Impact of drought on agriculture in the millions
By ROBERT KESSLER Penn State Cooperative Extension Franklin County office

COMING EVENTS

Aug. 14 - 10 a.m., Cut Flower Trials and Flower Arranging Demonstration, Horticulture Garden.

Aug. 22 - Noon, Tomato Tasting Day, Horticulture Center on Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg, open to public. Call 263-9226.

Aug. 19 to 25 - Franklin County Fair, Chambersburg Rod and Gun Club, 3725 Warm Spring Road, Chambersburg.

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News from the insect world

Here are a few things you might be interested in about insects that may be in our area. First is the hummingbird moth. There are several species of day flying moths that are called hummingbird moths. At first glance, you will think you are seeing a hummingbird. They like deep throated flowers like a hummingbird. They can have wingspans up to two inches. So, if you think you see a hummingbird, look twice because it could be one of these moths which are also a fun sight to see.

The monarch butterfly is being sighted in our area. At this time, the female monarchs are laying eggs for the next generation that will begin the migration south toward Mexico where they live over winter. You might see a monarch in your backyard if you have some of their favorite plants like Asters, Black-eyed Susans, Coneflowers, Coreopsis and Joe-Pye weed. Some milkweed plants in

the garden will be attractive for egg-laying, so the larvae will be able to feed on them.

This is the time of

year that people

will notice bees nesting in the ground. There are several bees that are called ground nesting bees because they excavate a burrow in the ground to live in. Some may be solitary while other bees may share a common entrance and then each female has her own burrow branching off the main entrance. These bees are not aggressive, but in large numbers they can cause a homeowner concern. Usually, these bees pick out open areas to dig their hole, so mulching the area can deter them.

The bees are beneficial pollinators, so it is not recommended to use a pesticide to control them.

Impact of drought

Last Thursday night when I came home around 9 p.m., I could smell the corn field next to my house. It smelled like ears of sweet corn on the grill. This is just an illustration of how bad the drought is in Franklin County. Farmers are already harvesting corn silage because there will be no ears on the corn due to the drought. The economic impact on agriculture is going to be many millions of dollars.

The impact on your yard will also be felt. People are not recognizing the need to do proper mulching around plants to conserve moisture and are not watering new plants. If you can conserve water, you should. Who knows how long this drought will last. It wasn't but a few years ago that we were dealing with a drought and here we go again. Let's hope it rains enough soon to break this dry spell. It won't save the corn crop for the farmers, but it will help them just as it will help all of us with yards.