determined where your garden will be and what you’ll put in it, it’s time to get the soil ready. Before planting, till the soil. Remove weeds and rocks. In areas like Southwest Missouri where the soil is predominately red clay, you’ll need to purchase garden soil and mix it in with the tiller in order to get strong fertility in the dirt. Another option is to build layered garden soil, known as the “no-dig” vegetable garden method.

Another great way to make the soil fertile is to use compost. Start a compost pile near your garden and add it to your soil when the compost cycle completes (which can take several months to a year depending on how you manage it).  You could also add worms to your soil, which are available at any local fishing (bait and tackle) store. Rescue some bait worms and bring them to their new sanctuary, where they’ll also serve some benefit for you by enriching your garden soil.

Optimal soil is dark in color, easily workable, crumbles in your hands, and retains water. If you’re unsure as to the fertility of your soil, then you can take samples to the local college or your state’s agriculture department and have it tested.

If pests are common in your area, such as deer or rabbits (or even your family dog), the be sure to put up a fence around your garden. A three-foot wire fence that you can easily step over is usually sufficient for protecting your plants.

For more important tips on preparing and maintaining a vegetable garden, check out the Oklahoma Garden Planning Guide provided by the Horticulture Department of Oklahoma State University.