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Going to Kansas CityBy Richard C. Snell Barton County Extension Agent, Agriculture Kansas We're going to Kansas City; Kansas City here we come! At least I hope that you are coming along on the Great Northwest Ag Tour, Nov. 20 and 21. For those folks that have a real interest in agriculture, alternative markets, product development and enhancement, genetic improvement and what happens to your products after leaving the farm or ranch you might want to mark your calendar for a fun and informative getaway. County agriculture extension agents in the northwest extension area are pleased to announce an Agriculture Tour for area producers and agriculture enthusiasts in general. We will be boarding a chartered bus and traveling to the Northeast part of Kansas making stops along the way. The tour is intended to provide producers with ideas to add value to their product as well as give them the opportunity to visit important industry establishments. It will also be a great chance to meet others from around northwest Kansas involved in agriculture. Tour stops will be Munson Beef, Junction City, a family operation that sells their beef direct to the consumer. You will also hear about their agritourism business. Hear and see first-hand how Kansas State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wheat Genetics and Breeding Research program works to improve disease and insect resistance in wheat varieties and similar grasses from around the world. See and feel the energy of how futures contracts on hard red winter wheat are traded and the Value Line Index, an equally-weighted index of approximately 1,650 stocks at the Kansas City Board of Trade tour. We'll also visit SYSCO food services, Olathe, operating from 170-plus locations. Today SYSCO's product lines are as diverse as the 50,000 employees who support its daily operations. They carry several lines of branded meat products. SYSCO foods are used a lot locally by businesses and institutions. Homestead Mill in New Cambria is a unique cooperative flour mill using milling stones to mill wheat produced in Kansas. Every bag or load of flour has a lot number that identifies what farmer cooperative member's field it came from. During a stop at legends at Village West for supper and shopping on your own, you will see one of the most highly anticipated developments in Kansas City. This center includes more than 90 stores and restaurants including Cabela's and Nebraska Furniture Mart. This tour is open to anyone with an interest in agriculture and their spouses. There must be a minimum of 40 pre-registered participants for the tour to take place; registration deadline is Oct. 31. A maximum of 55 registrations will be accepted due to bus space. The tour will be from Nov. 20 and 21. The bus will leave from Colby on Nov. 20 and make pick-up stops in Quinter, Hays, and Ellsworth. Millipedes--Just suck them up Once again, we are seeing millipedes invading homes. Millipedes, sometimes mistakenly called wireworms or "thousand-legged worms" are a worm-like arthropod relative of insects. They can be distinguished from centipedes by the number of legs per body segment. Millipedes have two legs per segment but centipedes have only one. Though usually found in damp locations outside, they can become a problem inside the house and cause homeowners a great deal of concern. Invasions of households are often sudden and sporadic. Millipedes feed primarily on decaying organic material; rarely on living tissue. They do not bite people nor damage household furnishings directly. However, they will leave a mess and give off an odor if crushed. Millipedes are wormlike and most often gray or brownish-black in color. The legs ripple as they move but will often curl up into a "C" shape like a watch spring if touched. Remember, you may not see the legs unless viewing the millipede from the side. They defend themselves by giving off a disagreeable odor when disturbed. Over the past years, they have migrated in large numbers during a period of warm weather in the fall season of the year and then would immediately stop when a quick drop in temperature (cold snap) occurred. If crushed, millipedes may stain rugs and fabrics. Millipedes require high moisture conditions in order to survive and often die in a day or two after entering a house. Dead millipede bodies can then be vacuumed up and disposed of. Drying out any moist areas inside will also help with control. Sealing and caulking around any openings in the foundation will help keep populations low. If this is not enough, spraying in a 3-foot band around the outside of the house and up the walls, will take care of them before they get inside. Treatment of peat moss, mulch, wood chips, leaves, etc. used in landscaping around the house is important. Do not expect immediate kill since control may be slow (three to six days or more). Baygon bait works well when scattered along the house foundation providing fast knock-down. Total control of millipedes during migration periods is difficult The carbamate insecticides such as propoxur (Baygon), bendiocarb (Ficam) or carbaryl (Sevin) give the fastest knockdown compared to the other groups of insecticides. Wettable powder formulations provide the best soil residual control. Repeat applications at weekly intervals as needed. So like we say in sports, when the going gets tough, just suck it up. Only, in this case, suck them up with the sweeper. 10/27/08 Date: 10/23/08
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