The Rural Voice, 1998-08, Page 52garden hose into 30 cm sections.
Place in cool darkened areas or
heavily infested areas around the
house. Every morning, empty into a
half filled bucket of detergent water
mixture. A mixture of moistened
oatmeal plus Sevin (available at
hardware stores) placed under pieces
of board may help control these
insects. The best time to treat these
insects is in May and June, as the
earwigs are in a smaller, younger
stage.
Snakes are other unwelcome
guests that occasionally get into
home basements. The most common
species is the garter snake. It is an
effective pest controller, especially
insects and rodents. They are
especially effective against rodents,
as they can get into burrows or
sheltered areas inaccessible to other
predators. The only snake that is
poisonous in Ontario is the Eastern
Massasauga rattlesnake. It can be
found in the Northern Peninsula of
Bruce County. Few snakes will
attack a human unless provoked and
prefer long grassy and wooded areas.
Sometimes they will be found on
sidewalks or along the edges of
buildings sunning themselves. When
it gets too hot, snakes take refuge in
basements through cracks in the
wall. They think this is another cool
shelter. To prevent snakes from
entering the house, block all small
entrances and make sure doors and
windows fit tightly. Mow the grasses
around buildings and move their
food source. The number of rats,
mice and insects can be reduced by
using traps, poison baits, and by
removing any grain and seed
sources. Do not kill snakes as they
are very beneficial. Put some moist
rags to provide a hiding spot. Then
move to a wooded area
approximately five to 10 miles away.
Which comes to our last pest, the
little brown bat. Bats usually roost in
caves and dark places such as attics
and barns. They excrete a putrid
smelling urine which in turn attracts
other bats. The manure can also
harbour a bacteria, which is harmful
to humans. The best method of
control is a closed house. Make sure
48 THE RURAL VOICE
Advice
all the cracks are filled and the
chimney area screened to prevent
entry. If a colony is established, fill
all cracks except the main one used
for entry/exit by the bats. One hour
past sunset, seal remaining cracks.
Use full-time illumination with
safety lights and sprinkle mothballs
or flakes to discourage re-entry. For
severe problems, contact someone
licensed in pest control. If chemical
means or poisons are being used for
any of these pests, make sure proper
safety precautions are used and the
amount used is consistent with that
suggested on the label. Common
sense and good housekeeping
management will prevent pests from
settling in your belfry.0
Fertilizing forage
fields
By Joan McKinlay
Soil and Crop
Specialist
When is the best time to fertilize
forage fields? There are many
answers to this question, but the
right answer is to do it sometime.
Whenever it is most convenient, is
the right time. Research at the
University of Guelph shows little
difference when potash is applied at
any time during the growing season.
There may be a slight advantage to
earlier application of phosphorus. If
you are applying nitrogen, then
you will want to time the
application three to four weeks
before you want the growth to
occur. Early applications in the
spring will give the most response in
the first cut or growth. Later
applications will encourage growth
throughout the season, but the
response will be less.
Once spring cereal nurse crops
are removed, either as silage or as
grain crop, an application of 150
kg/ha of 0-0-60 is an important
application. This will strengthen root
systems, keeping new little plants
alive over the winter. The cereals
will have used the potash applied as
starter fertilizer for their growth. The
extra application of potash will be
used directly by new forage
seedlings. This should be applied as
soon as possible after harvest.
Legumes require phosphorus and
potash in a 1:4 or 1:5 ratio. We can
rely on the soil providing most of
these nutrients, but an application of
either manure or commercial
fertilizer will help to complement
that available from the soil. If your
soils are lower testing in
phosphorous, then it is critical to
apply a minimum of 30 kg/ha of
phosphorus. The rest of your
fertilizer money should be spent on
potash. University of Guelph
calibration trials showed a direct
yield response to applied potash,
even at high soil test levels. These
results are the basis for
recommendations listed in
Publication 296 - Field Crop
Recommendations. Under intense
management, yields will continue to
increase with applied potash. A base
level of 0-14-42 at 200 kg/ha should
be used each year for plant health. If
you are taking only two cuts you will
harvest the benefit from this
application. If you are working your
forage fields harder, then consider
increasing the nutrients supplied to
amounts closer to the
recommendations. An application of
manure will supply nutrients similar
to these amounts. Take care to
spread lightly so plants are not
smothered by clumping or burnt with
liquid manure.
Fertilizer should be applied
before the critical harvest period.
This allows the plants time to pick
up nutrients and to use them to
strengthen the root system before
winter. Also, driving across the
fields will break plant stems causing
plants to re -grow similar to cutting
the field. You will see tracking in the
fields if you regularly fertilize during
September. Keep all the advantages
on your side.
Well fed, well rested, healthy root
systems will keep legume plants
alive and productive. Forages are a
perennial crop. Invest in next year's
crop this year by protecting root
systems and providing adequate
fcrtility.0