4H offers something for all
By ROBERT KESSLER Penn State Cooperative Extension Franklin County office

COMING EVENTS

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.

Oct. 4 — 4-H Open House, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., 4-H Extension office, 181 Franklin Farm Lane, Chambersburg.

Nov. 1 — Tree & Shrub Fall Garden Tour, Franklin County Master Gardeners, 9:30 a.m., Elmer Greey Garden, Call (717) 263-9226

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JOIN US AT THE 4-H OPEN

HOUSE ON SATURDAY,

OCTOBER 4

4-H is for youth ages 5-18! Come and experience hands-on activities at the 4-H Open House on Saturday, Oct. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free activities will include visiting the sheep, goats, and pig at the 4-H Ag Learning Center; meeting Seeing Eye puppies-intraining; hands-on science experiments to see how superabsorbent polymers can help the environment, and a simple 4-H craft activity. The event will be held at 181 Franklin Farm Lane. Watch for the green and white balloons.

4-H, one of America's largest non-formal education programs for youth, makes a major contribution to our nation by helping youth acquire knowledge and develop life skills that help them become self-directed, productive and contributing members of our society. Join us at the open house to learn about 4-H and the opportunities to get involved as an adult 4-H volunteer or 4-H member.

4-H has something for everyone. Boys and girls ages five to eighteen join 4-H to learn about rocketry, archery, nutrition, sewing, pet care, horses, photography, community service and much more. This event is part of National 4-H Week activities. For more information about the Open House or joining 4-H, contact Penn State Cooperative Extension at 7 1 7 - 2 6 3 - 9226.

4-H is the youth program of Penn State Cooperative Extension. All 4-H programs are available to all youth between the ages of 5-18 regardless of race, color, national origin, sex or handicap.

SELECTING AND

BREEDING HARDY

HONEYBEE QUEENS

On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Adam Finkelstein, Maryland Apiary Inspector, will be speaking on "Selecting and Breeding Hardy Honeybee Queens" at the Franklin County Beekeepers' Association 2008 Annual Meeting. In addition to being an apiary inspector, Finkelstein is the president of the Frederick County Beekeepers' Association, a certified organic farm owner/manager and the owner of VPQueens. Mr. Finkelstein has been a queen breeder in Maryland since 1989. Since 1999, he has been committed to managing all his honeybee colonies without any mite treatments. Honey production, over-wintering ability, spring build-up, and tolerance to Varroa and Tracheal mites have been the selection goals. He has built a hardy queen breeding population from his and others' survivor stock since then. He hopes through the breeding and selection experience, to continue to shift his breeding population in a direction that produces queens to head productive, thrifty colonies that can be managed without the use of chemicals.

On Tuesday, Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m., as part of their annual meeting the Franklin County Beekeepers' Association will host a "Covered Dish Dinner" at the Central Presbyterian Church, 40 Lincoln Way West in Chambersburg. The Central Presbyterian Church is at the intersection of Route 30 and U.S. 11 at the southwest corner of the main fountain square. The public is invited to attend both the dinner and the presentation. Each family planning to attend the cover dish dinner should bring a hot and a cold dish, along with plates, silver-ware, etc. Beverages, dinner rolls, butter, honey and table coverings will be provided. Finkelstein's presentation will be at 7:30 p.m. following the dinner. Seating will be available for those planning to just attend the presentation and there is no cost to attend. For additional information on the meeting and the Franklin County Beekeepers' Association, contact Penn State Cooperative Extension at 263-9226.

"BEFORE YOU SELL YOUR

TIMBER" WORKSHOP

Years of growth are accumulated in a mature timber stand. The income from all those years is frequently marketed in a single transaction. Too much is at stake to sell timber without having accurate knowledge of products, volume, and value and without knowing how to establish the next crop for continued production. Apprehension often results over a timber sale because most owners don't know the value of their timber and don't want to sell too cheaply. Some owners fear their woodland will be ruined or other environmental damages will occur as a result of timber harvesting. While all these fears can be true they can easily be avoided through some advance planning.

On Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Cumberland Woodland Owners' Association meeting, Bruce Kile, retired PADCNR Service Forester, will speak on the components of a successful timber sale and the basic IRS rules as they apply to the sale of timber. This includes the importance of record keeping and the documentation of all expenses incurred in growing timber prior to a sale. He will provide an example of a written contract. He will also discuss the importance of sustainable forest practices including the required Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan. He will talk on how to avoid the pitfalls of a timber sale and ensure that the long term management goals you have for your woodland are met. You do not have to be a member and there is no cost to attend. The meeting will start at 7:00 PM at the new location for the Cumberland County Extension Office. To get to the new Cumberland County Extension Office at 310 Allen Road, Carlisle, take I-81 south to exit 44 (Plainfield Exit), turn right toward U.S. 11. The office is about quarter mile on the right, across from Sheetz in the County Administrative Annex Building.

The Cumberland Woodland Owners Association (CWOA) is an organization of forestland owners and others interested in forestry issues in south central Pennsylvania. The mission of the association is to provide information, education and an exchange of ideas to its members and others about the methods and benefits of proper forest management. For more information about the meeting or the Cumberland Woodland Owners Association, contact Fred Peabody at 717/776-3565 (email: fredp5@earthlink.net).

FALL INVADERS

The invasion of our homes has started already this fall. The Brown Marmorated Stink bug is the first that has arrived in our homes this fall. The adult stink bugs will enter our homes and other buildings seeking a protected area where it can overwinter. The bugs are harmless, but they can sometimes invade in large numbers. The best way to protect yourself from them invading is to seal up the openings and cracks they use to get in your home. The main entry points are the openings around windows and door trim, around exhaust fans, dryer vents. If they get into the walls, they can get inside around the baseboard, the molding, trim and around windows and doors. These can all be sealed with a good quality clear caulking. Run a small bead around all the molding on windows where they meet the walls; the same with baseboard and floor. If you have carpeted floors, this joint is covered by the carpet. Mostly this work needs to be done on the south side of the house but they might show up in rooms on the other sides of the house too.

Live or dead, stink bugs should be removed from your house with a vacuum cleaner or a shop vac. Put something over the end of your vacuum hose so they don't crawl back out, especially the shop vac, which has a much larger opening.

Robert Kessler is an extension

educator specializing in consumer

horticulture and energy issues.