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Fireflies evoke memories of a childhood chase. You’d catch one in your hand and wait to see the flickering light and then moments later, release it unharmed and watch it fly away. This summertime favorite does more than generate entertaining childhood memories. They also help control some pests in your garden. On summer nights, glow worms (luminescent firefly larvae) often emerge from their underground homes to forage for food. A typical menu includes slugs, snails and caterpillars including cutworms. The larvae feed much like a spider by injecting a paralyzing toxin into their prey; then, injecting digestive juices to dissolve the prey and allow it to be more easily consumed. The...

Millions of Americans are impacted by mental health condition. In fact, it is estimated that one in five Americans will be affected by a mental health condition at some point in their lives. Every American is impacted through their friends and family members. There is still a negative view of mental health problems in our country. This stigma can get in the way of seeking help or treatment. One of the most important things we can do is work to replace this stigma with hope. Each of us can help change the way the world views mental health by helping create understanding and offering hope. Here are three of the...

The ultimate test of forage quality is animal performance. Producing high quality forages is vital to improved animal performance, whether your goal is more pounds of milk, a higher rate of gain, increased wool production or an improved conception rate. Forages provide a major percentage of the nutrients for beef and dairy cattle, sheep and goats, horses and ruminant wildlife. If the quality isn’t right, you can’t feed animals enough forage to achieve production goals. Forage quality is defined as “the extent to which a forage, whether pasture, hay or silage, has the ability to produce the desired animal response.” While many factors affect forage quality, the stage of maturity at harvest...

Resilience is something that everyone can have. When someone is resilient, it does not mean that a person does not have difficulty or that he or she does not feel stress. It means that the person is able to adjust. Here are some ways you can work toward being resilient. Talk to your family and friends. It is important to have a good network of family and friends. When going through a hard or stressful time, being able to talk and share with another person can be helpful. Take care of yourself. Many times during a stressful situation, you may not be as motivated to pay attention to your own needs and feelings....

Once tax season is over, you may be wondering what to do with your tax documents, everything that you used to prepare your tax return as well as copies of your tax return. The following tips will help you plan what to save and how long to save the documents: • As a rule of thumb, keep your tax documents for a minimum of 3 years from the date you filed your original return or 2 years from the date that you paid the tax, whichever is later. • If you know that you have under-reported your income by 25 percent or more, the IRS can audit for up to 6 years...

A successful breeding season actually begins with management decisions made at calving.  Cattlemen can impact re-breeding efficiency by focusing on body condition score (BCS), early assistance during calving difficulty, scheduling a breeding soundness exam for the herd sires, planning their herd reproductive health program, and developing a plan to regulate estrus in their first-calf heifers and late-calving cows. Reproductive management begins with evaluation and management of BCS. Body condition score is a numerical estimation of the amount of fat on the cow’s body. Body condition score ranges from 1-9; 1 is emaciated while 9 is extremely obese. A change in a single BCS (i.e. 4-5) is usually associated with about...

The smell of fresh cut grass wafting through the neighborhood is one of the surest signs of spring. You should already be thinking about lawn care since it’s time to clip the grass for the first time. Your most important annual lawn duties begin with that first mowing. The first mowing makes the lawn look spring-like and attractive and can improve the aesthetics and value of your property. Subsequent regular mowing hardens the grass for drought and heat stresses that may occure later on. So when the first clump of grass grows above the mowing height, mow -- even if a lot of the yard doesn’t need to be mowed...

Over the past decade, online sales have surged to an all-time high. American families frequently make online purchases for items including common household products, clothing, and electronics. If you are one of the millions of Americans who shop online, you need to ensure that you are protecting yourself against fraud. Unfortunately, there are criminals who will try to steal your personal information and money. Below are some ways to avoid online fraud: • Be on guard. Criminals will send you requests for your private information, usually through a legitimate looking email. These emails will ask for information such as bank account numbers, credit card numbers and even your Social Security number....

If you are going to drink alcohol and get behind the wheel then please consider the following for a moment before you do. In 2001, Lester Cook had been drinking when he got behind the wheel of his 1984 Corvette, sped off and lost control of his car running over a pregnant woman, who was working in the flower bed in her yard. His estimated blood alcohol level at the time of the crash was about twice the legal limit. In 2007, Raymond Garner, whose license had recently been suspended for drunk driving, was barreling up I-75 in his pick-up truck hauling a rickety old trailer with all his worldly belongings...

While the winter may have wreaked havoc on many desirable plants, it did little to affect crabgrass, the most common weed in Kentucky lawns. “Crabgrass is an annual weed that outcompetes desirable grasses and then dies in the fall, leaving bare spots in yards for winter weeds to fill in,” said Gregg Munshaw, Extension Turf Specialist in the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. “The cycle keeps repeating itself until the turf stand gets poorer and poorer.” Munshaw said the best way to control summer annual grassy weeds, including crabgrass, is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide before the weed germinates. Now is the time to do so. “April 15...