Carpenter bees readying for winter
By ROBERT KESSLER Penn State Cooperative Extension Franklin County office

Robert Kessler is an extension educator specializing in consumer horticulture and energy issues.

COMING EVENTS

Aug. 27 — Tomato Tasting Day, Franklin County Cooperative Extension and Penn State Master Gardeners, Noon to 5 p.m., Horticulture Gardens, rain or shine.

Sept. 3 —Turf Establishment & Care Workshop, Franklin County Master Gardeners, 7 p.m., Ag Heritage Building (next door to Extension office), call (717) 263- 9226.

Sept. 6 —Bulbs in Your Garden, Creating & Maintaining the Landscape, 9:30 a.m., Franklin County Master Gardeners, Ag Heritage Building.

Oct.2 to Nov.6 — Landscape Design & Plant Selection Classes, Franklin County Master Gardeners, Thursdays, 7 to 9 p.m., Ag Heritage Building.

Oct 4— Water Features for Your Garden, Franklin County Master Gardeners, 9:30 a.m., Ag Heritage Building.

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BACKYARD COMPOSTING WORKSHOP AND FREE BINS

Renfrew Institute is teaming up with The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Penn State Cooperative Extension to offer a composting workshop and free back yard composting bins to Franklin County residents. The workshop will be presented by George Hurd, Franklin County Extension Educator, on Thursday, Sept. 11 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Visitors Center at Renfrew Museum and Park, Waynesboro. Workshop fee is $10. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required. Each person who preregisters for the workshop and attends will receive a free composting bin, as long as supplies last, and with the limitation that only one bin will be given per household. The bins are being provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania DEP.

The goal of the workshop is to encourage backyard composting in order to promote the recycling and reuse of yard trimmings, leaves, grass, kitchen scraps and other organic materials. To attend the workshop and receive a free composting bin, you must preregister no later than Monday, Sept. 8 by calling Renfrew Institute at 762-0373. Parking is available behind the Visitors Center.

TIMBER HARVEST MANAGEMENT TOUR

On Saturday, Sept. 13 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the Cumberland Woodland Owners' Association is sponsoring a Timber Harvest Management Tour at Pine Grove Furnace State Park. Zachary Roeder, Service Forester for the PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry, will lead the tour of a recent 83 acre timber harvest conducted in the state forest. The tour will show sustainable timber harvest techniques such as improvement cuttings, overstory removal, residual tree planning and the development of log landings and how those practices will effect forest regeneration. You do not have to be a member of the association to attend. There is no cost to attend the tour and registration is not required.

To get to Pine Grove Furnace State Park from the north, take I-81 to Exit 37 and then travel south on Route 233 for eight miles. Once at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, turn left at the stop sign on Pine Grove Road and go two miles to the Laurel Lake day use area parking lot. The group will meet at the Laurel Lake day use parking lot by Cold Spring Road.

To get to Pine Grove Furnace State Park from the south, take U.S. 30 to Caledonia State Park, travel north on Route 233 for 15 miles. Once at Pine Grove Furnace State Park, stay to the right at the Route 233 and Pine Grove Road split and then travel two miles on Pine Grove Road to the Laurel Lake day use area parking lot. The group will meet at the Laurel Lake day use parking lot by Cold Spring Road.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association is an organization of forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. For more information about the association or the Sept. 13 tour, contact George Hurd at Penn State Cooperative Extension at 717-263-9226 or by email at: grh5@psu.edu.

CARPENTER BEES IN THE FALL

May people are familiar with carpenter bees in the spring because they buzz us and bore holes in the wooden parts of our buildings. Then they mate and the female lays her eggs in these galleries they created and we don't notice them again until next spring.

There is a fall part of the life cycle which we do not notice. Those eggs that were laid back in the spring have developed over the summer into new adults. These new adults will emerge from their gallery in late August, but their flight pattern is much different than in the spring. The new adults are busy collecting pollen and storing it in their existing galleries to feed on this fall. They will also spend a lot of time in their galleries just hanging around and then they will hibernate there for the winter. So if you had carpenter bees last spring, you may see what you think are bumblebees in that area this fall. They are probably not bumblebees but the new adult carpenter bees getting ready for winter.

LAWN WEED CONTROL

This summer rains have been very spotty so your lawn may be growing very well because you have gotten rain or your lawn might be like mine - brown as dry straw with only a few weeds growing. No matter which lawn you have, you need to stop and think before using weed control at this time of year.

If you have annual weeds in your turf the most economical and environmental friendly thing to do is let the frost take care of them. Keep them mowed to try to reduce seed production, but don't spray unless you have a good justification. Spraying annual weeds at this time of the year will take a higher amount of spray material to kill the weed. If you are tempted to go ahead and spray anyway, be sure to read the label to see if the higher rates will damage your turf. That is a potential problem. Follow the instructions on the label closely.

If you have perennial weeds like dandelion and plantain, you will get better control of the weeds by waiting until early to mid October when the weeds are storing carbohydrates. Contrary to popular belief, this is a much better time to control weeds like dandelions than in late spring. The weeds won't die quickly with the fall application, but you will get the root as well as the top of the plant.

In the fall, use weed killers in a spray form rather than a dry material and do spot spraying of the weeds.

FALL BULB WORKSHOP

"Plant in the fall, enjoy in the Spring" is the theme of our Fall Bulbs in the Garden workshop. Soon stores will have all types of bulbs that you can plant this fall. Select bulbs that flower at a different time so you can spread out your blooms for as long as possible. Find out about bulbs you may never have thought about before. Learn the proper techniques to plant your bulbs and how to fertilize them for the best flower production.

Our fall bulb workshop will be Saturday, Sept. 6 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in our new meeting rooms in the Ag Heritage Building on Franklin Farm Lane next to the Extension building. To register, stop by the Extension office or call (717) 263-9226.