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Early Spring is not a time that we typically think of fescue toxicosis, as our thoughts are more like getting animals out on grass and waging war on mud. However, I receive many calls from producers in late spring and early summer regarding many symptoms of this toxicity.

Fescue is a tough forage that handles trampling and drought and hot weather much better than many of its counterparts and we as livestock producers rely on it to produce most of our forage needs. But, this hardiness is made possible by a fungus that exists between the cell walls of KY 31 fescue plants and protects the plant from many climactic conditions. This endophyte (fungus) attributes greatly to summer slump in beef herds. Symptoms range from rough haircoats and poor shedding, to elevated body temps and sloughing of the tail switch and hooves. These animals often stand in water or under shade and pant profusely. The main thing is they are not grazing and filling up that rumen, and converting forage intake efficiently. The greatest problems from fescue toxicosis occurs in the summer months and into early fall. Toxin levels are at their greatest when seed heads are present with high concentrations in the seeds. Calves grazing toxic fescue show reduced weight gains on this reduced quality forage and milk production of their dams is lower.

In managing pastures to counter the effects of fescue toxicosis producers do have some tools to lessen the effects. Grazing pastures heavily or clipping to remove seed heads is a big help. This removes the toxin-laden seeds and starts the plants back growing. Try to get grass clipped while still in the boot stage or just before the flower emerges from the sheath for optimum results. In addition, producers should provide an abundant source of clean, fresh water and graze pastures with adequate shade during the hottest months of the year, as this is the time when animals will suffer most from an elevated body temperature and they need some relief.

Finally, maintaining around 30% clover in these infected fescue pastures can dilute the effects of the endophyte fungus. This can also apply to hayfields, as they are a big part of the forage production system. The extra nutrition from the clover can help, along with these other management practices to minimize the effects of fescue toxicity in your herd.

Bagworms look exactly like they sound. They spend much of their life as worms living in bags. They are common throughout North Carolina and seem to prefer juniper and arborvitae as their home, although they can be found on other shrubs and trees.

 

Bagworms hatch in May and June and travel from one plant to the other by silk threads and wind. They will attach themselves to the stem of a shrub and begin to spin a bag using parts of the plant for re-enforcement. They also begin to eat foliage and can defoliate a plant when large numbers are present.

 

Bagworms are not particularly noticeable until numerous bags are seen hanging on a shrub. These bags can best be seen in the winter when leaves of deciduous trees are absent. In the early summer these bags will move when prodded, telling the observer that the eggs are about to hatch from the bag. Female bagworms never leave the bag, but in August the male bagworm emerges from the bag as a moth and mates with the female in her bag.

 

Effective contol with insecticides such as Spinosad, Sevin or Insecticidal Soap must take place during June and early July while the bagworm is actively feeding and spinning it's bag. Once the bag is spun and the worm is enclosed, chemicals cannot penetrate. When this has taken place, the only effective control is to cut the bags off the branches of the shrubs with scissors and then destroy the bags.  

 

Bagworms are unsitely, when large numbers are present and girdling of the stem by silk threads used to attach the bag to the shrub can cause damage. The occasional bagworm is not a threat to a shrub so the homeowner must make the decision as to whether the infestation is severe enough to warrant chemical control.  

 

Applications of Orthene, insecticidal soap or malathion are effective when applied at the proper time. At least two applications will be necessary at seven to ten day intervals. Follow the label recommendations for application rates and safe procedures.

 

Get out in your landscape now and inspect trees and shrubs for these hanging bags full of worms.

The Burke County Extension Master Gardeners will hold their 4th Annual Plants & More Sale on Saturday, May 13th from 8:00 am - 12:00 noon.

Come out to the Burke County Agricultural Building and purchase vegetable plants, flowering plants, shrubs, etc.  There will also be a yard sale, silent auction, baked goods, tomato cages and burlap bags for sale. 

Proceeds help fund community projects by the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Association of Burke County. 

 

One particularly pesky insect is the earwig. It can literally take over mulched garden areas. These insects can eat seedlings, insects, spiders and dead or decaying plant material. It's bad enough to have them in the garden but they tend to find their way inside our homes and this we cannot tolerate. Their fierce looking pincers scare us to death and the thoughts of waking up with one of these small monsters on the pillow next to us is enough to have us shaking out the covers each night before we go to bed.

 

The solution is to take away their habitat. They are looking for water and cool, dark places. Make sure water faucets don't drip and leave puddles and put a bucket under air conditioner drains. Push mulch away from the foundation of the house. Get rid of woodpiles and other things they can hide under. A rolled up newspaper placed in a mulched area can be an attractant for earwigs. Pick it up each morning and empty the folded pages into a bucket of soapy water. Pesticides can help. Insecticidal soap will control them and is safe to use on tender plants.

 

The problem can last throughout the summer but if you are diligent in taking away their hiding places, the numbers of earwigs will drop considerably. If you need more information on this insect pest, you can call our office at 828-764-9480.