Moth Invasion

Have you been bombarded by moths this year?

They are actually army cutworm adults.  The army cutworm adult moths have dark, gray-brown forewings and distinct markings.

Adult females lay eggs in the fall with caterpillars emerging from eggs from fall through winter. The caterpillars (larvae) feed on alfalfa and wheat.  Army cutworms overwinter as larvae in the soil.  Adults emerge from pupae located in the soil in May.

Why such a big outbreak? There is no direct answer, but outbreaks of army cutworm tend to occur every 10-15 years.  There is one generation per year in Kansas.

For more information, check out the Kansas Insect Newsletter-

https://entomology.k-state.edu/doc/extension-newsletters/2023/KSInsectNewsletter%2005.pdf

By: Cassie Thiessen

Understanding Your Health Insurance

Understanding the key terms and details of our health insurance can be confusing.

The deductible is the amount you pay out-of-pocket before your insurance pays.  For example, if you have a $1,000 deductible, you pay the first $1,000 of your medical expenses, then your insurance will start to help out. Some policies are designed to allow certain services at a co-pay amount during this deductible phase.

The out of pocket maximum is the most you will have to pay for covered services in a year.  Once you reach this amount, your insurance covers 100% of your medical expenses.  It is common for a policy that has out of network coverage to have a separate out of pocket maximum for in and out of network services.

A copay is a fixed amount you will pay for certain services, like a doctor’s office visit. For example, you might pay $20 for a check up and your insurance covers the rest.

Coinsurance is a percentage of the cost.  You might pay 20% and your insurance company pays 80%. These costs are most often incurred after you meet the deductible and before you meet the out of pocket maximum.

One way to help control the costs when using your health insurance, is to make sure the providers you are using are in your plans network. Some plans will not cover if you use a provider not in their network, and some plans will cover if you go out of network, but it will be more expensive for you to do so.  For example, you may pay 40% rather than 20% of the cost.

 

By: Brenda Langdon

Start Your Day the Good Way

When it comes to breaking the overnight fast, whether to eat breakfast – and what to eat if you do – can be a confusing topic. The fact is, if you do it right, the morning meal can offer an important opportunity to nourish your body, and it may help with weight control.

Breakfast is a great opportunity to bring in foods which you may be falling short on, such as dairy products (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese) whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. A whole-grain hot or cold breakfast cereal, plain yogurt with granola, or a cottage cheese topped with fresh or frozen fruit and nuts is a quick, simple, nutritious, and satisfying way to break your fast. A slice of whole-grain toast or a whole wheat wrap makes a great base for peanut or other nut butter and banana or apple, melted cheese and tomato, mashed beans and salsa, or mashed avocado and hard-boiled egg. Eggs are fine for breakfast in moderation.

Think of breakfast as a nutritional bonus. Breakfast is the opportunity to have whole-grain items or dairy products that you might not have for another meal during the day. Choose breakfast as a health goal. Start your day the good way, with breakfast.

By: Jamie Rathbun

Tomato Leaf-Spot Diseases

Two common leaf-spot diseases will likely appear on tomatoes once the weather starts to heat up. Septoria leaf spot and early blight are both characterized by brown spots on the leaves.

Septoria leaf spot usually appears earlier in the season than early blight and produces small dark spots. Spots made by early blight are much larger and often have a distorted “target” pattern of concentric circles. Heavily infected leaves eventually turn yellow and drop. Older leaves are more susceptible than younger ones, so these diseases often start at the bottom of the plant and work up. Mulching, caging, or staking keeps plants off the ground, making them less vulnerable. Better air circulation allows foliage to dry quicker than in plants allowed to sprawl.

Mulching also helps prevent water from splashing and carrying disease spores to the plant. In situations where these diseases have been a problem in the past, rotation is a good strategy. Actually, rotation is a good idea even if you have not had problems in the past. But many gardens are too small to make it practical. If you have room, rotate the location of the tomatoes each year to an area that has not had tomatoes or related crops (peppers, potatoes, eggplant) for several years.

If rotation is not feasible, fungicides are often helpful. Be sure to cover both upper and lower leaf surfaces, and reapply fungicide if rainfall removes it. Plants usually become susceptible when the tomato fruit is about the size of a walnut. Chlorothalonil is a good choice for fruiting plants because it has a 0-day waiting period, meaning that fruit can be harvested once the spray is dry.

Chlorothalonil can be found in numerous products including Fertilome Broad-Spectrum Landscape and Garden Fungicide, Ortho Garden Disease Control, GardenTech Daconil, Bonide Fungonil and others. Be sure to start protecting plants before these diseases are first seen if they have been a problem in the past. It is virtually impossible to control these diseases on heavily infected plants.

If chlorothalonil doesn’t seem to be effective, try mancozeb (Bonide Mancozeb Flowable). Note that there is a five-day waiting period between application and when the fruit can be harvested.

By: Cassie Thiessen

Financial Tips

Rebuilding your life after a disaster may be a challenge.  Having access to personal, financial, insurance, medical and other records is crucial for starting the recovery process and easing the stress.

  • Gather financial, personal, household and medical information. Store these and other important documents either in a safety deposit box, a fireproof box at home, an external drive, or on a cloud to make it easy to access during a disaster.
  • Keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place. It is important to have small bills on hand because ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster when you need to purchase necessary supplies, fuel or food.
  • Obtain homeowners or renters insurance, health, and life insurance if you do not have them. Not all insurance policies are the same. Review your policy to make sure the amount and type of coverage you have meets the requirements for all possible hazards. Homeowners insurance does not typically cover flooding, so you may need to purchase flood insurance separately.

Be cautious about sharing personal information such as bank account, social security, or credit card numbers, and be aware of scammers who might try to take advantage of you during stressful times.

By: Brenda Langdon

Garden Planning Resources

K-State Research and Extension has a new and improved Kansas Garden Guide that is free to download. It is full of helpful information including; raised bed gardening, container gardening, improving soil health, composting, and a large section on each specific vegetable crop. For example, if you want to learn how to grow okra, there is a section that covers what varieties to choose, when to plant, spacing, crop rotation, care and harvesting of okra.

Get the free guide here- https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/s51.pdf

By: Cassie Thiessen

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.  Millions of Americans are currently living with at least one mental health condition.  Sustained higher levels of stress can lead to depression, anxiety, fatigue, and other triggers that cause a greater tendency for attempting suicide.

Be sure to watch out for friends and family.  If you feel like something is wrong, ask, and help them get the help they need. Remember it’s beneficial to implement daily coping strategies.  Take a walk, get a massage, listen to music or take ten minutes to write down your blessings.

Try to get 15 minutes of sunshine per day (don’t forget sunscreen). Sunlight synthesizes vitamin D, which many experts believe can elevate your mood!

Positive thoughts and practices can go a long way to improve an outlook on life. If you or someone you know may be suffering from a mental illness, reach out to a loved one, support group, or mental health professional for assistance and support. One call can get you in touch with someone that can help your unique situation – call 988 for the national suicide and crisis lifeline.  It’s okay to ask for help.

By: Brenda Langdon