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Biting Insects and Pumpkin Time
By John Fulton

[September 19, 2014]  Biting Insects - First came the buffalo gnats, then mosquitoes, and still mosquitoes, and now another biting insect. During the late summer small insects, known as insidious flower bugs and minute pirate bugs, become real pests by producing painful bites on people.

They are about 1/5 of an inch long with black and white markings on the back, and belong to the “true bug” family of insects. They are beneficial insects most of the time, at least while feeding on small insects and their eggs.

They are present all summer in area fields, flower beds, and other landscape areas. Most of the summer the insects are beneficial, but then they become quite the nuisance when their regular food source runs out. Their painful bite is caused by their beak breaking your skin. These insects don’t suck blood or inject venom like mosquitoes.

People differ in their response to the bites. Some people react to the bites like mosquito bites, with swelling and itching. Other people have no reaction at all. Control of insidious flower bugs and minute pirate bugs is not practical. They are mobile, and the populations change greatly. Wearing dark clothing on may help, as the insects seem to be attracted to light colors. Repellents are sometimes effective, but not enough to make a recommendation. Try the repellents for yourself and see if they work for you. You can throw the same group of repellents in to your trial that you stocked up on for the buffalo gnats.

Pumpkin Time

This week really makes it seem like fall, and one of the favorite fall decorations is the pumpkin. As a matter of fact, pumpkins are ripening ahead of normal. It’s been a challenging year with many of the diseases common in a wet season, and having a cool year as well. Following are some of the cardinal rules for selecting and keeping pumpkins, particularly with an early harvest season:
 

• Choose a pumpkin with a stem and never carry it by the stem. Pumpkins without a stem will not last long.
   
• Select a pumpkin with a flat bottom, so it will stand upright
   
• Avoid pumpkins with holes, cuts or soft spots. These areas will rot.
   
• Light colored pumpkins are easier to carve because the skin is not as hard as darker orange colored ones, but they will not keep as well.

• Wash the pumpkin with warm water and let it dry before carving. Use of a small amount of dishwashing soap in the warm water may help extend the life of the pumpkin.
   
• To make the pumpkin last longer, keep it in a cool place until ready to carve. After carving, coat the cuts with petroleum jelly.
   
• Carving should only be done three days ahead of Halloween. After cutting, the pumpkin will deteriorate rapidly.
   
• The use of a candle in the pumpkin will also make it deteriorate rapidly, so many have gone to battery powered lights to show off their carving ability.
   

[By JOHN FULTON, COUNTY EXTENSION DIRECTOR SERVING LOGAN, MENARD, AND SANGAMON COUNTIES]