(402) 444-7804

April 2024

Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties

Free Online Gardening Classes

Rain-Use it, Don't Lose it!

When: April 10, 2024 Noon-1pm CT

Where: Zoom

From rain barrels, rain gardens, landscape design tips, and practices to, “slow it down and soak it in.”

Simple Landscape Design

When: May 8, 2024 Noon-1pm CT

Explore basic elements of landscape and learn how to personalize your outdoor space to fit your growing environment.

Early Childhood Education Professional Development Programs

Nebraska Extension’s Early Childhood Team (TLC) is pleased to offer a vareity of online and in-person classes to meet the needs of the early childhood workforce. Check out our classes at Early Childhood Education Professional Development Programs | Nebraska Extension (unl.edu)

Questions? Reach out to us at tlc@unl.edu.

Home Food Preservation Series

Dreaming about that bumper crop of vegetables from your garden next summer? Now is the time to refresh your food preservation skills with free videos created by our Nebraska Extension experts.

Learn more about pressure canning, water bath canning, freezing and dehydrating food at

https://food.unl.edu/article/home-food-preservation-series.

April Yard and Garden Help

We are getting a lot of questions about preemergent herbicides as the weather warms up. Resist the urge to apply it until mid to late April when the soil temperatures are at least 55 degrees F.

Find the current temperature using our on-line weather station at http://www.mgextensionwx.com/.

Do you have gardening and plant questions?

Our Master Gardeners are now available to answer questions from 9 am to noon and 1 to 4 pm.

Reach our Horticulture Helpline at (402) 444-7804 and press 2.

Email us at douglas-sarpy@unl.edu.

Visit us in person with your plant, turf or insect sample at 8015 West Center Road, Omaha.

Small Cards, Big Impact; Nebraska Extension's Bed Bug Education

Did you know there is a quick and convenient resource to help you identify bed bugs, and it even fits in your wallet? A valuable tool packed with information, Nebraska Extension offers Bed Bug ID cards for on-the-go identification and assistance. Intended to help aid in the search for and recognition of bed bugs, these cards not only provide a reference for what to look for, but also serve as a useful tool to fit into cracks and crevices, making them perfect for checking the insect’s potential hiding spots.

Created by Extension Educator and Urban Entomologist Jody Green, the Bed Bug ID cards underscore the “importance of awareness and identification of bed bugs.” Because bed bugs can infest homes, bite, and are often difficult to manage, stopping bed bug “hitchhikers,” is a crucial first step in prevention. “Know how to identify and find bed bugs before they find you,” says Green. The cards show real-life, actual-size images of bed bugs and other signs that bed bugs leave behind, like cast skins, fecal stains, and eggs.

Learn more here.

Community Partner Highlight: Custom Diesel Drivers Training

The Country Curators 4-H club recently created blankets and donated them to the Omaha Project Linus program.

The club wishes to express their appreciation to Custom Diesel Drivers Training (CDDT) for allowing them to use of their classroom space for this project.

April is National Safe Digging Month!

Call 811 before you dig! Nebraska 811 is a free service for anyone who is planning a digging project, including homeowners and professional excavators. Nebraska State law requirements requires anyone one who digs to place a locate request at least two full business days before digging. Once your request is submitted, utilities will locate and mark their lines.

4-H Enrollment is Open

To enroll, click here.

Direct questions to Mary at mdierks@sarpy.gov.

For returning families, use your log-in credentials for 4honline used in previous years. Instructions can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/returning-member.

Enrollment instructions for new families can be found here: https://4h.unl.edu/enroll/new-member.

Please note the enrollment fee for Douglas-Sarpy counties is $10 per member and is paid online.

Learn more about horticulture and the 4-H programs by signing up for our Newsletters:

Monthly Horticulture Newsletter by emailing John Fech here.
Weekly 4-H Newsletter by emailing Rachel Wright here.

Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties

8015 West Center Road, Omaha

402-444-7804

go.unl.edu/douglassarpyext

Email us at douglas-sarpy@unl.edu

Our south office is located at 1102 E. 1st St., Papillion, NE 68046.

Call 402-444-7804 to schedule an appointment at our Papillion Office.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made to Douglas-Sarpy County Extension at 402-444-7804 or douglas-sarpy@unl.edu

Nebraska Extension education programs abide with the non-discrimination policies of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the United State Department of Agriculture.