the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon6-18 | Page 23

June 2018 beaconsports @live.com By Melanie Alexander I like to think that I By approach everyday life with Maxine flexibility. This is especially Klump true as I explore my love of cooking with Community the reality of Correspondent cooking for one person on most days. I enjoy the actual [email protected] process of cooking and do not mind eating alone at home or away. I do NOT enjoy eating the same dish over and over when the recipe itself served 4-6 people. So… most weeks find me experimenting with favorite recipes sized for one or two servings. I can usually find willing participants to By John Hawley Purdue Extension Educator [email protected] Battling the Big Bad Bagworm Creepy. Crawly. Annoying. Stubborn. Hungry. These are just a few of the words that accurately describe bag- worms. If you are unfamiliar with the pest, you may be lucky or simply unaware of the hungry caterpillars lurking in your trees and shrubs. If you know them all too well, hopefully, this article will of- fer you a few solutions. Evergreen bagworms, as they are often defined around our area, are notorious for their insatiable appetite and ability to critically defoliate plants. Often found on ever- green shrubs such as spruce and junipers, this squirmy devil is also known to at- tack deciduous trees such as maples and honey locust if given the opportunity. They are most active in late May and June when their eggs hatch from an overwin- ter sleep. They will feed for about six weeks and when disturbed, they will hide in their bag that also enlarges as they consume more and more plant materials. Their bag is composed of a fine and sturdy silk, mixed with a variety of plant materials. They are known to make circular dam- age on leaves, leaving skele- ton-like marks in abundance. To control these bagworms, there are a few options to consider. First of all, if there are only a few small trees or shrubs infested on your property, handpicking and destroying the bagworms yourself may do the trick. For this method to work, be sure to destroy all bags during the fall, winter and early spring. For those larger infestations, chemical controls are likely needed. According to Dr. Cliff Sadof with Purdue Entomology, bagworms can be easily con- trolled with a spray applica- tion of spinosad (Conserve, or Fertilome borer and bagworm killer), or Bacillus thuringi- ensis (Dipel). Be sure that all label instructions are followed closely if you decide to spray on your own. Many of the stronger products recommend for bagworm control (especially heavy infestations) may only be available to a commercial THE BEACON share in these tastings so that I’m not consigned to eating the same thing for five or six days. Several weeks ago, I came across a recipe for a blueberry lemon quick bread that sounded good – not too sweet, filled with