Thursday, September 24, 2015

Composting Video Series

Composting is a great way to keep those yard wastes and other organic wastes out of the land fill and put nutrients back into your lawn and garden.  To find out more about compost, check out an introductory compost video by clicking here.

With autumn upon us, it will soon be time for the leaves to start changing colors and falling off the trees onto the ground.  Too many people rake up and bag up those leaves and send them to a landfill. Don't send those valuable nutrients off your property...compost them and return those nutrients to your own soil!  To find out more about the process of leaf composting, check out a leaf management video by clicking here.

Friday, July 17, 2015

Pecan Weevil Found in Hays County

Pecan Weevils were found in Hays County back in December of 2014.  This finding has caused concern within the Texas Pecan Industry because of the ease of access to the Guadalupe River Basin and the potential impact to commercial pecan trees along the Guadalupe River.


Pecan weevils lay their eggs in the developing pecan.  The developing larva eat the meat in the developing kernel and then bore a hole in the pecan and then emerge.  They burrow into the ground before they emerge as an adult two years later.

August and September is when one would expect to begin seeing damage from the pecan weevil.  If you see a round hole bored into the shell of a pecan, chances are good that you have pecan weevil. 

If you find pecans that exhibit the signs of pecan weevil damage, please collect a few specimens and bring them by the Hays County Extension Office.  We are still trying to determine how widespread they are in Hays County.  With the sample, please provide an address or description where they were collected.

Private Chemical Applicators Training Now Online

The Private Applicator Training is now available online.  The course is designed to provide the required training to Texans who wish to obtain a Private Pesticide Applicator license but are unable to attend training provided by county Extension offices.

This training tool walks potential applicators through 11 topics related to chemical use.  At the conclusion of the course, after trainees pass a review exam, they will receive a certificate of completion and an electronic form which the trainee submits to TDA.  The cost of the online course is $75, which includes the shipping and handling fees for the training manuals.

For more information about this new training opportunity, visit http://agrilife.org/aes or http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu and search “Texas Private Applicator”.