December Newsletter - Burke County

Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh and Ready for Transplanting
Taylor Campbell, Extension Agent, Horticulture

One cherished Christmas tradition involves replanting a living Christmas tree into the landscape after the holiday season. These trees, typically purchased as containerized or "balled and burlapped" (B&B) trees, offer a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to traditional cut trees. However, successful transplantation often eludes many, as factors like climate adaptation, tree size, and proper care play pivotal roles. Larger trees, often chosen for in-house display, can suffer from significant transplant shock, exacerbated by drying out indoors. A key challenge lies in ensuring the tree retains its winter hardiness during its time inside, as after just over a week, it may lose this crucial resilience, making it susceptible to freezing temperatures when replanted outdoors.

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Beef Sire Selection
Damon Pollard, Extension Agent, Livestock

The ultimate goal of a beef cattle producer is to increase net income by balancing expenses with the income generated. Producers can accomplish this by increasing income while keeping additional costs to a minimum, or by reducing costs and maintaining current income levels. An easy way to do this is to improve your herd genetics by selecting proper bulls. You should consider four main characteristics when buying a bull. These are reproductive soundness, structural soundness, visual evaluation and performance characteristics.

Controlling Brown Mamorated Stink Bugs

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), scientifically known as Halyomorpha halys, is an invasive pest causing significant damage to various crops, making it a concern for farmers and homeowners alike. Originally from East Asia, it was unintentionally introduced to eastern Pennsylvania in 1998 and has since spread extensively across North America. Identified by its shield-shaped body and brown coloring, BMSB becomes a nuisance during fall, seeking shelter in homes, leading to large indoor infestations.

Adult BMSBs are approximately 17 mm long, displaying shades of brown on both upper and lower body surfaces. Notably, they emit a distinct odor from scent glands, characteristic of stink bugs. The eggs, elliptical in shape and attached to the underside of leaves, hatch into nymphs that undergo five instars before reaching adulthood. With a probable single generation per year, BMSBs emerge in spring, mate, and deposit eggs until late summer. They then search for overwintering sites in fall and winter.

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