THE CRITTER THAT ALWAYS SEEMS TO WIN We’ve recently consumed your tomato patch. Allow us to intro duce ourselves. You have prob ably seen us around your beans, squash, peas, sunflowers, and fruit trees. Allow us to stay and we will take advantage of your invitation. What arc we? We arc vegetar ians but we may consume grass hoppers and snails on occasion. We are quite common in the Northeast. Some people call us wood chucks, groundhogs, or whistle pigs. We can weigh 4 to 12 pound s and we come in varying shades of reddish brown (albino and black-furred individuals are possi ble). Our average life span is about five years. We prefer to live in farmlands but make use of any open and sun ny location. Well drained knolls and abandoned foundations are preferred for our burrow sites. We have at least two openings to our burrows. You have probably ■ Brill ion m - When You Buy A You Get The Best LANDCOMMANDERS 3-5-7-9-11-13 Shanks f'^Zk The front disc gang has 22" x 1/4- disc blades on 15” spacings. They are designed to cut residue and work the ground to a depth of 6”. The Landcommander has the ability to till from 8” to 20” deep. The rear disc gang has 20” x 7 ga. disc blades on 7.5 spacing. The 6"x4 mainframe is designed to handle the stress from the deep till shanks and disc gangs. r P-SERIES TRANSPORT PULVERIZERS 'I lO Ft. to 20 Ft. Rotary Frame Pulverizers; PTIO Series Transport Concept. Machine weight is hydraulically rotated over the wheels for transport. This reduces draw bar hitch weight considerably and provides ample clearance for transport. Also Available As Pull Type. „ " X-FOLD PULVERIZERS l9 Ft. to 46 Ft. The X-Fold pulverizers are designed to meet the needs of today’s larger acreage farmers...and Brillion offers them in two models and 11 sizes from <l9* through 46*. Available with 20" Ductile Rollers. noticed we sit at the main entrance with a mound of fresh earth arqund the opening. We have escape routes as well. Our bur rows can be as deep as five feet and spread several yards in any direction. Our typical family has four to six members. Our young are bom underground. By June and July our family begins to forage seek ing everything that’s green and tender in your garden. They soon strike out on their own seeking their fame, fortune, and a place to call home. If you have seen one of our family expect more. We prefer the early morning and evening hours for feeding. When not feeding, we are sun bathing. We can climb trees, fence posts, and the like if need be. We generally do not travel more than SO yards from our burrow. Our enemies include hawks, owls, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, weasels, dogs, and humans. If woodchucks were a problem to you last growing season, you will need a plan for this year. As woodchucks, we hate giving this information out but... there are different strategies to rid us from your garden. Use fencing made of heavy poultry wire (at least 3 feet high) to deter us. Bury the lowo* edge of the fence into the ground 12 inches. The lower 6 inches should be bent outward in a L-shaped angle. Some gardeners use metal coat hangers cut in half to form a large bobby pin to secure the fence into the ground. A single wire of electric fence could be use by it self or with the poultry wire. Place the electric strand 4 to 5 inches off the ground. Scarecrows and other dummies can sometimes provide temparary relief. Move them regularly and include a high level of human activity whenever possible. Re member that we learn quickly. The gas cartridge (carbon monoxide) is the most common means for woodchuck control. They are available from local farm supply stores. Please read the directions before purchasing and using the cartridge. They can pose a fire hazard and should not be used under buildings. Live traps (10 x 10 x 24) can sometimes be effective. Use apple slice, carrots, broccoli or lettuce as baits. Change the baits daily. Place the trap at main entrances or in travel lanes. Captured animals can be relocated to other areas where no damage can be caused. Trapping may be unlawful in your community. Please check with Pennsylvania | ADAMSTOWN Adamstown Equip. Inc. ALLENTOWN Lehigh Ag Equipment BECHTELSVILLE Miller Equip. Co. CARLISLE Gutshall's, Inc. DOVER George N. Gross, Inc. EASTON Geo. V. Selple ELIZABETHTOWN Messlck Farm Equipment Co. INTERCOURSE C.B. Hoober & Son GREENCASTLE Meyers Implement LEBANON Umberger’s of Fontana LOYSVILLE Gutshall’s, Inc. OAKLAND MIUS Peoples Sales & Service OLEY Plkevflle Equipment, Inc. QUAHHYVILLE Grumelll Farm Service TAMAQUA Charlea Snyder, Inc. WATSONTOWN Deerfield Ag & Turf Center, Inc. | Mnrykmd | FREDERICK Cereevllle Ford New Holland RISING SUN Ag Industrial Equipment | New Jersey | BRIDGETON Leslie Fogg ELMER Pole Tevern Equip. Sales Corp To Be A Queen Is No Easy Task — Especially With A Mite ' On Your Back UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Penn State is studying the causes of increased rates of queen loss and supersedure in mite infested honey bee colonies. The study is to determine whether tra cheal and/or Varroa mite feeding produces smaller, less productive queens and what kinds of diseases mites may spread to queens. Sbme of the queens examined will be commercially-availabe queens sold by queen breeders and officials. After an animal is trap ped, transport it at least 10 miles away. There are no repellents or toxi cants registered for woodchucks. However, red hot pepper (cayen ne) sprinkled on the leaves of growing plants teach us not to dine in your location. Other techniques for effective control are available from your Extension Office. Ask for wildlife damage control sheet # 8 on woodchucks. Thanks to Garden Clippings, University of Mass., Vol. 16, No. 3, 1996 for this information. Any questions regarding the above article can be addressed to Tom Becker, Penn State Coopera tive Extension at (717) 840-7408. tti FISHER’S PAINTING & FISHER’S PAINT OUTLET STORE QUALITY PAINTS @ REASONABLE PRICES KUflt { ■ ALL TYPES OF INTERIOR & EXTERIOR U P J PAINTING ■ SANDBLASTING N ROOF COATING ■ RESTORATION & WATERPROOFING ON STONE & BRICK BUILDINGS HOUSES - BARNS - FENCES - FACTORIES - ETC. Specialists In Sand Blasting/Spray Painting Farm Buildings, Feed Mills, Roofs, Tanks, Etc. With Aerial Equipment I WE NOW REPAIR SPRAY GUNS AND PUMPS 4056 A Newport Rd., Kinzers, PA 17535 717-768-3239 On Rt. 772 Across From Pequea Valley School 'Brush, RpCC Or Spray - We U “Do It 'Either Way for Joßs Large Or Small - Our Men Will Do It mil Applu/Pear Protect* R' u >\nti xi hnt C rKxntnte ▲ m i For post harvest use to prevent bruising oxidation (browning) of apples and pears in storage Comparable to Nix-Scald*, Deccoquirf;Stop Scald** (~nijlMirinTr»liim(l' -rrr‘ 1 *~ “ rT ~■— Seeking Stocking Distributors and Dealers % BURLINGTON 810-MEDICAL A SCIENTIFIC CORF. 222 ShervvoodAvenue, NY 14735-1718 Tel: 51S-894-9000 • fax: 518-694-9177 Email: BABUBA@prodlgy.com Lmcnter Farming, Saturday, Juna 28, 1997*817 package producers. However, these young queens have only been exposed to mites for a few weeks. In order to determine the full effects of mite damage, the study will also need a large, number of older queens that have been in mite-infested colonies from two months up to two years. Penn State is asking beekeepers for help. “We arc only interested in queens that arc failing (laying spotting brood patterns and/or little brood compared to other col onies. During the spring and sum mer of 1997, if you notice that one or two of your queens is failing, consider contributing the bee to the study,” said a spokesperson for the Queen Project Send a pair of live queens in two queen cages with attendants for evaluation. One queen should be a failing queen from your colonies. The other should be a healthy queen, also from your colonies, which will be tested for compari son. No more than two failing queens paired with two healthy queens per beekeeper accepted. Penn State will compensate you for your queens. For detailed information on how to participate, call Albert Rozo or Jennifer Finley at (814) 865-1895. Call before sending any queens. RO-PEL m A 0 S a s w [5
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