Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Preparing Your Home for Winter

With the temperatures dropping fast it is important to start preparing your home for the cold weather.  Home maintenance and repairs should be done year round as needed but there are some things you should inspect in fall to insure that your home is ready for winter.

When inspecting around your home there are generally eight areas that you should check. These include the foundation, basement and yard, roof, exterior walls, windows and doors, interior surfaces, electrical systems, heating and cooling systems, plumbing and safety issues.

As you inspect the foundation of your house, look for signs of water damage and cracks. Check to make sure that water is draining away from the foundation and if your home has an underground drainage system, be sure that it is working properly.

Check the roof for loose or missing shingles and make any needed repairs. Otherwise, snow or wind may cause further damage to the roof. Clean out the gutters to remove dead leaves and debris.  This will allow water to flow easily through the drain system. Examine the chimney to be sure it is secure and there are no loose bricks or mortar. Hire a chimney sweep to remove any buildup from your chimney, hearth and firebox. This should be done annually if you use your fireplace a lot. Otherwise, creosote buildup will create a fire hazard.

Prepare your yard by raking leaves and pruning your trees and shrubs.  Don’t leave your patio and lawn furniture outside.  Move them into the basement or garage to prevent damage from the winter weather. When the temperatures drop below freezing you will also need to shut off your sprinkler and other outside water systems.  Store garden hoses in the garage or basement with tools that you will not need during the winter months.

Inspect the basement area for any cracks in the walls or floor. Repair any cracks or openings to make it water-tight and prevent water damage. Inspect, too, for small openings and cracks in joints or seams in the framework of the house, the attic, and crawl space. Pay special attention to cracks around doors and windows. Cold winter air can enter your home through these cracks and openings. Caulk and weather strip these areas to save energy and add comfort during the winter months.  The weather stripping around your doors not only prevents cold air from coming into your home but will also keep out insects and pests that could otherwise invade your home.  Fall is the best time to do insulating. 

Fall and winter temperatures usually cause heat bills to increase.  Be sure to check your heating system including filters, pilot lights and burners. Finding a professional to clean and service your heating system in the fall can save you money by preventing problems that may arise later in the winter months.  You may also want to vacuum the dust from your heating vents, baseboards and cold-air return vents.  Indoor pollutants from this dust buildup can cause illness during the cold weather.

Take a closer look at your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Test each one and replace batteries. If your home has a gas furnace or water heater, gas or kerosene space heater, fireplace or wood burning stove you will want to have properly functioning detectors in these areas.
           

For more information on how to prepare your home for the cold winter months contact the McLean County Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.   

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Reduce Chances of Lawn & Landscape Disease Now


With all the snow that fell earlier this week, I know that you probably are not thinking much about your lawn and landscape.  However, we are still technically in the fall season and now is a great time to start on disease prevention in your lawn and landscape. 

One of the easiest ways you can help to prevent diseases in your landscape is by using sanitation practices.  A good sanitation program can help reduce the need for chemical controls and can improve the effectiveness of other practices for managing disease. 

That good sanitation program can start now with the removal of leaves and other fallen plant materials from around your trees, shrubs and landscape areas.  Fallen leaves can serve as a source of fungal spores.  Many pathogens can overwinter in fallen debris and then can create many problems in the spring. 

According to Nicole Gauthier, UK Extension Plant Pathologist, other sanitation practices include:
·        Remove diseased plant tissues from infected plants. Prune branches with cankers  well below the point of infection. Cuts should be made at an intersecting branch.  Rake and remove fallen buds, flowers, twigs, leaves, and needles.
·        Disinfest tools used to prune galls and cankers. Cutting blades should be dipped into a commercial sanitizer, 10% Lysol disinfectant, 10% bleach, or rubbing alcohol between each cut. If using bleach, rinse and oil tools after completing work, to prevent corrosion.
·        Discard perennial and annual plants that are heavily infected and those with untreatable diseases. Dig infected plants to include as much of the root system as possible, along with infested soil.
·        Trees and shrubs infected with systemic diseases that show considerable dieback should be cut and the stump removed or destroyed.
·        If infected plants are to be treated with fungicides, prune or remove infected tissue and debris to eliminate sources for spore production or propagule multiplication. This should be done before fungicide application. Fungicide effectiveness may be reduced when disease pressure is heavy, which can result when pathogen levels cannot be reduced sufficiently by chemical means (fungicides).
·        Do not compost diseased plant material or infested soil because incomplete composting (temperatures below 160˚ F) may result in survival of pathogens.
·        Homeowners should be cautious about storing diseased limbs and trunks as firewood or using the wood chips as mulch.
·        Remove weeds and volunteer plants to prevent establishment of a “green bridge” between plants. A green bridge allows pathogens to infect alternate hosts until a more suitable one becomes available. Be sure to remove above ground parts AND roots.
·        Soil from container-grown plants should not be reused from one season to the next because pathogens can survive in soil.


For more information on proper landscape sanitation and disease prevention, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Early cold blast prompts livestock cold stress warning

Early cold blast prompts livestock cold stress warning



PHOTO: Matt Barton, UK Agricultural Communications
LEXINGTON, Ky.
An early blast of arctic cold has landed in the Bluegrass, and that puts pressure on farmers to make sure their animals are ready for the assault.
“Some locations may even see the livestock cold stress index dip into the emergency category early next week,” said Matt Dixon, agricultural meteorologist for the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “This arctic air mass will continue to build over the next few days, and the lows the next few nights will bottom out in the upper teens and low 20s for most areas of the state. Windchills could very well dip into the single digits at times on Monday and Tuesday night.”
These temperatures are about 20 degrees below normal for this time of year and will create dangerous conditions for livestock and outdoor pets. To complicate matters, Dixon said some areas could see snow accumulations toward the end of the weekend and into next week.
Livestock producers should make sure animals have adequate shelter, water, dry bedding and feed to make it through this cold spell. Pet owners should bring pets indoors. UK livestock specialists said animals have a higher requirement for energy in the colder months, so producers should have high-quality grains and forages on hand to meet their needs.
The average horse, with a lower activity level, should eat between 1.5 and 2 percent of its body weight in feed per day to maintain its weight. UK equine specialist Bob Coleman said that feed requirement goes up in the winter, as horses use more calories to keep warm. He recommended providing extra hay and making sure horses have shelter to get out of windy, damp weather. It’s also important for horses to have access to clean, unfrozen water. Make sure water sources are open for all livestock. A decrease in water intake will affect dry matter intake.
Ambient temperatures can impact the amount of dry matter cattle eat, providing an opportunity to compensate for increased maintenance energy needs. Producers either need to increase their animals’ feed intake or increase the energy density of the diet by feeding higher quality hay or adding more grain or fat to the grain mix, UK beef specialist Jeff Lehmkuhler said.
Lehmkuhler recommended that producers continue to monitor cows during the wintertime and make sure to maintain the animals’ body condition.
“Poor quality hay may not provide adequate energy to maintain gestating cows that are entering the third trimester,” he said. “Consider having the hay tested to determine if you need to supplement during times of possible cold stress, especially for the enduring cold spells.”
He said to consider separating younger and thinner cows that may not have the same internal insulation as conditioned older cows and supplement them accordingly or offer them higher quality forage if available. Coleman said equine owners can employ similar strategies and separate animals according to body condition score.
“Producers should move cows to fields with natural windbreaks or provide man-made windbreaks, which are not the same as a barn,” Lehmkuhler suggested. “Poorly managed barns combined with poor ventilation may actually hamper efforts to improve the environmental conditions. Lastly, remember it is energy or calories that are really needed. If the protein level in the forage is adequate, do not make supplement decisions based on protein level; rather purchase the most affordable calories. Stay warm and keep the waterers flowing.”
The lower critical temperature (LCT) value for cattle is the lowest temperature or wind chill at which no additional energy is required to maintain core body temperature.
“As the temperature declines below this lower critical value, the maintenance energy value for the animal is increased to maintain core body temperature,” he said. “Animals maintain core body temperature by increasing their metabolism, resulting in greater heat production, as well as other heat conservation strategies, such as reducing blood flow to the extremities, shivering and increased intake.”
Lehmkuhler said several things can influence lower critical temperature value.
“Both external and internal insulation influences the LCT. External insulation is basically the depth and thickness of the hair coat, condition of the hair coat and thickness of the hide,” he said. “Thin-hided breeds such as dairy breeds tend to have a lower insulating factor than thick-hided breeds like Herefords. The condition of the hair coat is extremely important as an external insulation barrier.”
The hair coat acts similar to home attic insulation that traps air, enhancing the insulating value. If the hair is wet and full of mud, air is excluded, reducing the insulating value and increasing heat loss from the skin to the environment. The density of the hair coat and if it is wet or dry impacts the wind chill temperatures at which cold stress is considered mild, moderate or severe. As little as 0.1 inch of rain can immediately impact cold stress severity by matting the hair down reducing its insulating ability. Acclimation time, hide thickness, fat cover and other factors will also influence the degree of cold stress that animals experience.

Friday, November 7, 2014

Kentucky Beef Checkoff Vote is Nov. 20

Kentucky Beef Checkoff Vote is Nov. 20
Source:  Gary Palmer, UKAg Assistant Director for Agriculture and Natural Resources
               
For more than 30 years, Kentucky farmers have supported the beef industry through a per-head checkoff program. When it began in 1976, the checkoff was 10 cents per head. The passage of the 1985 Farm Bill replaced with state program with a Federal Beef Checkoff program of $1 per head when a beef animal is sold during its lifetime. Half of the money comes back to Kentucky to support state beef promotion through the Kentucky Beef Council.

When the Federal program was threatening to end in 2004, Kentucky producers overwhelmingly supported reinstating a state checkoff and even an additional checkoff if the Federal program stayed intact.

In May 2014, the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Association appointed a Kentucky Beef Checkoff Task Force. This group made an application to the Kentucky Board of Agriculture requesting a referendum to add an additional $1 state beef checkoff program in the state.

Many producers believe this unique checkoff will strengthen beef demand not only in Kentucky, but across the country and beyond. The funds will allow Kentucky beef producers to fund their own industry in a way that compliments current programs and allows them to confront beef industry challenges including consumer attitudes, rising beef prices and food safety and animal safety concerns.

Kentucky cattle producers have a chance to vote on the referendum to support beef promotion. The vote will take place Nov. 20 at the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office.

Voting is open to all producers of bovine animals involved in the marketing or sale of bovine animals in Kentucky. If the referendum passes, the Kentucky Beef Promotion Council will take on the responsibility of overseeing the funds. This council is made up of beef and dairy producers and industry professionals.

For more information, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690 or visit http://www.kycattle.org.  Educational programs of the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Bug Proof Your House This Fall

You may have noticed your home being invaded by an assortment of pests this fall, including Asian lady beetles, boxelder bugs, crickets, spiders and black soldier beetle larvae. These creatures typically visit homes that provide easy entry this time of year, often seeking refuge from changing weather.

Pest proofing your home is the most efficient way to keep these critters out. A swatter, broom or vacuum cleaner and trash container will take care of pests that occasionally wander indoors. It’s best to deal with boxelder bugs and lady beetles outside, before they enter your home.

UK Extension Entomologist Dr. Lee Townsend, suggests following these guidelines to help pest proof your home or place of business and some may even help you 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. Insects and spiders can enter through a gap of one-sixteenth of an inch or less. Get down on the floor and 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 doesn’t seal well in the winter; and line the bottom track of sliding glass doors with foam weather stripping ½ to ¾ inch wide to seal any gaps.

Utility openings where pipes and wires enter the foundation and siding are common entry points for spiders, ants, yellowjackets and rodents. 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. Be sure to use a good caulking gun. Desirable features are a back-off trigger to stop caulk when desired, a built-in “slicer” to remove the tip from new caulking tubes, and a nail to puncture the seal within. These guns are available for less than $10.

To reduce the entry of lady beetles, cluster flies and other overwintering pests, repair gaps and tears in window and door screens. Keep windows closed when adults are emerging to prevent entry. Repairing screens also will keep out flies, gnats, mosquitoes and midges next summer.

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 pyrethroids. These products are available at some hardware, lawn and garden shops.

If you apply the barrier treatment, use a compressed air or hose-end sprayer to treat the base of all exterior doors, garage, crawl space entrances, foundation vents, utility openings and beneath siding. It’s also useful to treat the outside perimeter of the foundation with a two- to six-foot wide band along the ground and two to three feet up the foundation wall.
If you prefer not to tackle these pest-proofing activities, contact a professional pest control firm. Many firms are beginning to offer pest-proofing services.

For more information, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

There will be a pesticide certification training on Friday, November 14th at 8am at the McLean County Cooperative Extension Office.