April 2025

Moore County Extension is proud to work for the people of Moore County. We hope the impacts from 2024 stated in the report below reflects our commitment to serve you and your family.

To keep up to date with current and future programs available to Moore County constituents go to https://moore.ces.ncsu.edu/

Learn more about how Extension serves Moore County by contacting Moore County Extension Director, Deborah McGiffin.

Deborah McGiffin
County Extension Director, Moore County Center

Cornus Florida - North State Flower Carolina

In the month of April as you travel around North Carolina, you will be enjoying the beautiful visual of snowy white flowers covering small pyramidal shaped trees - the dogwood. Their flowers though usually white can vary in color from shades of pink to a deeper reddish hue. The ‘Flower of the Dogwood’ tree, designated as the official state flower in 1941, is actually a small greenish yellow cluster formed in the center of four petal-like leaves. As a true native of North Carolina these trees are often seen on the border of woodlands but are frequently utilized to enhance landscapes. Dogwoods are deciduous and usually range in size from 15-25 feet tall and 15-30 feet wide.

The dogwood is tolerant of both clay and sand but they prefer a moisture retentive soil with good drainage and a pH between 7.0 and 5.5. Full sun to partial shade they require little maintenance and have the added benefit of attracting pollinators, song birds, butterflies, and

sweat bees.

The dark green leaves change into an amazing explosion of red-purple color in the fall and although the fruit is a bright showy red, it is not for human consumption; however, the berries are loved by the birds.

Dogwoods are better left to grow in their natural form but if pruning is done to maintain shape and health it should be done in late fall or winter when the tree is dormant.

For additional information, contact the Extension Master Gardener Helpline: Monday thru Friday 910-947-3188

By: Jo Cermele, EMGV, Moore County

Photo: by Dolores Muller

Moore County Farmers' Market
in Southern Pines

Thursdays,Year-Round, 9AM-1PM
(closed Thanksgiving)
Armory Sports Complex
604 W. Morganton Rd
Southern Pines, NC 28387

Open for Spring
Saturdays-March 8-November 22, 8AM-Noon
Downton Southern Pines
SE Broad & New York Avenue
Southern Pines, NC 28387

Sandhills Farmers' Market

Open for the Season:
Wednesdays beginning April 16, 3PM-6PM
Saturdays, beginning April 20, 10 AM-1PM
on the Village Green at Tufts Memorial Park
105 Cherokee Road
Pinehurst, NC 28374

James Creek Sunday Market

First & Third Sundays of the Month, 1PM-5PM
172 US-1 Highway
Cameron, NC 28326

Carthage Farmers' Market

Returning in April-TBD
S Ray Street
Carthage, NC 28327

Ladybug, Ladybug
Fly Away Home

What’s small, round, often red with black spots, and known for helping gardeners by eating aphids? Here’s a hint: not all of them are as friendly as they seem. Some invade homes in the fall, leave behind a foul odor, and even bite when handled. If you guessed lady beetles, you’d be correct! But not all lady beetles are the same. The key difference lies in the term invasive species, which applies to the Asian lady beetle– Harmonia axyridis, intentionally introduced to the United States by the USDA in the 80’s for biological control of aphids.

In contrast, the convergent lady beetle– Hippodamia convergens commonly known as the lady bug, is native to North America.

While both species feed on aphids and other soft-bodied insects, Asian lady beetles are more aggressive. They not only outcompete native ladybugs but also carry a parasite called Nosema thompsoni, which is harmless to them but deadly to native ladybugs.

Both species will eat each other’s eggs and larvae, but when a native ladybug consumes those of the Asian lady beetle, the parasite activates—reducing the survival and reproductive success of native species, ultimately threatening their populations. By definition, that alone makes the Asian lady beetle an invasive species.

Telling them apart is key. Native ladybugs are typically bright red with well-defined black spots, while Asian lady beetles vary in color from orange to red and may have faded or irregular spots. The most distinct feature is the black "M" or "W" marking on the white area behind an Asian lady beetle’s head—something native ladybugs lack.

Adding to the problem, Asian lady beetles gather in large numbers to overwinter in homes and buildings, secreting a yellowish fluid that stains surfaces and has an unpleasant odor. To prevent infestations, sealing cracks around windows, doors, and vents is essential.

Both species play a role in pest control—Hippodamia convergens can consume up to 50 aphids per day—but understanding the difference helps gardeners protect native ladybugs while managing invasive Asian lady beetles.

For more information about native verus invasive insects, contact Christian Flores at Christian_Flores@ncsu.edu or at 910-947-3188.

Christian Flores
Horticulture Agent, Moore County Center

Hay for Supplemental Nutrition

Are your horse’s nutritional needs being met? How do you know? With the wide variety of hay and feed choices available, it is essential to understand what your horse needs nutritionally and that those needs are being met. This will help determine how much hay is needed throughout the year and if your horse needs grain to supplement the hay.

Your horse’s body condition score (BCS) is one of the best indicators of its nutritional status. BCS is based on the degree of fat deposits in six areas of the body (neck, whithers, the spinous processes-part of back vertebrae that project upwards and the transverse process-the portion of vertebrae that project outward, tail head, ribs, and behind the shoulder). Horses are visually and physically (palpation) assessed and scored on a scale of 1 (extremely emaciated) to 9 (extremely obese) with a score of 5-6 being ideal.

Your horse’s nutritional requirements are based on their weight, age, workload, and metabolic efficiency. There are six essential nutrients: water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. Dietary requirements can be found in a variety of publications, such as the National Research Council’s (NRC) Nutrient Requirements for Horses.

Most rations are balanced based on the amount of digestive energy (Mcal) and crude protein in the feed and are calculated on a dry matter (DM) basis and then converted to an as-fed basis. All feedstuffs contain some moisture which affects the nutrient content. By removing the moisture, we are able to compare with nutritive value of different feedstuffs. A horse will have a dry matter intake of 2 to 3 percent of its body weight.

We are going to determine how much bermudagrass hay we need to feed and if our hay is meeting the maintenance requirement of our 1,100-pound horse at rest. According to the NRC table, the horse needs 16.4 Mcal/day and 8% crude protein. The majority of the horse’s diet should be made up of forage so we will say it will eat 2.5% of its body weight in dry matter. Our hay is 94% dry matter, has 0.90 Mcal/lb, and 13% crude protein.

First, determine the amount of dry matter intake the horse needs.

○ 1,100 lbs x 0.025 = 27.5 pounds of dry matter

Now determine if the hay will meet the horse’s energy needs.

○ 27.5 lbs DM/day x 0.90 Mcal/lb = 24.75 Mcal/day

What about the crude protein needs?

○ According to the forage analysis report, the hay is 13% crude protein which meets the needs of most horses.

How much hay needs to be fed on a daily basis?

○ 27.5 lbs DM/0.94 = 29 pounds of hay needs to be fed each day

Based on our calculations, this hay will exceed your horse’s nutritional requirements. Because of this, you may be able to feed less hay per day. Monitoring the horse’s body condition score will help determine if you need to decrease the amount of hay you are feeding.

If you are interested in getting your hay tested for its nutritional value, contact Liz Joseph at liz_joseph@ncsu.edu or 910-947-3188.

Liz Joseph
Livestock Agent, Moore County Center

Already Suffering from Spring Allergies? Here’s What You Need to Know

Spring has arrived and as temperatures warm, trees blossom and release pollen — the fine, yellow powder that covers cars, patios and other outdoor surfaces.

Pollen is crucial to a tree’s reproduction, as it contains the male reproductive cells necessary to fertilize the female part of another tree.

However, while important for tree reproduction and the ecosystem, tree pollen is often the cause of most spring allergies, triggering symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes and more.

Robert Bardon, a professor of forestry and environmental resources at NC State, has been tracking tree pollen production in Raleigh and the surrounding area for nearly a decade. Read what Dr. Barton has learned about how and what pollen causes allergies.

Gesundheit!

Deborah McGiffin
County Extension Director, Moore County

Eggcellent Eggsplorers 4-H Chicken Chain Wraps Up with a Successful Show!

On Saturday, March 8th, youth from Alamance, Chatham, Guilford, and Moore Counties gathered in Greensboro, NC, to showcase their hard work in the Eggcellent Eggsplorers 4-H Chicken Chain (EECC) poultry show! This exciting program is designed for youth ages 5-18, offering them the opportunity to raise and show their very own chickens—many for the first time!

So, how does the EECC work? Each participant receives six day-old chicks of the same breed, along with starter feed to help them get started. Over the course of several months, they raise their chicks to maturity, learning the ins and outs of proper care, housing, and feeding. By show day, these dedicated youth proudly present their birds in showmanship and breed classes, demonstrating their knowledge and skills in poultry care.

In addition to hands-on experience, participants keep detailed record books, tracking expenses, growth, and their journey in raising chickens. This project helps youth develop valuable life skills in responsibility, animal husbandry, and money management, all while having fun and learning about agriculture.

We are incredibly proud of all the youth who participated in this year’s EECC show! Congratulations on your hard work and achievements!

Interested in joining this egg-citing program in the next cycle? Keep an eye out later this year for more details!

Get Involved!

To learn more about Moore County 4-H or to get involved, contact:
Kim Singleton – kimberly_singleton@ncsu.edu; 910-947-4658

Silver Spurs Shine at the
NC State 4-H Hippology Contest!

On March 8th, members of our Silver Spurs 4-H Horse Club traveled to Raleigh, NC, to compete in the NC State 4-H Hippology Contest—and they had an awesome time!

So, what is a Hippology Contest? This unique competition challenges youth to showcase their knowledge and skills in horse judging, quizzes, demonstrations, public speaking, and showmanship—all in one event! It encourages participants to deepen their understanding of the horse industry while also fostering teamwork, critical thinking, and sportsmanship.
How does the contest work?

✔ Any 4-H member can participate—you don’t need to own a horse!
✔ Counties can enter Junior (ages 8-13) and Senior (ages 14-18) teams, as well as individual participants.
✔ Competitors take part in written exams, identification stations, team problem-solving, and more!
✔ Cloverbuds (ages 5-7) can also participate in a fun, non-competitive division!
✔ The highest-ranking Senior individual is named Horseman of the Year!

This contest is an incredible way for youth to grow their equine knowledge, gain confidence, and have fun in a competitive yet supportive environment. We are so proud of our Silver Spurs members for representing our county so well!

Want to join the excitement? If you have youth interested in horses, competition, and learning new skills, the Silver Spurs 4-H Horse Club is the perfect place to start!

For more information, contact:
Kim Singleton at kimberly_singleton@ncsu.edu or 910-947-4658.