Winter Wildlife Encroachment in Your Home

With the coming cool season around the corner people are  starting  to prepare for the  holidays, and just like us many  animals are also preparing  for winter. Now is the time many animals are seeking shelter from the coming cool months, and many times that shelter can also be our own home. Here are a few tips and a wonderful publication from UGA  to help prepare yourself for more than just the holidays. Most of the information below was provided by Michael T. Mengak from the Warrnell School of Forestry and Natural Resource at UGA.                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Photo Provided By UGA 

• Chimneys — Cap chimneys to prevent raccoons, bats,    squirrels and birds from entering the house.                                    
• Soffit vents — Keep vents in good repair since they are often used as an entry point for insects, bats and birds.

• Gabled end of the house/barn — Block animals by using hardware cloth or screens that still maintain airflow to the attic and buildings. Gables are often the entry point for flying squirrels, gray squirrels, bats and birds like pigeons, wrens, house sparrows, European starlings and swallows.

• Windows and doors — These are entry points for snakes, bugs, mice and some large animals like raccoons and opossums if the doors on garages or sheds are not closed or properly sealed. Close doors and windows, repair screens and maintain a proper weather seal.

• Dryer vent — Vents are a common entry point for snakes and mice. Cover the vent with screen large enough to vent hot dryer air but exclude animals. Clean the screen regularly to prevent lint accumulation. Seal around the vent with expanding foam or weather seal.

• Pipes and cables — Mice and bats can enter through the dime-sized holes where electric lines, phone lines, and satellite or cable TV lines connect to the house. Seal these holes with expanding foam or weather seal.

• Remove food wastes from inside the house regularly,  and avoid keeping trash cans directly against the home.

• Store all pet food in airtight containers when possible.

For more information on solving human- nuisance wildlife conflicts follow the link below, and always remember animals always need food, water, and shelter. If you can remove one of those three pillar requirements from your home the animals will likely move on, or not even bother choosing your home as their winter shelter.

https://secure.caes.uga.edu/extension/publications/files/pdf/B%201248_5.PDF 

If you have any questions please contact your local extension office.

UGA Extension Office in Cobb County

678 South Cobb Dr.

Marietta, Ga 30060

(770)528-4070

uge1067@uga.edu

Cobb Fire Dept Extends Burn Ban Due to Drought

Straight from the website of Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services:

"In response to recent dry weather and drought conditions, the Cobb County Fire Marshal’s Office has instituted a temporary ban on outdoor burning to include the burning of yard debris. Beginning October 28, 2016, leaves, pine straw, and other yard debris may not be burned until the ban is lifted.

The ban is expected to be lifted when significant rainfall is received and notification will be sent out when burning may resume. The Fire Marshal’s Office will also stop the issuance of Large Yard Waste and Bonfire permits during this time."

Georgia Pesticide License Review

A review of the materials for the Georgia Pesticide General Standards and Category 24 Ornamental and Turf pesticide license exams will be offered in Cobb County on October 25, 2016.

When: Tuesday, October 25, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Cobb County Extension, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta,  GA, 30060, second floor classroom

Registration fee: $15

To register, please call 770-228-7214 or email bhorne@uga.edu 

or register online through UGA's Marketplace.

Plant Trees and Shrubs in Big-Enough Holes

Many trees and shrubs are transplanted most successfully in the cool months of October through April. However, even the most wonderfully healthy plant will struggle if it is set into an inadequate or improperly prepared hole in the ground.

In the publication "Soil Preparation and Planting Procedures for Ornamental Plants in the Landscape," UGA's Gary Wade says that a big enough hole will be "at least twice as wide as the root ball" and only about as deep as that same root ball.

The temptation is to add compost or other organic amendments to break up the red clay that is in many of our yards. Wade says, though, that all that organic matter "can act like a sponge in the planting hole, absorbing and holding too much moisture and causing the roots to stay too wet."

He says that, instead, it is best to pack the same soil removed from the hole back in around the root ball. Be sure to remove and wires or burlap before planting, eliminate air pockets by watering-in the plant, and apply mulch in a doughnut-like circle around the plant to protect it from weeds and lawn-mower damage.

New Local Food Grant from Food Well Alliance

Food Well Alliance has scheduled an information session to be held at Cobb Extension about its next Local Food Grant.

The session will be Monday, August 23, 10:00 a.m., at Cobb Extension, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060, in the second floor classroom. This is in the white, metal, 2-story building that shares a parking lot with the Tag Office and is across the street from MNI Nurseries.

See the flyer below:

Green Industry Update, June 9

A Green Industry Update is scheduled for Thursday, June 9, 2016 at Chattahoochee Tech. in Marietta, GA.

Re-certification Credits: Category 24 = 2 hours; ISA = 2 hours; Private = 1 hour

The program begins at 9:00 a.m. and features Dr. Alfredo Martinez speaking about Turfgrass Disease Management, Ben Copeland speaking about the New Bermudagrass 'TifTuf', and Brian Watters speaking about Irrigation Troubleshooting and Management.

The location is Room F-2147 (in building F) at Chattahoochee Technical College
980 South Cobb Drive
Marietta, GA 30060

The fee is $15, and can be paid in advance. To register, call Beth Horne at 770-228-7214, or email bhorne@uga.edu. You can also send payment (check made out to University of Georgia) and registration information including the name and date of the program, your address and contact information, and any dietary concerns or restrictions to the following address:

Center for Urban Agriculture
Attn; Beth Horne
1109 Experiment Street BAE #109
Griffin, GA 30223

School Garden Teacher Training Sessions Set

UGA is offering school garden teacher training sessions again this year to help teachers get the most out of their school gardens.

Two sessions, one in Cartersville (Thursday, June 16) and one in Savannah (Monday, June 13), will cover the basics of  healthy soil, planting for the school calendar, food safety, and pest management, along with lesson plans for use in the garden.

An additional session for teachers with more experience in the garden, to take place in Marietta (Tuesday, June 21st), will cover pollinator spaces, composting, more on food safety, grant writing, and advanced planting techniques.

All sessions include the following:

• Online education
• Learning experiments to be completed at home
• In person workshop taught by Extension professionals
• Participants will receive a certificate of completion
• Network with other educators and subject experts

 The $30 fee for each session includes the at-home learning package, lunch on the workshop day, and workshop materials.

Additional information about dates, times, and class content, and links for registration for the 3 training sessions is on the School Garden Teacher Training webpage of the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture.

NOTE: Georgia Organics is offering scholarships for each training location, for the first five teachers from schools that earned a Golden Radish award. If registering from a Golden Radish school, please contact Becky Griffin (beckygri@uga.edu ) prior to registering.

Master Gardener Plant Sale April 22-23

Looking for special plants and yard accessories to enhance your landscape, support pollinators, and/or provide delicious fruit? The Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County (MGVOCC) have set the date for this spring's plant sale and fair, and all of the above (and more!) will be offered.

In addition to proceeds from the "Through the Garden Gate" garden tour that is held the Saturday of Mother's Day weekend, the Garden Fair and Plant Sale provides funds that support MGVOCC projects across the county, including community and school gardens, demonstration and historic gardens, and educational speaker series.

The Garden Fair and Plant Sale will be held on Friday and Saturday, April 22-23, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Location will be the Equestrian Center at Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, SW, Marietta, GA 30080. Admission is Free.

The basics:

Monarchs Across Georgia will be selling milkweed and other host and nectar plants for pollinators at this event.
 

This free event will feature hundreds of plants from the gardens of Cobb County Master Gardeners, as well as some wonderful offerings from our specialty vendors.  Featured items include ferns, hostas, fruit trees, native plants, perennials, annuals, herbs, compost, sod, rain barrels, yard art & sculptures, trellises, planters, birdhouses, botanical apparel and so much more. 

For additional information and a list of vendors, visit the website of the Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County.