FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF FEB. 8, 1999:
What’s the best way to store bulk flour for an extended time?
If you store grain or flour as part of an emergency food plan, take precautions to protect against pest contamination and damage, says Joan Parr, University of Idaho extension educator. "Good housekeeping helps prevent infestations," she says. "Before storing any food, clean your storage areas and containers well."
Grain can be stored longer than flour, because flour is a processed product. But Parr says there are two ways to safeguard your flour supply from insects: freezing or fumigating with dry ice.
To freeze flour before storage, place it in a 0 degree Fahrenheit freezer for two weeks. That’s enough time for the cold to thoroughly penetrate the flour mass and destroy insects and their eggs, Parr says.
Or, buy dry ice at your supermarket meat department. You’ll need 14 ounces of dry ice for every 100 pounds of flour. You’ll also need clean, food-grade metal or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.
Spread 14 ounces of dry ice in the bottom of the container, then immediately place 100 pounds of flour–still in the original packages–on top of the dry ice. (Be careful: always wear gloves when handling dry ice; it can cause vaporizing burns.) Wait about 30 minutes for the dry ice to evaporate, then tighten the container’s lid. If pressure causes the can to bulge, remove the lid cautiously for a few minutes to release the gas, then reseal. Store containers off the floor in a cool, dry area.
What kinds of internal parasites can my horse get and what’s the best way to control them?
Unfortunately, your horse is subject to more than 150 types of internal parasites that live inside it, derive their food and shelter at its expense, and potentially compromise its health, says Kathy Roy, University of Idaho extension educator. Of most concern are stomach bots, bloodworms, roundworms, pinworms and threadworms.
Because parasites are spread largely through manure, Roy calls management the key to a successful control program: Try to dispose of your horse’s manure daily–ideally by moving it to a parasite-destroying compost pile or to a pasture that you won’t be grazing for at least a month–and work with your veterinarian to establish a deworming schedule.
Among dewormers, the easy-to-administer paste is the most commonly used, but Roy encourages you to alternate with other dewormers to prevent the parasites from developing resistance to any particular one.
Because they are so readily affected by internal parasites, young horses should be dewormed every 30 to 60 days. Older horses respond well to deworming four times a year; little parasite transmission occurs during the hot summer months, so concentrate those four dewormings between September and March.
I made a resolution to save more this year but it is harder than it seems. Are there tricks that can help?
The easiest way to save money is to use an automatic payroll deduction plan that can deposit money into a savings account each pay period or at least once a month. This is a painless way to save money for most people because they are less likely to spend money they don't see, says Sandra Cann, University of Idaho assistant coordinator of extension family economics.
Even "catching coins" from dollars spent–each day and saving them in a jar can be a good start towards opening a savings account. Saving even small amounts of money can make a difference, and time works to increase your savings.
Ten dollars saved regularly combined with time and interest earned will increase your savings. That $10 a month, earning 3 percent interest, will grow from $122 after one year to $646 in five years or $1,397 in 10. Your account would add up to $3,283 in 20 years, enough for a nice cruise.
If your savings account earns 7 percent, you'll start with $125 at the end of the first year and watch it balloon to $720 in five years, $1,559 in 10 and $5,240 in 20. Make that a cruise for two.
When should I spray my fruit trees with dormant oil or should I even bother?
Don't spray if you like mites, aphids and scale insects sucking the sap and chewing tender new growth of your fruit trees, shade trees or ornamentals like crab apples and roses.
Otherwise, apply a dose of dormant oil in the next few weeks before the buds break for spring. Remember that the temperature must remain above freezing for 24 hours after you spray the oil. Temperatures of 50 degrees or warmer are best.
The oil will smother insect pests or their eggs that have survived the winter, says University of Idaho extension entomologist Craig Baird. The oil alone is gentle enough that it won't harm most plants and is considered organic. An insecticide or fungicide also can be added to the oil in some cases to deal with specific insect or disease problems.
Although dormant oil works well with most plants, read the label before spraying, Baird advises. Many evergreens do not fare well. A dose can turn a Colorado blue spruce to ordinary green.