It is that time of year when everything seems to be looking for a place to stay for the winter. I haven't shared too much from my friend lately, but here is a little story about mice and how you might consider keeping them OUT this fall and winter. You can find his other posts on the Between the Barb Wire Pinterest Board. -A Kansas Farm Mom
Did you ever have a story you wanted to tell but you believe the people who the story is about may disown you? So in an effort to protect the innocent, we will just say there were two sisters, one of which I do not call by her first name. I can say no more for I wish to partake of all the good things that come at Christmas. If they learn of this, I will bear the consequences in order for you to enjoy this article.
It was a typical 4-H meeting held in an old school building south of the thriving town of Neutral. I was seated toward the south side of the building, while the two sisters were sitting on the north side, on a bench, with their backs against a window. It was a tall window that had curtains that nearly reached the floor. The meeting was progressing as usual with the constant chatter and someone making the occasional motion to keep the meeting from becoming stalled.
I looked over at the sisters and noticed that a mouse had appeared, I think from the ceiling, and was clinging to the top of the curtain. It began a track down the curtain, unnoticed by the sisters. Who was I to tell them? It was a cute mouse. It had little ears, a wiggly nose and was small enough to fit in a tea cup. It did not pose an imminent threat. About the time the mouse made it to the ladies’s heads, they became aware that they were no longer alone.
Discussion halted as two quiet ladies suddenly shrieked and left their place of residence at breakneck speed. It was a very audible shriek. Apparently the mouse heard because it quickly found a new hole to hide. After a few moments, the sisters’s hearts finally slowed and they were able to be seated. The rest of the meeting they kept looking up at the curtain expecting the mouse to return. It was a long meeting for them. It was one of my fondest 4-H memories. I don’t know what the big deal was. There was no way that mouse could have eaten them both.
Living on a hog farm mice were quite common, so I really do not have a fear of them. Now when they get into the house, war is declared. With the onset of cold weather, mice may be looking for a new habitat.
Mice can be annoying little pest. They are most active at night and during meetings. They can cause damage to property, contaminate food, and even carry diseases. House mice have a musky odor that identifies their presence. They have a relatively short life span, usually nine to twelve months. However, during their life they can have five to ten litters of mice and five to six young each time. The young can reach puberty in six to ten weeks. Therefore, it does not take long before you have a mouse epidemic. So how do we keep them outside, and if they make it inside, how do we get rid of them?
Build them out is the best. A mouse can squeeze through an opening a little larger than 1/4 of an inch in diameter. Plugging openings and cracks will go a long way in stopping them. Steel wool is a good temporary material to plug holes. Latex, rubber, plastic, wood and other gnawable materials would not be a good choice.
Sanitation is another important line of defense. Mice can not survive if they have few places to hide and little to eat. However, sanitation alone will not eliminate mice, but will control their numbers.
Trapping is an effective control method. It does take some time, but is the preferred method in homes, garages, and other structures where only a few mice are present. Trapping has several advantages: 1) it does not rely on hazardous rodenticides; 2) it allows the user to view his or her success; and 3) allows for the disposal of the mice, eliminating any dead mouse odors.
There are several different styles of traps. A simple wood-based snap trap is very effective. It can be baited with a variety of things but peanut butter is popular because it is easy to use and attractive to mice. An alternative to the snap trap is a glue trap. They will catch the mouse and hold it in place until you dispose of them. The downside to this trap, is that the mouse is generally not dead when you find it. Multiple-capture live traps are also available.
They can catch several mice without having to be reset. When placing traps, set them behind objects, in dark corners, close to walls and where there is evidence of mouse activity. Another option to eliminating those unwanted cute mammals, is to use rodenticides or poison. Rodenticides are very effective as long as the mice consume them. There is some drawbacks to using them: 1) Children or pets may come in contact with the rodenticide. If using poison make sure only the targeted species have access to the poison. 2) You cannot control where the mouse will die. This may lead to an undesirable odor that you have problems eliminating.
Mice are not the most popular of house guests, though they are in many homes. If you have any questions about eradicating unwanted guests (mice not relatives) contact the Cherokee County Extension Office. As always, as life continues; keep looking between the barb wire.
Dale Helwig
Cherokee County Ag Agent
Showing posts with label Between the Barb Wire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Between the Barb Wire. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Tomatoes-Guest Post
My Mother In Law asked me last night when I was planning to put up a new blog post as it has been almost a month since my last. We have been a little busy with things that I haven't had time to blog about like: a trip to cattle camp, a trip to a national cattle show, wheat harvest, putting up hay and so much more. Packing for a vacation or camp is hard, but when you are packing cattle and kids it takes on a whole new realm. The kids and cattle have traveled almost 650 miles together this summer! I have a few more days of wheat harvest and I promise to finish up a pile of posts that are partially done along with the ones bouncing around in my head. In the meantime, how about another from my somewhat regular guest contributor Dale Helwig? My tomatoes are getting close!
Tomatoes are a very popular garden crop. I hesitate to say vegetable because technically tomatoes are a fruit. The debate of whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable has been going on for a very long time. That debate has even been brought before the United States Supreme Court. You would think the highest court in the land would have better things to do than argue over if tomatoes are a fruit or a vegetable. But when money is involved, people will argue about anything. That is exactly what happened in 1893. The U.S. had imposed a tariff tax on vegetables but not on fruits. In the case of Nix v. Hedden, the Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes were a vegetable based on their use. Tomatoes are not typically served as a dessert.
However, the courts did not change the botanical classification of the tomato. I saw on the internet what the difference is between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The tomato originated in South America. European explorers discovered them in the 1500's and took them back to Europe where the French dubbed them the “love apple.” Nothing says I love you like a big juicy tomato. Who needs roses when you have tomatoes? By the way men, they are a lot cheaper, have no thorns, and are edible. This would not be a waste of money.
By the 1600's they got over that and the Spanish called them “tomate” where we get our modern
form of tomato.
Today ninety-three percent of American gardens have tomatoes in them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture claims Americans consume 22-24 pounds of tomatoes per person each year. Most of that is in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce. California is the largest producer of processed tomatoes in the United States, while Florida produces the greatest amount of fresh tomatoes. However, the largest tomato on record was grown by Gordon Graham in Edmond, Oklahoma. It weighed a whopping 7 pounds 12 ounces. Amazingly, the United States in not the greatest producer of tomatoes. China is number one followed by the United States, Turkey and India.
The importance of the tomato does not stop there. Besides being the best companion to a slice of bacon (in my opinion), the tomato is very important to other states in the union as well. The tomato is the official fruit and vegetable of Arkansas. Apparently the debate was settled there. They just classify it as both a fruit and a vegetable. Maybe the tomato is bi-polar. In other news, the state of Ohio has made tomato juice the official beverage. That is one form of the tomato I can not tolerate. The Buckeye State may have just lost a supporter. I love tomatoes but they are made to be eaten not drunk. (again my opinion)
So what about those people that do not like tomatoes in any form? They refuse to grow them, eat or drink them. Well they are in luck. They can move to Bunol, Spain. The last Wednesday in August they hold the La Tomatina Festival. Tens of thousands of visitors will participate in the largest tomato fight known to man. Some 150,000 tomatoes will be thrown at each other in this celebration. Talk about your ultimate food fight!
Whatever your opinion is about tomatoes, it is the time of year to start putting them in your garden, well at least for 93% of you. Stay tuned for next time as we dive into the world of the tomato plant. Till then, as life continues, keep looking between the barb wire.
Dale Helwig
Cherokee County Ag Agent
California Fish Tacos
Italian Roast Beef Panini with Garlic Aioli
Things you may not know about tomatoes
However, the courts did not change the botanical classification of the tomato. I saw on the internet what the difference is between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit and wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
The tomato originated in South America. European explorers discovered them in the 1500's and took them back to Europe where the French dubbed them the “love apple.” Nothing says I love you like a big juicy tomato. Who needs roses when you have tomatoes? By the way men, they are a lot cheaper, have no thorns, and are edible. This would not be a waste of money.
By the 1600's they got over that and the Spanish called them “tomate” where we get our modern
form of tomato.
Today ninety-three percent of American gardens have tomatoes in them. The U.S. Department of Agriculture claims Americans consume 22-24 pounds of tomatoes per person each year. Most of that is in the form of ketchup and tomato sauce. California is the largest producer of processed tomatoes in the United States, while Florida produces the greatest amount of fresh tomatoes. However, the largest tomato on record was grown by Gordon Graham in Edmond, Oklahoma. It weighed a whopping 7 pounds 12 ounces. Amazingly, the United States in not the greatest producer of tomatoes. China is number one followed by the United States, Turkey and India.
The importance of the tomato does not stop there. Besides being the best companion to a slice of bacon (in my opinion), the tomato is very important to other states in the union as well. The tomato is the official fruit and vegetable of Arkansas. Apparently the debate was settled there. They just classify it as both a fruit and a vegetable. Maybe the tomato is bi-polar. In other news, the state of Ohio has made tomato juice the official beverage. That is one form of the tomato I can not tolerate. The Buckeye State may have just lost a supporter. I love tomatoes but they are made to be eaten not drunk. (again my opinion)
So what about those people that do not like tomatoes in any form? They refuse to grow them, eat or drink them. Well they are in luck. They can move to Bunol, Spain. The last Wednesday in August they hold the La Tomatina Festival. Tens of thousands of visitors will participate in the largest tomato fight known to man. Some 150,000 tomatoes will be thrown at each other in this celebration. Talk about your ultimate food fight!
Whatever your opinion is about tomatoes, it is the time of year to start putting them in your garden, well at least for 93% of you. Stay tuned for next time as we dive into the world of the tomato plant. Till then, as life continues, keep looking between the barb wire.
Dale Helwig
Cherokee County Ag Agent
You might enjoy these recipes for tomatoes:
Cherry Tomato SaladCalifornia Fish Tacos
Italian Roast Beef Panini with Garlic Aioli
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Crawdads
A few months ago, I was approached by one of the County Extension Agent friends to see if I would like to share some of his weekly articles that appear in the local newspaper. I wasn't sure what he was going to show me. I mean really, most Extension Agent articles are pretty dry, but my friend Dale has a knack for writing boring stuff into an entertaining reading piece. I have a couple more that he has sent me if you enjoy this one.-A Kansas Farm Mom
As an extension agent you never know what question will come next. This is what makes the job interesting. Just when I am getting comfortable answering questions, someone throws a change up. A question I was asked was how to get rid of crawdads in a yard? Believe it or not, I did not have that answer on the tip of my tongue. Not dissuaded I began to research the problem. Come to find out this is not an uncommon problem. However, the answer is.
As I was investigating, a memory came back to me, one I had not recalled for a while. When I was in grade school, fourth grade to be exact, I had a couple of good friends. Yes, I did have friends. As chums do, we occasionally teased each other. I always brought my lunch to school. I had a Dukes of Hazard lunch box. My mom was great and packed it for me. I was careful to eat everything she packed. I am not afraid of food. When I would return home mom unpacked and cleaned my lunch box so it was ready for the next day.
One day at school I had taken my time and eaten all that my mommy had packed for me. I even drank every bit of juice out of the thermos. After lunch I put my lunch box back in the classroom and went to recess. I suspected nothing. Later that evening, I was at home and I hear my mother scream. When mom screams something is wrong, especially when your name follows the scream. Apparently my “friends” had captured a crawdad at recess and the only container they knew to put it in was my thermos. My mother was not impressed by the placement of their trophy. After discarding the crawdad, mom cleaned the thermos and I continued to use it.
So, the answer to get crawdads out of your yard; have a lot of friends who drink out of thermoses. Kids do not try that at home.
A little background on crawdads. They are also known as crayfish, crawfish, freshwater crab, and other names if you have ever been pinched by one. There are 338 species in the United States and over 550 species worldwide. The worlds largest crayfish is the Tasmanian species. They can get as large as eight pounds. That one ought to attract some rather large fish.
Crawfish can be quite beneficial. They serve as food for a large number of aquatic and terrestrial animals. They consume both live and dead plant and animal material. In the right balance they have an important role in ponds, streams, lakes and other areas. However, large number of crawfish can cause damage to ponds and lakes. Their burrowing can cause leaks and weaken the structural integrity of dams. When this happens control measures need to be implemented such as increasing natural predators (large fish and others) and trapping.
Crawdads can be quite a nuisance in yards. As a crawdad burrows it forms a cone-shaped mound. These mounds can be unpleasant to look at and hard on lawn mowers. When it comes to eliminating crawdads out of yards, there is no good answer. You could increase the coon population but then they get in my feed wagon. Trapping in a yard is a little unrealistic. So what is the answer? Moving is an option but one you probably don’t want to do.
There are no pesticides labeled for crayfish. So chemical treatments of crayfish are not recommended. Chemical treatments can threaten water quality and have the potential to kill beneficial plants and animals as well as pest.
The only thing left is home remedies. There are several out there but one I will share with you. This is from Lee Townsend of the University of Kentucky Extension and is suggested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For burrow treatment of crayfish use sodium hydroxide (lye) at the rate of 2-3 pellets per burrow and close the burrow with your foot and soil. Hand and eye protection is recommended when applying lye.
Another option is to put a pond in your front yard and stock it with some really big fish. Two benefits to this one, you already have plenty of fish bait and you do not have to drive far to go fishing.
The last option is not recommended by my mother. You can wait until dark after a rain storm and have a lot of thermoses ready. Remember, as life continues; keep looking between the barb wire.
Dale Helwig
Cherokee County Ag Agent
As an extension agent you never know what question will come next. This is what makes the job interesting. Just when I am getting comfortable answering questions, someone throws a change up. A question I was asked was how to get rid of crawdads in a yard? Believe it or not, I did not have that answer on the tip of my tongue. Not dissuaded I began to research the problem. Come to find out this is not an uncommon problem. However, the answer is.
As I was investigating, a memory came back to me, one I had not recalled for a while. When I was in grade school, fourth grade to be exact, I had a couple of good friends. Yes, I did have friends. As chums do, we occasionally teased each other. I always brought my lunch to school. I had a Dukes of Hazard lunch box. My mom was great and packed it for me. I was careful to eat everything she packed. I am not afraid of food. When I would return home mom unpacked and cleaned my lunch box so it was ready for the next day.
One day at school I had taken my time and eaten all that my mommy had packed for me. I even drank every bit of juice out of the thermos. After lunch I put my lunch box back in the classroom and went to recess. I suspected nothing. Later that evening, I was at home and I hear my mother scream. When mom screams something is wrong, especially when your name follows the scream. Apparently my “friends” had captured a crawdad at recess and the only container they knew to put it in was my thermos. My mother was not impressed by the placement of their trophy. After discarding the crawdad, mom cleaned the thermos and I continued to use it.
So, the answer to get crawdads out of your yard; have a lot of friends who drink out of thermoses. Kids do not try that at home.
A little background on crawdads. They are also known as crayfish, crawfish, freshwater crab, and other names if you have ever been pinched by one. There are 338 species in the United States and over 550 species worldwide. The worlds largest crayfish is the Tasmanian species. They can get as large as eight pounds. That one ought to attract some rather large fish.
Crawfish can be quite beneficial. They serve as food for a large number of aquatic and terrestrial animals. They consume both live and dead plant and animal material. In the right balance they have an important role in ponds, streams, lakes and other areas. However, large number of crawfish can cause damage to ponds and lakes. Their burrowing can cause leaks and weaken the structural integrity of dams. When this happens control measures need to be implemented such as increasing natural predators (large fish and others) and trapping.
Crawdads can be quite a nuisance in yards. As a crawdad burrows it forms a cone-shaped mound. These mounds can be unpleasant to look at and hard on lawn mowers. When it comes to eliminating crawdads out of yards, there is no good answer. You could increase the coon population but then they get in my feed wagon. Trapping in a yard is a little unrealistic. So what is the answer? Moving is an option but one you probably don’t want to do.
There are no pesticides labeled for crayfish. So chemical treatments of crayfish are not recommended. Chemical treatments can threaten water quality and have the potential to kill beneficial plants and animals as well as pest.
The only thing left is home remedies. There are several out there but one I will share with you. This is from Lee Townsend of the University of Kentucky Extension and is suggested by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. For burrow treatment of crayfish use sodium hydroxide (lye) at the rate of 2-3 pellets per burrow and close the burrow with your foot and soil. Hand and eye protection is recommended when applying lye.
Another option is to put a pond in your front yard and stock it with some really big fish. Two benefits to this one, you already have plenty of fish bait and you do not have to drive far to go fishing.
The last option is not recommended by my mother. You can wait until dark after a rain storm and have a lot of thermoses ready. Remember, as life continues; keep looking between the barb wire.
Dale Helwig
Cherokee County Ag Agent
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