Category Archives: Newsletter
SPN: What Worm are You?
Bagworms, webworms, army worms, there are a lot of different “worms” out there that can make your shrubs and trees look unsightly. Depending on where you live in Texas you might have seen one of them and wonder what you should do about them. Before you get too confused, while worm is in the name they are really caterpillars. And we know that caterpillars will cocoon and turn into a moth or butterfly. Bagworms: Bagworms can be seen hanging from the twigs of a variety of trees and shrubs…. Read More →
Water-Wise Tips for Turfgrass
Developed by Becky Grubbs, PhD and Ben Wherley, PhD AggieTurf to help you manage your turf a water-wise checklist for the hottest and driest months of the year. Click this link for a downloadable version Task Reason Additional Resources Mowing Mow at the upper end of the appropriate mowing height range for your species of grass Taller grass = Deeper Roots. Deeper roots can improve overall infiltration and access to water deeper in the soil. For more information on appropriate mowing heights for your species, visit the AggieTurf… Read More →
SPN: New kissing bug guide published to strengthen the fight against Chagas disease
A guide to help battle a potentially fatal disease transferred by a blood-sucking insect called the kissing bug has been published by a task force led by The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). While it may not make good bedtime reading, the new image-based guide from the Texas Chagas Task Force could keep you from falling victim to a disease caused by a parasite that the kissing bug carries. The parasite is Trypanosoma cruzi (T.cruzi), and the disease it causes is called Chagas disease…. Read More →
Summer Management Considerations for School Sports Fields
Summer management for both active and inactive sports fields is critical to maintaining healthy, safe fields year-round. Even just light maintenance can make a huge difference in what is possible when school starts again in the fall. Irrigation To prevent surface hardness from creeping up to dangerous levels, regular irrigation is important – even for those fields that remain otherwise inactive during summer months. In many parts of the state where fields are constructed atop our trademark “shrinking and swelling” clays, the lack of irrigation can result in… Read More →
SPN: Preparing for Summer
The school year is rapidly coming to an end and that means cleaning, repairing, and reviewing your IPM records. This newsletter is to help you prepare for the summer and help your IPM program grow. Before school ends be sure to send out an email to your teachers and principals reminding them to take home classroom pets, food items (even the macaroni art), and other personal items you would like out of their classroom. At the same time, you might need to remind them to store those items… Read More →
SPN: Texas IPM Stars; Head Lice and Bats
AgriLife Extension program bolsters Texas schools’ pest management approach Writer: Gabe Saldana More than a decade of work alongside Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts in integrated pest management, or IPM, has culminated in the national certification of four Texas school districts as “IPM Stars,” said Janet Hurley, AgriLife Extension school IPM specialist in Dallas. IPM Star certification from the IPM Institute of North America was awarded in April to Plano, Conroe, East Central and Killeen independent school districts for consistent exemplary marks on the institute’s 37-point evaluation…. Read More →
SPN: Are You Ready for Those Spring Pests?
As the rain falls, so does our chances to bring a wide variety of pests into our homes and schools. Two of the most common for spring are termites and ants. As April approaches so does the emergence of termites. Termites that swarm are actually doing building maintenance a favor. While you may find the idea crazy that termite swarming is doing you a favor, understanding termite biology will make the idea more acceptable. Termites can damage buildings undetected for a long time because of their secretive, underground… Read More →
Are bed bugs worse than we thought?
Written By: Dr. Mike Merchant, Urban Entomologist and Professor, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bed bugs are trouble. They drink our blood. They soil our homes with their feces and cast skins. They keep us awake at night and add stress to our already stressed out lives. And they’re revolting to most people. Until now, if there was one positive thing that could be said about bed bugs, it might be that they haven’t been found to carry communicable disease. The impact of bed bugs seemed mainly to come… Read More →
SPN: Flu how the cleaning fits with your IPM program
Between the news, my social media feeds, email, and phone calls I know it’s flu season, how about you? Many who work in the IPM program are also involved in the school environmental health program as well, and there are lots of questions. The three big questions I get asked is what can we use, can we use disinfecting wipes, and do we need to post? Below are some of the best guidelines I can give you, along with some tips and documents to print and post. Full… Read More →
SPN: Before you go remember these tips
As we come to the end of December and before you leave for the holidays please remember these tips so when you return you won’t be returning to unexpected guests. Tis the season for parties with cookies, pizza, gingerbread houses, drinks, and lots of sweet stuff. All of this left out when you go on break means when you get back you can enter your classroom or work space to find ants, cockroaches, mice and even rats. Don’t assume that custodial will make it to your area, be… Read More →
.