E44-Ag Progress Section, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, August 16, 2003 State Officials Offer New Tool To Help Homeowners, Farmers Eliminate Mosquito Breeding Areas HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Urging Pennsylvanians to take personal protection mea sures to help lower the incidence of West Nile virus, officials from the departments of health, envi ronmental protection, and agri culture encouraged the use of a new treatment material to help eliminate mosquito breeding areas on homeowner properties. “I urge everyone to eliminate standing water wherever possible on their properties. Small, shal low stagnant pools of water are among the best mosquito breed ing habitats. Getting rid of water in flower pots, birdbaths, buckets, swimming pool covers and old tires around your home can sig nificantly reduce your chance of being bitten,” said Environ mental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty, who noted that mosquitoes will start to breed in standing water after four or five days. The officials advised home owners that Bti, the naturally oc curring bacteria that state and counties have used for several years to kill mosquito larvae, is Report Gives Dairy Producer Management Benchmarks CAMP HILL (Cumberland Co.) Dairy producers can mea sure their management and com pare their outcomes with other farmers from the newly released “2003 Dairy Herd Analysis,” pro duced by a collaborative effort of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau’s MSC Business Services Division, AgChoice Farm Credit, and Mid- Atlantic Farm Credit and Ist Pi oneer Farm Credit. The analysis presents an over all picture of the state and re gional dairy landscape based on data collected from dairy farms across the northeastern U.S. “We had been compiling a state report for the past 30 years,” said Mike Evanish, man ager of PFB’s MSC Business Services. “However, as a result of our alliance with AgChoice and Mid Atlantic Farm Credit, we are able to produce a summary that compares our Pennsylvania data with data from all over the Northeast, providing better in sight for the agriculture commu nity. The result is a very informa tive management tool, presented in what we believe is an interest ing format designed to help farm ers improve their bottom line. The Dairy Herd analysis is a completely new way of pres enting data. It looks at a farm from a corporate perspective, where the operator is paid first.” The heart of the report is the benchmark figures that are sepa rated by herd size. The analysis also enables comparison with the top 10 percent of Pennsylvania’s dairy producers and dairy farm ers from the Northeast. The analysis features articles by three producers: • John Hess, owner of Jo-Bo Holsteins in Gettysburg. The farm has been contracting to im prove the milk price since 1999. Hess discusses his belief that dairy farmers need to take indi vidual responsibility for manag ing milk price volatility. “One way to survive in volatile market ing conditions is to manage risk by hedging, using forward con tracts or futures contracts. These techniques simply shift the risk of price changes in the cash market to the buyer (or the futures mar- becoming widely available for public use. Bti is available for use in small areas, such as birdbaths, and in larger areas, such as orna mental pools or small ponds. At the home of Jack and Joan Peck just outside of Harrisburg in Dauphin County, officials dem onstrated how to apply the ma terial, which is sold under several brand names at various stores selling outdoor supplies. Bti is a naturally occurring bacteria that attacks the digestive system of mosquito and black fly larvae, killing them in a matter of hours. Bti is not harmful to people, pets, other aquatic animals, or plants, and dissolves after a few hours if not consumed by insect larvae. “Already this year, we have eight confirmed human cases of the virus in Pennsylvania,” said Health’s Director of Epidemiolo gy Joel Hersh. “There has been one death reported in the south ern United States. This should serve as a reminder that all of us need to do what we can to lessen our chances of being infected through a mosquito bite. Con taining West Nile virus is some- kets), as many grain farmers have done over the years,” said Hess. The analysis includes charts showing the milk price differen tial between no contracts and using contracts. In 2002 the aver age price without a contract was $13.38 per hundredweight versus $l5 per hundredweight with con tracts. • Dale Hoffman, owner of Kar-Dale Acres in Shinglehouse. Hoffman was a founding member of the Potter County Milk Pro ducers Association (PCMP) in January 2001. “Thrive, not sur vive. That’s the motto we decided to use when we were forming the group to share ideas, discuss problems, and find solution to help us thrive in the dairy indus try,” said Hoffman. • Marlin Hoff, owner of Cold springs Farms in New Windsor, Md. Coldsprings Farms average more than 24,000 pounds of milk, 900 pounds of fat, and 770 pounds of protein, with a herd that is 94 percent homebred. “When I started milking in 1963, a hundredweight of milk could buy you almost four hours of labor. Today, you can buy about 40 minutes with those same hun dred pounds,” said Hoff. “That paints a tough picture for farm ers starting today. But, the good news is that dairy cows are more productive and more efficient than ever before and these supe rior genetics can help cash flow during the tough times.” He be lieves that proper genetic deci sions equals profits. Lou Moore, a professor of ag economics at the Penn State Uni versity, also authors an article on the future of the dairy industry. The free report can be viewed by linking to www.pfb.com, ob tained by calling (717) 731-3517, or by stopping by the Farm Bu reau Building at Ag Progress Days in Rockspring, which is lo cated at Main and sth Streets. MSC Business Services, a com prehensive accounting firm, pro vides the report to all subscribers of its Farm Management Service program. thing we have to work together to do.” Hersh also recommends wear ing insect repellant with DEBT, wearing long sleeves and long pants when possible, and avoid ing mosquito-infested areas at dawn and dusk, which are the times of day mosquitoes are most likely to bite people. “Farmers and horse owners also play a key role in controlling West Nile virus. I would ask farmers and horse owners to eliminate standing water where they can on their properties,” said Nan Hanshaw-Roberts, a veterinarian at the Department of Agriculture. “They should also consult with their veterinarians about the vaccine that is avail able for horses.” State officials recommended a number of tips to help eliminate mosquito- breeding areas around the home and farm, including: • Disposing of tin cans, plastic containers, ceramic pots or simi lar water-holding containers that have collected on your property. • Paying attention to dis Aqua-Therm Outside Wood Burning Furnace - Clean f - Easy - Safe - Efficient * V=H Buy the top of the line! ’Stainless Steel Fire Box \ us { *Ash Removal Auger S On West > *l5 Year Warranty *\l2th St. 'Thermostatically Controlled Heat your house, shop and/or hot water with one unit. For more Information. call 717-838-9270 or 1-888-382-8170 Email: mkpowell@paonline.com carded tires. Stagnant water in tires are where most mosquitoes breed. • Drilling holes in the bottom of recycling containers left out doors. • Having clogged roof gutters cleaned every year, particularly if the leaves from surrounding trees have a tendency to plug up the drains. Roof gutters can produce millions of mosquitoes each sea son. • Turning over plastic wading pools when not in use. Stagnant water in a wading pool becomes a place for mosquitoes to breed. • Turning over wheelbarrows and not letting water stagnate in birdbaths. Both provide breeding habitats for do- mestic mosqui toes. • Aerating ornamental pools or stock ing them with fish. Water gar dens can be come major mosquito producers if they are al lowed to stagnate. Clean and chlorinate swimming pools not in use. A swimming pool left unten ded by a family on vacation for a month can produce enough mos quitoes to result in neighborhood wide complaints. Mosquitoes may even breed in the water that col lects on pool covers. • Keeping water in buckets and troughs fresh and clean. • Using landscaping to elimi nate standing water that collects on your property. Mosquitoes may breed in any puddle that lasts for more than four days. Hydrostatic Drive and Stainless Steel For more information, contact your local dealer. Weaverline, LLC Churchtown, Pa Phone 717-445-6724
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