Hort Shorts

Lightning & Personal Safety

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there are over 25 million cloud to ground lightning flashes each year. Exceeded only by floods, lightning is the second largest killer associated with storms. Lightning reportedly kills an average of 73 people each year. Lightning kills by stopping the heart and damaging the nervous system. In non-fatal cases, people suffer permanent disabilities such as short-term memory loss, distractibility, irritability and personality change.

Duane Friend, Natural Resources Management Educator with the University of Illinois Extension, Springfield Center, says there are several considerations for protecting yourself from a lightning strike. First, when a storm is approaching, don’t wait for rain to begin before moving indoors. If you can hear thunder, lightning is close enough that it could strike your location at any moment. Lightning can be happening as far as 10 miles from rainfall.

Do not stand under or next to a tree. If you cannot get to an indoor location, crouch in the open, keeping twice as far from a tree as it is tall.

If there is a group of people outdoors, keep several yards distance from each other.

If no sturdy buildings are close by, a hard top vehicle is the next best choice. Avoid touching metal while the storm is in progress.

If someone is struck by lightning, call 911 or other emergency services. Check the victim’s breathing and pulse and begin CPR if necessary and you are trained to do so.

Where the lightning entered and left the body, burns may be present. In addition, other problems such as broken bones, loss of hearing or eyesight and other nervous system damage may be present. After being struck, the victim does not carry any residual charge, so there should not be a fear of receiving a shock yourself.

Don’t Let Poison Ivy Spoil Your Summer Fun

Remember the old saying, “leaflets three, let it be”? This saying can help you identify poison ivy around your home.

Poison ivy is a perennial woody plant that grows as a vine or as an erect shrub. It can be found growing on garden fences, climbing light poles and trees or spreading on the ground in shaded areas such as under dense blackberry plantings or overgrown fence rows.

The easiest way to identify poison ivy is to look for a compound leaf that is made up of three leaflets. In late summer, the plant produces waxy white berries that have distinct line markings on the outer surface. The markings look like the segments of a peeled orange. In autumn, leaves turn yellow and bright red before falling. During the winter, the berries are still visible.

The plant that is commonly confused with poison ivy is Virginia Creeper or Woodbine. Virginia Creeper is a native plant in the eastern United States. It has five leaflets radiating out from one point of attachment and produces blue berries. In comparison, poison ivy has three leaflets and produces white berries.

The skin irritant in poison ivy is found in all parts of the plant including the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruits. Pollen does not carry the toxin. The danger of poison ivy is greatest in the spring and summer when sap is abundant. However, poisoning can occur in the fall and winter as well.

Be careful when burning poison ivy leaves because the toxin is present in the dust and ash particles carried in the smoke. You can also develop poison ivy rash by coming in contact with garden tools, clothing or pets that are contaminated with the toxin. Some people have more tolerance than others do, but no one is immune under repeated exposure.

Animals are generally not as sensitive to the poison ivy toxin as humans are; this is because of their hair and fur. Birds eat the plant’s berries during the winter and are mainly responsible for the spread of the plant. As many as 55 species of birds are known to feed on poison ivy berries.

There are three effective ways to get rid of poison ivy: digging it up (grubbing) with a hoe; cutting off the vine and then treating the regrowth with a herbicide; or applying a herbicide to individual leaflets. If you are sensitive to poison ivy, you’ll probably want to avoid the grubbing method. If you do choose the grubbing method , wear protective clothing and wash the contaminated clothes immediately after working with poison ivy.

If you prefer a herbicide method, check with your garden center for products labeled to control poison ivy. Carefully read and follow the label directions.

Don’t Let Mosquitoes Ruin Your Picnic

You’re having a big picnic...the food is great and everyone is having a good time...until the mosquitoes arrive. Sound familiar?

Mosquitoes become a problem as dusk approaches. Moving the picnic to a screened porch or shelter is the best option, but not always possible. So what can you do? Insect repellents can help. An electric fan is also effective. The breeze produced by the fan can blow these insects off course when they’re trying to attack.

You can also treat picnic areas with a fogger or spray before the picnic begins; this reduces the mosquito problem for several hours. Spray shrubs, trees and other masses of vegetation to achieve the best control. These insecticides should not be used routinely, but can be used a few times a year when major outdoor functions are planned. Always read and follow all label directions.

Are Moles Invading Your Lawn?

Moles often invade lawns at this time of year as they feed on earthworms and insects that live in the soil. Sometimes you’ll see so much tunneling in a lawn that a whole army of moles is suspected. But usually, the culprit is just one or two moles.

Since moles feed on earthworms, insecticides are not an effective control method. Traps are a better option.

Place traps across active tunnels. An active tunnel is usually somewhat straight and connects with other tunnels or soil mounds. A feeding tunnel on the other hand, tends to wind around the lawn and come to a dead end without connecting with another tunnel.

Feeding tunnels are paths where the mole traveled during feeding and these tunnels are unlikely to be reused. So, a trap placed across a feeding tunnel will usually not catch a mole.

To identify an active tunnel, mash down a few inches of each tunnel and mark with a stick. The mole will rebuild these tunnels within a few days.

When you find an active tunnel, place the trap across a mashed down portion of the tunnel. As the mole tries to repair the tunnel, the trap will spring and kill the mole. Live traps are also available if you prefer to relocate the mole in another area. Always observe federal, state and local wildlife management laws when controlling any type of wildlife.

August 2002
What Is Killing My Tree? | Controlling Creeping Charlie | Home Lawn Fertilization | Watch Out for Wasps | White Grubs in Lawns | Identfying and Controlling Scale Insects | Ode to a Violet | Lawn Care Calendar | Cybergarden Sites | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Homemade Flavored Oil Alert – FAQs | Not-So-Popular Edible Vegetable Parts | Refreshing Ginger Lemon Tea | Yes, You Can Can | Making Herb Vinegar | Health & Household Tips | Did You Know?

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