Polk County Living
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • May 25, 2016 9A
Fight bugs in the garden with IPM
As bugs begin to munch
our plants, our thoughts
turn to — what else? — how
to kill them.
Blood thirsty as that may
sound, most gardeners don’t
appreciate planting a garden
only to have it turn into a
mottled, notched or spotted
m e s s. Su re, a c e r t a i n
amount of nibbling is to be
expected and tolerated by
gardeners who use integrat-
ed pest management, said
Heather Stoven, a horticul-
turist with Oregon State
K YM
P OKORNY
Your
Garden
University Extension Serv-
ice. But dead plants are not.
“Accepting a little damage
is important,” she said. “If
you have plants, you’re al-
ways having issues. But just
because you see a few in-
sects, doesn’t mean you
need to treat them immedi-
ately.”
If you’ve not heard the
term, integrated pest man-
agement, or IPM, means
using a variety of low-risk
tools at your disposal to deal
with pest problems and
minimize risks to humans,
animals and the environ-
ment. Often, waiting a few
days will bring the good
guys in to deal with the bad
guys, especially if you’ve de-
signed a garden with a di-
verse variety of plants that
Brossart
PHOTO BY JEFF MILLER
Pick up the hose to wash
off aphids.
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
mouth-Independence
Chamber of Commerce and
Visitor Center, in coordina-
tion with local shops,
restaurants and other busi-
nesses. Free shuttle buses
transported people between
our communities as every-
one enjoyed food and bev-
erages and all kinds of fun
and interesting shopping
experiences without need-
ing to drive to malls or has-
sle with parking places.
Many merchants provided
free goodies and treats, and
this was a good opportunity
to share all the good things
about our communities with
friends and family members
visiting from out of town.
—
Memorial Day is Monday,
when we honor those men
and women who have given
their lives serving our coun-
try in the Armed Forces. The
first official Memorial Day
was celebrated May 30,
1868, when John Logan,
commander of Allied Forces
of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, placed flowers on
graves at Arlington National
Cemetery in Virginia. Me-
morial Day has also been
called decoration day, when
families leave floral tributes
at the graves of family mem-
bers who have passed away.
—
Many of us will celebrate
Memorial Day with the long
3-day weekend, which gives
us time to travel to the
beach, the mountains and
to family gatherings near
Keegan Kathleen Brossart was born on May 13 to Keena
and Matthew Brossart, of Silverton, at Salem Health Fam-
ily Birth Center.
She weighed 5 pounds, 14 ounces.
Grandparents are Kathy and David Presnell, of Salem,
and John and Peg Brossart, of Minneapolis.
Haugen
Ronan Emerson Haugen was born on April 19 to Dan-
nielle Ritacco and Nels Haugen, both of Lacey, Wash., in
Olympia, Wash.
He weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces, and was 19 inches
long.
Grandparents are Neil and Miriam Haugen; and David
and Cindy Ritacco, all of Monmouth.
PHOTO FROM FLICKR\
BRAMBLEJUNGLE
Control flea beetles the
same way as cucumber
beetles, with row covers.
provide nectar and pollen.
“The biology of natural
enemies is to come in as
there’s an increase in a pest
population,” Stoven said.
“There’s a bit of a lag. But
then they tend to come in
and take care of the prob-
lem.”
With IPM, the most im-
portant step is to monitor
your garden closely and
identify pests quickly. The
fewer insects, the easier it is
to deal with them in the
least invasive way possible.
IPM methods might in-
clude:
• Planting disease-resis-
tant plant varieties;
• Keeping plants healthy;
• Cleaning up diseased
leaves or picking pests off by
hand;
• Using traps or barriers;
• Turning to the least toxic
pesticides such as insectici-
dal soaps and horticultural
oils as a last resort.
“We discourage the use of
broad-spectrum insecti-
cides for anything because
good bugs and pollinators
can be affected,” Stoven
said.
MI TOWN
The Independence Down-
town Association hosted the
very first Home-Based Busi-
ness Fair on Friday at the In-
dependence Elks Lodge —
and it was a great opportuni-
ty to meet and greet folks in
MI Town and nearby areas
who have put their creative
and inventive ideas to very
good use. Marilyn Morton
and Rod Killen organized
this event to help showcase
and acknowledge the many
home-based entrepreneurs
and small businesses in our
area. It was a good occasion
for other businesses to learn
about financial resources,
accounting, as well as public
relations and to share ideas
with others. Many of us are
already looking forward to
next year’s event.
—
Last Saturday afternoon,
Discover MI Town was
sponsored by the Mon-
Redding
Koren Christopher James Redding was born on May 15
to Ashley Krake and Justin Redding, both of Dallas, at
Salem Health Family Birth Center.
He weighed 8 pounds, 1 ounce.
Grandparents are Jason and Kristi Krake, of Dallas, and
Christopher Redding and Shannon Gallagher, of Dallas.
So what to do?
Follow Stoven’s recommendations to bug out those bugs the IPM way.
• Aphids: Probably the most common insect in gardens, aphids are small, usually light green
(though there are black, gray or red aphids) and sometimes sport a fuzzy coat. They feed on plants
by sucking the juice out of leaves and produce a sticky substance called honeydew.
Monitor plants often, being sure to check the underside of foliage where aphids like to congre-
gate in large groups. To control mild populations, squish or wash off with a spray from the hose. For
more moderate infestations, use commercially available insecticidal soaps. The product must come
in direct contact with the aphids for effective control. Encourage natural enemies like ladybug lar-
vae, lacewings and hover flies (syrphid flies) by not using broad-spectrum pesticides and planting
a diverse variety of plants.
Azalea lace bug: A serious pest of azaleas and rhododendrons, azalea lace bugs hatch in mid-
May and the immature insects or nymphs start sucking chlorophyll out of plant leaves. They are
nearly translucent light yellowish-green, darkening as they age, particularly on the abdomen. Dam-
age shows up as a yellow, dot-like pattern on the surface of leaves and black fecal spots under-
neath. Large populations can suck so much chlorophyll that the foliage turns white.
Now is the perfect time to treat these bugs since the sooner you reduce the population, the less
damage there will be later. Check plants often and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil as soon
as you see any insects. If the plant is small, spray with water to knock them off the plant. In both
cases, be sure to get underneath foliage and be thorough. The healthier the plant, the less likely it
is to get infested, so give plants proper care — partial shade and adequate water. Learn more
about azalea lace bug in the Extension publication Azalea Lace Bug Biology and Management in
Commercial Nurseries and Landscapes.
Crane fly: Adult crane flies, which look like giant mosquitoes, have been showing up on screens
and in houses regularly this spring. Though thought to bite people or eat mosquitoes, they do nei-
ther. In fact, they don’t do any harm at all except lay eggs that develop into larvae that chomp on
roots, almost exclusively of lawns, which can tolerate quite a bit of feeding without damage.
If there are thinning areas in the lawn in spring, choose an area and dig up a 1-foot square of
lawn about an inch deep. If there are 25 to 50 wormlike larvae per square foot, treatment may be
necessary, but is best done in fall. Shut off irrigation after Labor Day when eggs are laid, which can
reduce populations. Birds are good predators, so attract them to your yard with diverse plantings.
Also, beneficial nematodes can be used in spring or early fall. Remember that nematodes are living
things, so buy from a reputable source that will keep them viable, read the instructions and use
them as soon as possible.
Cucumber beetle: About ¼-inch long, yellow with black spots or stripes, the cucumber beetle is
an enemy of cucumbers and squash, especially emerging seedlings. They’ll chew holes in leaves,
eventually killing the plant. The beetles can also chew on flowers, reducing fruit set, and can trans-
mit diseases.
Control cucumber beetles by planting large starts rather than seeds. Use floating row covers,
which are made of very light-weight fabric that allows air, light and water through. Seal edges by
burying in the soil or in some other way. The row covers are available from garden centers and on-
line. Cover plants before infestations starts; now is the time to do that. Remove for several hours a
day during flowering so plants can pollinate. Since there is more than one generation per season,
it’s best to keep the row cover on throughout the growing season.
Flea beetle: Flea-sized, shiny and black, these insects chew tiny holes in leaves and do more
damage to young plants than established ones. Three types feed on a wide range of plants, includ-
ing cabbage, broccoli, kale, collards, beans, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant.
Control the same way as cucumber beetles. More information about flea beetles is available in
the publication Organic Management of Flea Beetles.
Spittle bug: With its white, foamy covering, spittle bugs are not difficult to identify. If you can
see it, the insect inside is greenish-yellow and aphid-like. Similar to aphids, these are sucking pests.
Unlike aphids, they pass the juices, and it turns into the spittle that acts as a protective coating. Be-
cause of that, it’s difficult to control them with most methods, including insecticidal soaps or horti-
cultural oil. Washing them off is the most effective method.
Though unsightly, spittle bugs don’t cause a lot of damage to plants and the adult will soon fly
away.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Continued from page 8A
—
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1
• Scrabble with Betty — 1 p.m., Independence Public Li-
brary, 175 Monmouth St., Independence. Scrabble games first
Wednesday of every month. Free; refreshments and prizes
available. 503-551-7687 or 503-838-1811.
• Willamette Valley Food Assistance Program Food Bank
— 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., 888 Monmouth Cutoff Road, Building E,
Dallas. Weekly distribution for eligible community members.
503-831-5634.
• Yarning for Others — 3 to 5 p.m., St. Thomas Episcopal
Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. Knitters and crocheters
gather to make clothing and accessories for those in need on
the first Wednesday of every month. 503-689-7222.
• Brew and BS: The Old Testament — 7 p.m., St. Thomas
Episcopal Church, 1486 SW Levens St., Dallas. A lecture series
on the Old Testament. Bring brew of choice — coffee, tea, chai,
beer, wine, cider. 435-503-4304.
10am - 3pm
182 Academy St, Dallas 503-623-2564
New Vendors this week including:
STRAWBERRIES from Lakeside Berry Farm!
Family Building Blocks will
provide kids activities!
Facebook.com/bountymarket
http://www.exploredallasoregon.org/bounty-market.html
Monmouth~Independence Rotary Club
STRAWBERRY SALE
From the same club that has been doing this for over 25 years.
and far. Let’s all enjoy the
fun, great trips and good
food, but be mindful of
those necessary items like
bug spray, sunscreen and
other safety measures. Let’s
also hope Mother Nature
will bring out the sunshine
and blue skies to share with
everyone.
—
We’re all spending more
time outdoors — getting out
and about in the communi-
ty for walks or errands or
just to stop by our favorite
cafe for a cup of coffee or a
cold drink. Springtime is a
great season to welcome
new neighbors or touch
base with folks we haven’t
seen in a long time. It’s a
time to meet people from
faraway places or from just
around the corner, and to
wish everyone new to our
community a warm wel-
come to MI Town.
May the Cure be with you!
Together We Can End Cancer
30 lb. Container of Fresh
Oregon-Grown Strawberries
$ 50
Yummy, stemmed,washed, sliced,
ready to eat, freeze or cook.
DEADLINE TO ORDER JUNE 1
PICKUP: INDEPENDENCE, DALLAS, or CORVALLIS
To place your order email:
strawberry@mirotaryclub.org
or call: 503-838-6687
www.mirotaryclub.org
Please leave your phone or email.
We will notify you when they’re ready.
TO BENEFIT ROTARY YOUTH PROGRAMS
Early
Deadlines!
Our office will be closed
May 30 th 2016 in observance
of Memorial Day.
Deadlines:
Community Events . . .Thursday Noon
Relay For Life Of Polk County
June 4-5 • 10a.m. to 10a.m.
at Riverview Park, Independence
Participate as a: day volunteer • form a team to walk through the night
• light a luminaria bag in remembrance of a loved one
• just stop by and experience the relay
Survivors and caregivers are invited to the Survivor Lap
at 10 AM on Saturday.
If you or someone you know is interested in participating,
being a sponsor or making a contribution, contact
Tami Bookey-Kuhlmann 503-507-0120;
Email: 2015relayforlifepc@gmail.com
Online: relayforlife.org/polkcountyor
100 Years Ago the American Cancer Society started the fight of
a lifetime. Together We Can Finish The Fight!
Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . .Thursday Noon
Display Ads . . . . . . . . .Thursday 2 pm
Letters to Editor . . . . . . .Friday 10 am
Classified Display . . . . . .Friday 11 am
Classified Line Ads . . . . .Friday Noon
Obituaries . . . . . . . . . . . .Friday Noon
147 SE Court St, Dallas
503-623-2373
