Center for Urban Agriculture

Source(s): Jim Howell, Ph.D., Entomologist, The University of Georgia

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Opossums are found throughout much of the United States and north into parts of Canada. Although these animals are interesting and beneficial in the wild, they can become a nuisance when seeking food or shelter in our homes or other buildings.

Description

The common opossum is a grayish-white animal with a scaly, hairless tail, a triangular shaped head with a pointed snout, and is about the size of a house cat. Males reach a length of 3 feet, including the tail, and average 6 to 12 pounds. Females are smaller and weigh about 4 to 6 pounds. Their frequent “grin” shows 50 sharp teeth, more than any other North American mammal. The opossum is the only marsupial in North America, and females, like kangaroos and koalas, carry their young in a pouch located on the front of the abdomen.

Biology

Opossums thrive east of the Rocky Mountains. They are common from Maine to Florida and have been introduced into California. Opossums, like other marsupials, give birth to relatively undeveloped young which climb into the mother’s marsupial pouch. They spend the next two months feeding on mother’s milk before emerging. There are up to three litters a year from January to July, with about six to eight young per litter. When the female leaves the den, the young opossums often ride along on her back. Opossums eat a wide range of foods, including but not limited to carrion (popularly known as road kill), grass, fruits and vegetables, insects, garbage, pet foods, snakes, chickens, and eggs.

Although their first line of defense is to hiss and bare their teeth, as a last resort they may play dead. The popular term “playing possum” comes from the opossum’s habit of dropping to the ground, opening its mouth and remaining motionless for several minutes. Many predators won’t attack a dead animal and will walk away when an opossum plays dead.

Because of their range and dietary preferences, they are sometimes a nuisance to homeowners. Because they readily eat pet foods and cultivated plants, and rumage through garbage cans, they often come into contact with humans and will readily enter dwellings through vent systems or torn screens. They may adopt a household because of the availability of food and will take up residence behind stored items in carports or beneath houses, leaving unsightly droppings along with an unpleasant odor.

Control

Live traps can be used to capture opossums. Cat food, apples or sardines make good bait. Once captured, a problem arises: what to do with the critter? Relocation may work if you are sure you are not creating another problem in the release area. Local ordinances should be checked for restrictions on capture and release efforts. Most counties recognize these creatures as game animals, but local regulations should be consulted before treating them as such.

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Center Publication Number: 235

Source(s): Gary R Peiffer

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Orange-striped oakworms(Anisota senatoria) are often found on oak trees and other hardwoods in late August and September. They are usually recognized in the caterpillar stage because of their defoliation of oak trees.

The full grown caterpillars are 1 1/2 to 2 inches long, black in color with several narrow, yellow-orange longitudinal lines. Behind the head are a pair of stiff, blunt spines, about the thickness of the body. The remaining segments of the body have pairs of smaller spines. The orange-striped oakworm caterpillar generally appears in Georgia in August, September and sometimes as late as October. They defoliate sections of various oak species and sometimes completely defoliate smaller trees. This insect is extremely troublesome when present in oaks over patios, driveways, sidewalks, etc. because of the large amount of excrement from the insect’s body.

The winter is passed in the pupa stage in the ground. Adult moths emerge from June to August, mate and deposit eggs on the undersides of foliage on host plants.

Usually, there is only one generation per year and control measures are not necessary. If, however, control measures are necessary, such as to protect a small seedling oak, treat with Dipel or Thuricide (both are Bacillus thuringiensis, a biological control) or use an insecticide such as cyfluthrin or Sevin.

Information: Georgia Forestry Commission Metro Forestry
Reproduced by: DeKalb County Extension

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Resource(s): Insect Pests of Ornamental Plants

Center Publication Number: 30

Source(s): Gil Landry, PhD., Coordinator – The Center for Urban Agriculture, The University of Georgia.

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Fall is overseeding time. To keep your lawn vibrant and green year-round may take more than one grass. And you can have just that by overseeding your warm-season grass with a cool-season variety.

For successful overseeding, you need to:

• Choose the proper seed.
• Properly prepare for and time the overseeding.
• Carefully maintain the overseeded grass.
• And attentively manage the spring transition back to the warm-season grass.

You also need to maintain a healthy warm-season turf all year. It’s particularly important to keep the soil fertile, relieve soil compaction and prevent excessive thatch.

The proper seed is the grass with the characteristics best suited to your particular needs. Annual ryegrass has fast been replaced by perennial ryegrasses because of their improved quality, stress and pest tolerance and manageability. Use seed treated with fungicides, too, such as Apron or Koban. This is particularly true for early fall, since seedling blight diseases can be a problem at this time.

Overseeding rates in lawns range between 5 and 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Use high-quality, “Certified” (blue tag) seed that’s free of annual bluegrass (Poa annua) to maintain weed- free turf. The 10-pound rate provides a fast stand for fall use. The 5-pound rate provides a thinner stand that doesn’t provide much coverage until spring.

The right seeding rate depends on how you want it to look and how much traffic the turf will bear. Higher-traffic areas need higher seeding rates. However, higher seeding rates may also mean a more difficult spring transition.

Proper timing results in a gradual transition from the warm-season turf to the cool-season turf and back again. Some common indicators for timing include:

• Soil temperatures at a 4-inch depth approaching 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Night temperatures consistently in the 50s.
• Average midday temperature below 70, or two to four weeks before the average annual first killing frost.

The best way to make the actual overseeding successful is to get good soil-to-seed contact. Seedbed preparation generally consists of close mowing or scalping, with some light vertical mowing, and sweeping or vacuuming up the loose plant debris.

Generally, the more the turf is opened, the better the establishment rate, but the more competitive the cool-season turf will be in the spring. Seeds that germinate in thatch or above the soil are more likely to dry out and die.

After dragging the seed into the soil, irrigate three to five times per day until the seedlings are well established. But the total water applied during a day would seldom exceed 0.5 inches. Irrigate without causing puddling on the soil surface, for free water encourages disease. After the seeds germinate, gradually cut back on the frequency and increase the time of watering until you can establish a normal irrigation program.

Begin mowing when the seedlings are 30 percent higher than you want. Use a mower with sharp blades and mow when the grass is dry to reduce seedling injury.

Wait to fertilize until after the seedlings emerge. That’s usually three weeks after seeding. Earlier fertilizing may encourage warm-season turf competition. Generally, 1 pound of N per 1,000 sq. ft. per month is adequate.

Most turf managers are recognizing the value of a year-round turf management program to a smooth spring transition. Proper fertilization, irrigation, mowing, thatch control, cultivation and pest management all year affect the transition.

A good transition also requires knowing and making use of normal climatic conditions. Most warm-season turf grasses resume growth when soil and night temperatures approach 60 degrees.

Maintaining a mowing height that prevents the overseeding from shading out the warm-season grass is critical to a smooth transition. Lowering the mowing height as the soil warms will stress the cool-season turf and aid in soil warming. When temperatures are high enough, applying soluble nitrogen can encourage warm-season growth and encourage cool-season decline.

The key to successful overseeding is the same as with most other turf management programs: proper year-round management and understanding the growing conditions being dictated by the weather.

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Resource(s): Lawns in Georgia

Source(s): Jacob G Price

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Introduction

Pennywort (Dollarweed) is a perennial weed that is common in turfgrass as well as ornamentals. It is found in moist to wet sites or anywhere where there is excess moisture. Dollarweed reproduces by seeds, rhizomes, and tubers. In the United States it is found from Maine to Florida and several inland states.

Description

Dollarweed has erect, long stalked leaves with scalloped margins. They look like miniature lily-pads. The petiole of dollarweed is in the center of the leaf. Dollarweed sometimes flowers in elongated spikes at the top of the stalk,

Control: Turfgrass

For centipedegrass, St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, and dormant bermudagrass, Atrazine is labeled as a preemergence and postemergence control. Apply in early spring after green-up for summer control. Do not apply atrazine to unestablished sod, during greenup, to root zones of ornamentals,or to any cool season grass. Image or imazaquin can be used postemergence on the grasses listed above. Do not apply image to turfgrass during spring greenup or to newly planted grass. Manor (metsulfuron) provides good control on the grasses listed above. 2,4-D + MCPP + dicamba, which is Weed-B-Gon Lawn Weed Killer 2 or Ace Lawn Weed Killer, can be used on the above grasses but use half rates and spot treatments to minimize damage to Centipedegrass and St. Augustinegrass.

Control: Ornamentals

Image may be used over the top of a limited number of ornamentals, (refer to label). Roundup or Finale may be spot-sprayed in ornamentals if care is used to prevent drift.

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Resource(s): Georgia Turf: Weed Management

Center Publication Number: 71

Source(s): Jim Howell, Ph.D., Entomologist, The University of Georgia

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If you see small flies or gnats in your kitchen, they are probably fruit flies. Fruit flies can be a problem year round, but are especially common during summer and fall when they are more likely to be attracted to ripe or fermenting fruits and vegetables.

Identification

Fruit flies are small, red-eyed insects about 1/8 inch long, usually tan in front with a black behind. They’re easily identified by their erratic aerial stagger in the vicinity of ripe fruit.

Biology

Fruit flies are very common in restaurants, markets and other places, including our homes, where food is allowed to decay and ferment. They are often brought into our homes on previously infested produce but may also fly in through poorly screened windows and open doors. Females deposit eggs on fermenting foods, especially fruits and vegetables, and the developing larvae continue to feed near the surface.

The reproductive potential of these insects is incredible. If left undisturbed, a single female can lay 500 eggs, and the offspring can go from egg to adult in about a week. They have a special affinity for the rapidly fermenting fruits and vegetables, including apples, bananas, peaches squash and melons. However, they may breed in drains, garbage disposals, trash containers and empty cans. There is even a report they can reproduce in a wet mop! All they need is a moist film on a fermenting substance.

Damage

Fruit flies may have the ability to contaminate foods with bacteria and other disease producing organisms, and their presence in large numbers can be a major nuisance for the homeowner. The dancing plume of fruit flies that rises up from a bowl of ripening fruit is not a sight you want to see when entertaining guests.

Control

As with many food and pantry-infesting pests, the most important thing is to find the source. Locate all breeding areas and eliminate them. Simply put, throw out the infested fruit or produce. Fail to do so, and the problem will continue and increase, regardless of how many adults that you may kill. After removal of the infested products, remaining fruit flies can be killed with a pyrethrin-based aerosol or other insecticide labeled for indoor use in controlling fruit flies.

Prevention

The best way to prevent fruit flies is not to allow an infestation to develop. Be aware of fermenting fruits and vegetables. Ripe fruit should be eaten, throw away or refrigerated. Damaged pieces should be discarded. A single piece of fruit left in the back of the closet or fruit juice spilled beneath a cabinet or refrigerator, may be the source for thousands of fruit flies. Also, windows and doors should have tight-fitting screens to keep adult fruit flies from entering the home.

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Center Publication Number: 246

Source(s): Wayne McLaurin, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture, The University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

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Herbs are generally resistant to garden pests and diseases. As with growing any plant, thorough soil preparation, good cultivation practices, adequate watering, and good drainage keeps most herbs growing well and trouble free. A few pests occur, however.

Because the leaves of herbs are used throughout the season, chemical sprays and dusts generally should not be used. Organic materials, such as Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis), insecticidal soaps, herb/spice decoctions, and soapy water may also be used, but a simple spray of water is enough to wash away many pests. A few herbs do succumb more than others to garden problems.

Caterpillars — Identify caterpillars as harmful before trying to eradicate them. Black Swallowtail caterpillars are found on dill, fennel, parsley and related plants. In many gardens dill and parsley are planted especially to attract this butterfly.

Leaf Hoppers — Because they “hop” to various parts of the plant or to other plants, leaf hoppers can spread plant diseases as well as inflict damage from their own sucking feeding habits. They may infest almost any plant but often can be controlled by water sprays.

Leaf Miners — These burrowing insects that leave white “trails” all over the leaves of parsley and lovage can be persistent. While commercial growers use floating row covers to prevent this pest, the herb gardener will more likely clip back or replant when miners attack established plants.

Aphids; whiteflies — Good air circulation helps prevent these insects on more susceptible plants, such as germander and monarda; once discovered, they can usually be washed away with a spray of water.

Rust — A fungal disease found on mint, lemon balm, and similar plants, rust is usually not destructive of the entire plant. Because mints are so persistent and propagate through underground runners (stolons), rust-infected plants can be cut back to the ground and allowed to resprout.

Mildew — Lemon balm, monarda, and yarrow may show signs of powdery mildew. Thinning, clipping off the infected parts, and clipping adjacent plants back to increase air circulation are usually effective.

Companion Plantings

Further research is needed to verify claims of the effects of companion plantings. Plants said to repel pests or otherwise appear beneficial to other plants include chives, nasturtiums, mints, pennyroyal, garlic, tansy and French marigolds. Other herbs may affect some plantings negatively.

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Resource(s): Herbs in Southern Gardens

Center Publication Number: 260

Source(s): Robert R Westerfield, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Extension Horticulturist

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So you didn’t get your vegetable garden planted this spring because you were busy or the ground was too wet? And you still want some fresh, tasty vegetables. Well, it’s not too late to plant a fall garden.

In most cases, choose early-maturing vegetables. Lettuce, radishes, spinach, turnips and peas can be started from seed. Lettuce and radish can be seeded about every two weeks. Broccoli, cauliflower and collard plants can be planted toward the middle of August all the way through mid-September.

For hardy crops like cabbage, cauliflower and collards, count back from your average first frost date (if you know) the number of days the vegetable takes to mature, and plant at that time. If you don’t know either of those, then call your local County Extension Agent and find out.

For half-hardy plants like beets and carrots, allow an additional week. And for tender crops like beans and sweet corn, allow an extra two weeks. Hopefully, this will keep an early frost from killing your vegetables before they mature.

The garden pests will be out there in full force, so be extra diligent in watching for them.

You can grow an abundant crop of fall tomatoes, but where can you buy young tomato plants in the middle of the summer?

The easiest way to solve that problem is to cut small suckers from spring-planted tomatoes and let them grow to full-size plants.

You may have pinched out suckers at the first of the season, but some have grown back in the axil of the stems. They should be 4 to 6 inches long and have a growing point with several leaves. Sometime this month, cut the suckers from the plant, remove the lower leaves up to the bud and place them in a jar of water for an hour or two.

Then plant them in pots for later transplanting or plant them directly into the garden. Keep them watered heavily for a few days until they’ve taken root.

If you don’t want to do that, then simply lop off the top foot or so of a healthy plant and set it in water for a few days, then plant it directly into the garden. Just don’t forget about. It will need to be watered and mulched well until roots form.

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Resource(s): Vegetable Gardening in Georgia

Center Publication Number: 98

Source(s): Jule-Lynn Macie

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BEFORE PLANTING

Your tree is a bare root tree. It will not survive if the roots dry out. If you cannot plant it immediately, the best alternative is to plant it in a pot or temporary plant it by covering the root with moist soil or mulch. This temporary planting is called ‘healing-in’. Do NOT put your tree in a bucket of water. This cuts off all essential oxygen to the roots. Do NOT put the unplanted tree in hot sun. This makes the roots dry out even faster.

PLANTING LOCATION

Fruit trees require a location that is in full sun and well-drained. Fruit trees do not thrive in shade.

PLANTING

Dig a hole at least twice the diameter of the roots spread. The hole should be deep enough to accommodate the full length of the roots, without bending them. Look at the trunk of your tree to determine how deeply it was planted in the nursery. There will be a slight color change on the trunk where it transitions from the soil to the surface. Plant the tree no deeper than it was in the nursery.

It is not necessary to add soil amendments. In fact, research shows that your tree will do just fine in our native soil, provided the soil clots are broken up with before backfilling the hole. If you choose to add a soil amendment, mix no more than 1/3 amendment to 2/3’s native soil.

Spread the roots out, slowly backfill the hole around the roots. Tamp down the soil around the roots to remove any oxygen pockets. Water the tree deeply. Do NOT add granular fertilizer to the hole or you will damage the new roots.

Mulch 2 to 4” deep. Spread the mulch out at least as far as the tree’s drip line. Do NOT prune the tree at planting. Generally bare root trees are small and will not need staking. If it does need staking to keep it from repositioning itself, stop by the Cooperative Extension Office for information on proper staking techniques.

 

CARE

Your fruit tree will not need any fertilizer the 1st year it is planted. In the absence of rain, water it deeply every 10 to 14 days. Continue watering threw the summer. Many potential problems can be avoided by proper planting and watering, but inspect the tree regularly, noting any pests (diseases and/or insects). Contact your Cooperative Extension office for help if pests are noted.

Planting a bare root tree

For more information call 1-800-ASK-UGA1.

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Resource(s):

• Jule-Lynn Macie
• Ellen Bauske

Center Publication Number: 257

Source(s): Danny C. Flanders, Garden Writer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Cold weather causes freeze-damaged plants in Georgia gardens and landscapes. Tips for cold-damaged plants offered by Bob Westerfield, a University of Georgia Cooperative

Extension horticulturist and Walter Reeves, host of the WSB-AM’s “Lawn and Garden Show” include:

• Tomatoes, tender ornamental annuals: Plants that are damaged or killed by a freeze must be replanted.
• Hosta: Trim off dead parts of leaves but leave as much healthy leafy surface as possible.
• Crape myrtle, butterfly bush: No pruning required unless you see dead stems in mid-May. They flower on new growth, produced after March, and will drop any damaged leaves and put out new ones in the next few weeks. No pruning required unless you see dead stems in mid-May.
• ‘Burford’ holly, azalea, loropetalum: Prune out dead foliage now as needed.
• Hydrangeas: Branch tips on which new growth was damaged likely will not flower this spring. But limbs closer to the ground with no damage may well produce flowers in June. Look for flower heads over the next week or two; decide then whether you want to prune brown stem tips without flowers. They won’t bloom this year, and may not next year if you wait too late, but it’s a great opportunity to shape an out-of-control shrub. Continuous bloomers like ‘Endless Summer’ will flower but later than normal.
• Japanese maples: Remove scorched leaves later in the season once you’re sure they are dead. Wait until late May to prune because some maples will be slow to produce new leaves.

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Resource(s): Winter Protection of Ornamental Plants

Reviewer(s):

• Janet Hollingsworth, CEA- Appling County, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
• Joann Milam, CEA- Washington County, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
• Diane Miller, CEA- Bulloch County, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Center Publication Number: 247

Source(s): Michael T. Mengak

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In the past 50 years, the range of the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) in the south has been rapidly expanding, bringing armadillos increasingly into conflict with suburban landowners. When foraging, armadillos often uproot ornamental plants. Their rooting also destroys gardens, lawns and flower beds. Their burrowing can damage tree roots and building foundations.

Most armadillo damage is caused by their feeding habits. Armadillos dig shallow holes, 1-3 inches deep and 3-5 inches long, as they search for soil invertebrates. A recent survey of Georgia county extension agents by scientists at the University of Georgia found that 77.6 percent of all agents reported receiving complaints or requests for information on armadillos. Armadillo-related inquiries made up 10.1 percent of all inquiries for all agents across the state, surpassing even the white-tail deer.

Armadillos are often assumed to destroy nests of ground- nesting birds. Armadillo diets have been studied in several states including Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Arkansas and Florida. According to these studies, vertebrate matter, especially bird eggs, made up a minor portion of their diet. The armadillo’s diet often consists of more than 90 percent insects, grubs and earthworms. Based on these studies, it seems that claims of armadillos being significant nest predators are unfounded. Some authors warn, however, that armadillos merely break eggs open and lick out the contents. When this happens, little evidence remains in their stomachs, making detection of egg predation using stomach content analysis almost impossible. Miniature video surveillance cameras monitoring quail nests at Tall Timbers Research Station in Florida have documented this behavior in wild armadillos. The study found that armadillos may be more significant quail predators than previously accepted. They were responsible for destroying up to 26 percent of all quail nests.

Armadillos are not protected under Georgia wildlife regulations (DNR website www.georgiawildlife.com). They may be hunted or trapped year round without limit. Removal by shooting can be an effective control method, but this may not be safe or desirable for suburban landowners. Many suburban landowners would rather have animals trapped and relocated. Other control methods are available, such as habitat modification and exclusion, but these methods are often impractical, expensive or ineffective.

Our objective was to test several different lures or baits for live-trapping nine-banded armadillos. We used cage traps, hoping they could be a practical alternative to lethal removal for suburban landowners.

Methods

We trapped armadillos, using 10 x 12 x 32 inch Tomahawk wire cage traps, from April to July, 2004, at the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center in Newton, Georgia. Traps were placed in areas with abundant armadillo sign. Since we were primarily interested in evaluating the attractants we avoided placing traps directly over burrows, where armadillos may be forced into traps. We tested the effectiveness of several baits and lures, including:

• Live night crawlers
• Live crickets
• Rotten chicken feed
• Whole eggs
• Rotten eggs
• Bananas
• Marshmallows
• Sardines
• Vanilla wafers
• Moistened soil
• “Armor plate,” a commercially available lure

In addition, we tested two types of unbaited traps:

1. an unbaited trap with “wings” consisting of two 2- inch x 6-inch boards and 6 feet long attached at one end of the trap to funnel the armadillo into the trap, and
2. an unbaited trap without wings.

Results

In trapping studies, scientists compare data by calculating an index called trap nights. One trap night equals one trap set for one night. Ten trap nights equal one trap set for ten nights or ten traps set for one night. In our study, we had 1,332 trap nights. We captured only 10 armadillos or an average of one armadillo every 132 trap nights. This number is quite low. Of the 11 attractants we evaluated, most of them (nightcrawlers, chicken feed, whole eggs, bananas, marshmallows, sardines and vanilla wafers) had 0 captures. Capture success was too low for any meaningful statistical comparisons of attractants. However, when all baited traps (63% of trap nights) were compared with the unbaited traps (37% of trap nights), there was no significant difference in capture success. Only four armadillos were captured in traps with baits or lures. Six armadillo were captured in unbaited traps. Of these six, four were caught in unbaited traps with wings.

Discussion

Given that capture success was quite low, it is unlikely that trapping is an effective method of quickly reducing local armadillo populations. Until an effective attractant can be found, lethal removal by shooting remains the most effective solution. If live-trapping and relocation are chosen as control measures, however, the use of any of the attractants tested is unnecessary. Armadillos in this study were just as likely to enter a baited trap as an unbaited trap. It is likely that the armadillos we did capture randomly walked into the traps and were not necessarily attracted.

This suggests that if armadillos are to be captured, trap placement is much more important that attractant selection. Homeowners and others attempting to live trap armadillos should carefully select a trapping location. It is likely that a trap (even one without bait) with wings placed near an active burrow will be the most effective method for capturing individual nuisance animals. Homeowners and others can place traps near natural barriers or fences such as the walls of patios, edges of buildings or landscaping features; or near natural fences such as fallen trees. The use of baits and attractants does not appear to increase trap success.

Individuals needing more information are encouraged to contact the author by email at mmengak@warnell.uga.edu or by phone (706-583-8096).

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Center Publication Number: 198