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Published: Thursday, 14 May 2020 09:55
It’s as easy as 'one-two' to manage imported red fire ants
Written by Paul Schattenberg, 210-859-5752, paschattenberg@ag.tamu.edu
The Two-Step Method is the fire ant control method most preferred by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. (Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service photo)
Now is an ideal time to take the first step to fire ant control, said Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts.
“Spring is a good time to begin your imported red fire ant control because this is the time of year when the ants are searching for food and starting to build those mounds that make them much easier easy to locate,” said Mike Merchant, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension urban entomologist at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Dallas.
Read more: Spring is the time for Texans to ‘two-step’ toward fire ant control
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Published: Wednesday, 13 May 2020 16:05
May 25, 2020
My Fellow Texans,
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces. It is a day for Americans to offer tribute and honor to the heroes who laid down their lives to preserve our freedoms.
Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War. It was not until after World War I, that the day was expanded to honor those service men and women who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was officially declared a national holiday by an act of Congress.
Read more: Texas Veterans Commission letter honoring Memorial Day
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Published: Tuesday, 12 May 2020 00:00
By Colleen Hook, Executive Director at Quinta Mazatlan
One of the most near-perfect camouflaged birds is the Common Pauraque. The Pauraque has an understated beauty marked in brown-black and grey patterns and can just “disappear” on the Thornforest floor. While Pauraques are an adaptable species, they need forests to live and will leave areas that are heavily built up. Forests are important for many reasons from providing homes, to providing food, medicines and helping us breathe and keep cool.
Pauraques are unlike most other birds, as they really don’t construct nests. They make a scrape in the ground and lay eggs on the Thornforest floor on fallen leaves. A clutch consists of 1-3 eggs which are pink colored with buff spots. Incubation takes about 20 days and is carried out by both parents.
Read more: Camo is my happy color
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Published: Monday, 11 May 2020 14:36
Colleen Curran Hook, Executive Director of Quinta Mazatlan
Springtime means new baby birds and celebrates rebirth and motherhood. Mother birds take parenting very seriously from building the nest to incubating the eggs and to finding food for her young. To quote Proverbs 31:10-31, “A mother’s work is never done”.
Bird nests are fascinating and as a general rule, the mother is the skilled builder designing the nest for support, shelter and camouflage. Some nests are intricately designed and others are scrapes in the ground. Let us look at the seven styles of Avian Architecture!
Read more: In celebration of momma birds
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Published: Monday, 11 May 2020 14:15
Written by Susan Himes, Susan.Himes@ag.tamu.edu
AgriLife experts warn stinging caterpillars can cause contact rashes, painful reactions
As the weather warms up and people begin spending more time in their yards, parks and forests, more people will be coming home with a rash or bug bite.
However, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service experts say before you blame a flying insect or a poisonous plant for a skin ailment, you may need to consider another culprit – stinging caterpillars.
Read more: Stinging caterpillar season has arrived in Texas
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Published: Monday, 20 April 2020 20:06
Colleen Curran Hook, Executive Director of Quinta Mazatlán
The Century Plant only blooms once in a lifetime every 10 to 25, years so the century thing is an exaggeration, but a quarter of a century is still a long time. The plant is monocarpic in that it flowers, sets seed for pups and then dies. But it leaves plenty of pups or small plantlets at its base to begin a new life cycle.
Read more: The Century Plant—It’s Time to Bloom
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Published: Wednesday, 08 April 2020 17:03
In 2017, a new architectural gem named the North Academic Building, also known as Building P, was built on the South Texas College Pecan Campus. With its modern design, impressive three stories, and welcoming atmosphere, it became a popular hub of campus activity. However, its substantial iridescent plate-glass windows and impressive height began to attract an unexpected type of attention.
Seemingly without explanation, birds, sometimes more than a dozen a day, were striking the tall windows and dying upon impact. This phenomenon was alarming, to say the least, and especially concerning for those who worked and studied in the building on a daily basis.
Read more: Students, faculty and staff at STC team up to study and find solutions to deadly bird to glass...
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Published: Wednesday, 08 April 2020 12:59
Colleen Curran Hook, Executive Director of Quinta Mazatlán
Seen throughout South Texas, the Retama is truly a stunning tree. At Quinta Mazatlán we describe it as a “Tree of Life” providing food and shelter to many a wild creature. In addition, the Retama can live on 12 inches of rain a year, a true native survivor in the Rio Grande Valley.
In the spring, the tree is covered in yellow flowers, and will bloom into the summer months. The flowers are unique in that they have five petals each, four yellow and one orange. The orange petal is known as the honey petal, providing nectar for bees and butterflies.
Read more: The Retama Tree is full of life in the Spring
Colleen Curran Hook, Executive Director of Quinta Mazatlán
MCALLEN, TX- In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the adaption to our “new” reality, the Sunset Live Music Series has joined a number of concerts and artist who have taken the approach of the show must go on-line.
