Governor Kemp signs 2023 budget at UNG
News May 12, 2022FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. – Members of the state legislature, local governments, Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives David Ralston, and many others joined in celebration at the campus of the University of North Georgia today as the governor signed Georgia’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget.
Called a “historic budget” by several speakers, the day saw specific highlights and history for Fannin County and North Georgia. Alongside restorations of austerities for teachers and over $218 million for a cost of living adjustment for full-time employees in the University System of Georgia, this budget holds $2.6 million in funding for Fannin County’s standalone library and $13 million in funding for an expansion of the Blue Ridge campus of the University of North Georgia. This combines with an additional $2 million in the amended Fiscal Year 2022 budget for a total of $15 million to expand the Blue Ridge campus.
These major projects coming specifically to Fannin will see gains along all of the counties along the Highway 515 corridor as the large majority of students who attend the University of North Georgia come from those counties according to Executive Director of the Blue Ridge Campus of UNG, Sandy Ott.
Speaker of the House, David Ralston stated that it was difficult to find support and funding for these projects. Though, he noted that it wasn’t a matter of a number of different projects, but of the amount the state is committing to support these projects. Ralston said he is happy with the work they did on including these in the budget and also for the opportunity to hold the signing ceremony in his home of Fannin stating, “I think it says a lot about Fannin County. It’s for the county, it has nothing to do with me. I just couldn’t be more proud. The whole state is here today. The whole state is looking at us today and it’s a good place to be.”
UNG President Bonita Jacobs also addressed how important this budget is for the University of North Georgia’s capabilities. The said the expansion project will allow better access. Jacobs noted that one capacity increase will be for more community events as she said, “I feel very strongly that the campus needs to be very tied into the community and very welcoming to the community. Right now we’re so tight for space. But we’ll have an auditorium, we’ll have an outdoor amphitheater that we can host or the city can come in and work with us and be available.”
Tied into the community has been a key phrase in the evolution of the University of North Georgia in Blue Ridge. With the groundbreaking ceremony of the current campus having only occurred in 2018 when Ralston helped secure $5.5 million for the new Blue Ridge Campus in the 2019 fiscal year budget. Now the state is committing to aid in the expansion of that same campus. Jacobs noted one of the areas that will be aided by the expansion includes medical courses. She stated, “We will be able to add more labs and expand our nursing program and to create much needed nurses for this regions.”
Governor Kemp also asserted the importance of education, health, and the care for citizens both physically and mentally as he spoke about the budget. Kemp stated, “This budget improves both the quality and access to education across the board. Between the amended budget I signed earlier and this one, we are investing more per K through 12 student than ever before in the history of our state.”
Georgia’s Lieutenant Governor, Geoff Duncan also praised both the budget and the investments into education like the UNG expansion saying, “I am certainly, personally, grateful for the effort and focus in this year’s budget on a couple of those initiatives that we have worked hard on in the Senate over the last few years. One is, I want to chase this dream of being the technology capital of the east coast. Certainly, a facility like this allows us to take on that and educate the 21st century global economy right here.
Kemp said after the ceremony that he has pushed for ways to aid Georgians in fighting the inflation and economic stress of the current presidency. Kemp stated, “What we’ve done at the state level, in conjunction with the Speaker, the Lt. Governor, and the Legislature, is try to give Georgians the ability to fight through 40-year high Biden inflation that we’re seeing right now because of bad policies.” Kemp noted the additional tax return money, cutting the fuel tax, and waiving some limits on trucks to help with supply chain issues as just a few of those efforts.
Alongside these statewide effects and reach of the signing ceremony for the Fiscal Year 2023 budget, the “historic day for Fannin County,” as Ralston called it, represents a commitment to the county for improving education at all levels, through the university expansion and support for the library in the city of Blue Ridge. Ralstion’s support for the expansion of the campus comes not only as a representative of the district in Georgia, but as an alumnus of the University of North Georgia.
The sentiment of the historic nature of the day for Fannin was echoed by many of the college’s representatives including Sandy Ott who said, “We are so thankful for Speaker Ralston’s support of this campus and University to allow us the opportunity to have this impact locally. Speaker Ralston is a tremendous supporter and his support is going to make a difference for students and their families in the community for years.”
Ask the Doc! Cologuards and the Lance Armstrong Shot
Community January 24, 2021Dr. William Whaley has returned for the new year and is ready to answer your questions about colonoscopies vs the Cologuard test and the other about Myelodysplasia and the Lance Armstrong shot.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr5QCeVJ5Ek
Ask The Doc! College And Covid-19
Lifestyle September 28, 2020This morning, the doctors discuss how colleges are dealing with Covid-19. When a Student tests positive, the colleges continue classes and give the infected student their own quarantined dorm. Is this the approach we should be taking with everything? Should we worry over the numbers? Hear Doctor Whaley and Doctor Tidman’s point of view on this right here on Ask the Doc!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBLFwj_Lmr4
Citizens Speak Out Against Annexation During Town Hall Meeting
City Council June 2, 2020Last night, the Blue Ridge City Council opened up the floor to discuss annexation publicly, and allowed the citizens of Fannin County to voice their thoughts, opinions, and concerns to the council directly.
Mayor Whitener began the meeting by explaining the annexation only annexes in the state roads and the state right of way, but if someone wanted to annex their property, they would have to do it using an application process through the council.
The running theme of the evening was citizens felt the city rushed annexation and overall a bad idea for Blue Ridge. However, many speakers relayed that they weren’t opposed to annexation, just to how it’s been handled.
Resident John Suave says, “I’m not against or for annexation.” He added that it “could be good” for Fannin. He also proposed that the developers pay for the sewer and not the taxpayers.
Mary Taylor’s concern laid with the future of Blue Ridge after annexation. She stressed the city needs to be weary of overgrowth.
Everyone supported growth, but it must be controlled and executed the right way. This annexation occurred the wrong way.
Paul Miguire declared, “back up and do it right.”
The speakers pushed for inclusion of city residents in annexation discussions. The Hwy 5 and Hwy 515 annexation took place without any public input until this town hall.
Additionally, residents of Blue Ridge and Fannin wanted to know how and who would be paying for extending sewer services, transportation, and security associated with this annexation.
According to Mayor Donna Whitener, the city will pay through grants. Currently, the city doesn’t have these grants. The city would apply for them after the annexation.
When asked by speaker Kirk Williams if the city could secure these intended grants, Whitener said, “Nothing is for sure.”
Williams continued, “Annexation is almost always a poor investment” and asked the council to not “Burn the taxpayers.”
Rene Sylo was anxious about the devaluation of her property and the thought of people living right on top of her. She didn’t support the “stack ‘em and pack ‘em” method of some developers.
Councilwoman Haight agreed with a lot of the speakers as she listened to their concerns. Many residents were concerned that with annexation the taxpayers would have to pay for the sewer, transportation, and security costs, if the city wasn’t able to get the grants.
Haight assured, “I will not as a city council member increase taxes to give sewer to private business.”
Nearing the end of the meeting, Council Member Mike Panter discusses his thoughts on the issue. Panter states that he’s for controlled growth.
Panter finishes by saying, “If you go five years from now and want to put sewer and water all the way out to Mercier’s; what’s the cost of that five years from now digging up the new highway versus doing it now? That’s something you’ve gotta think about.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhLvP9VLaLU
Collins urges Windstream to provide increased access to rural broadband
Press Release, State & National April 10, 2020GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Austin Scott (R-Ga.), and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) today sent a letter to Windstream underscoring the importance of providing increased access to broadband – particularly in rural areas – in the midst of COVID-19.
“As representatives of thousands of Windstream customers, we write today regarding the impact coronavirus has had on broadband access in rural communities throughout Georgia,” they wrote. “In the past, we have written to you regarding the inadequate internet service our constituents are receiving despite your company’s acceptance of federal dollars to expand access. While we know Windstream has upgraded some areas that are more populated and less rural, many of our constituents continue to struggle with poor broadband speeds.”
For years, Windstream customers across Georgia have consistently struggled to gain access to reliable broadband speeds. Congress has taken significant steps toward expanding rural broadband infrastructure in recent years, including securing federal funding to providers in rural areas. However, some carriers – like Windstream – have failed to provide adequate broadband speeds to consumers despite collecting taxpayer dollars. As this pandemic is forcing more and more Georgians to rely on the internet, access to reliable broadband is more critical than ever before.
“Due to the coronavirus outbreak, thousands of Georgians are being forced to work, learn, and recreate from home. This undoubtedly has increased the strain on the networks your consumers depend upon. Over the past several years, we have heard complaints of a network that is overburdened and cannot keep up during peak use. Even though we have been calling for increased internet access in rural areas for years, this moment in time shows that Windstream has yet to meet the mark.”
Read the full letter here.
North Georgia Chairmen urge Kemp to close State Parks
Community, News April 6, 2020Blue Ridge, Ga. – Twelve Commission Chairmen from North Georgia counties have joined together and signed a letter asking Governor Brian Kemp to shut down the State Parks.
“It appears that these nonresidents believe our area is a safe haven because of its rural nature. To the contrary, the influx of people into our communities has had a staggering detrimental effect on our resources,” the letter to Kemp read in part.
The letter outlines the resources in our area that have been affected by the out-of-towners looking to seclude themselves, included in these resources are food, dry goods and fuel.
It goes on to inform Kemp that our area is not equipped medically: “Our communities simply do not have enough hospital beds or medical personnel to care for the inflated population.”
Though only serving as a commissioner for a little over three months, Habersham County Commissioner District 5 Tim Stamey felt he needed to be proactive in bringing a solution to this problem: “I am a retired special operator and we don’t sit around talking about things, we get it done.”
Stamey who sits on the Habersham County Board of Health said, “I’m on the County Health Board and talk to Healthcare workers in my county on a daily basis. They are the heros/heroines in all this. This virus does not spread itself on the wind.”
Moccasin Creek State Park, situated just North of Unicoi State park has been “crazy, 4th of July crazy” for the past three weekends according to Stamey, who has witnessed the impact on his county first hand.
Stamey initially contacted Rabun County Chairman Greg James and White County Chairman Travis Turner.
“I started this by just trying to get border counties on board,” Stamey said and added, “Then Chairmen were like well, did you call such and such, I know they feel the same way. It just kept getting bigger and bigger.”
Stamey said that all Commission Chairmen were helpful, on board, and taking the matter seriously: “I talked to most of them several times and for up to an hour each time.”
Stamey, along with the 12 county chairmen and many residents, is hoping that this letter will get the attention of Kemp. The letter in closing states: “On behalf of the many citizens that live in North Georgia who entrust us as County Commissioners to represent their interests, we respectfully ask you to close all of the state parks located in our area immediately.”
Health Departments in North Georgia Awarded Car Seat Mini-Grant
Community January 29, 2020NORTH GEORGIA – All six county health departments in the North Georgia Health District
were awarded the 2020 Car Seat Mini-Grant by the Georgia Department of Public Health,
Injury Prevention Program.
Through the Mini-Grant, the county health departments and collaborating partners work
together to provide car seats and education to financially eligible families in Cherokee,
Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties.
This program is funded by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to help ensure
Georgia’s children are safe while riding in motor vehicles.
And it works! Since 2007, the education, car seats and booster seats provided through
the Mini-Grant prevented serious injury or death and saved over 300 Georgia children
who were involved in crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car seats reduce fatal
injuries by 71 percent among infants and by 54 percent among children ages 1 to 4 years
in passenger cars. Car seats offer the best protection for children in the event of a crash,
and they are most effective when installed and used correctly. However, nearly three out
of every four car seats are not used properly, placing children at unnecessary risk.
The Car Seat Mini-Grant provides grant recipients the training and resources needed to
help protect children from serious injuries or death in motor vehicle crashes.
In Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties, health departments
and collaborating partners, such as law enforcement, EMA, EMS, fire departments and
other organizations, educate parents and caregivers on how to properly install and use
car seats, offer car seat inspections and provide car seats and booster seats to financially
eligible families.
Through the Car Seat Mini-Grant, agencies supporting more than 120 counties are
working to keep Georgia’s children safe. These programs help families get their children
buckled up right, every trip, every time.
For more information about the car seat program at county health departments in North
Georgia or to contact the health departments, log onto www.nghd.org and click the
LOCATIONS tab.
For information regarding other Georgia counties involved in the program, please contact
the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Child Occupant Safety Project via email at
[email protected] or by calling 404-463-1487.
Ask the Doc! Chemo Recovery and the Flu shot Conspiracy
FYNTV, Health September 20, 2019Ask the Doc returns as Dr. William Whaley discusses with Guest host Rick about Chemo treatment recovery and the flu shot conspiracies.
https://youtu.be/G0emQjq5G9c
North Georgia Mountain Crisis Network continues to provide much needed services in our area
Community, News, Non Profit February 21, 2019Blue Ridge, Ga. – The North Georgia Mountain Crisis Network (NGMCN) is not often highlighted among the nonprofit charities in our community. With the sensitive nature of the services they provide, it is a fine line that the charity must walk in order to financially continue operations and still protect the anonymity of the victims who seek their help.
Started in 1986, the NGMCN is entering its 33 year of service.
“There are a lot of non profit organizations in our community providing care and support to residents of Fannin County,” NGMCN Board Member Steven Miracle said explaining where the charity’s services fall, “Our mission is to provide safety and support to survivors and their children of sexual abuse and domestic violence.”
Miracle went on to explain that there are four major areas in which the organization focuses:
- Sexual Assault. Through NGMCN victims of sexual assault are provided counseling and support services to help navigate them through a very difficult time.
- Domestic Violence. While NGMCN offers the counseling and services to victims of domestic violence as it does to victims of sexual assault, it also offers shelter to house these victims and their children.
- Legal Advocacy. NGMCN has a trained staff that will help victims navigate the sometimes daunting legal system.
- Education Awareness. NGMCN helps to spread the word of domestic and sexual violence through community outreach. This includes working hand in hand with law enforcement, hospitals, and different organizations that provide services to these victims.
In 2018, NGMCN housed 129 residents at their shelter. This accounted for 3,173 bed/nights (a measure of occupancy for one person assigned to one bed for one night). Residents of the shelter were also provided with well over 10,000 units of service.
“That’s actually sitting across from a survivor and their children within the shelter to be able to make phone calls, to be able to help them with any type of individual support,” NGMCN Executive Director Julie Welch explained the term “units of service”.
Outreach clients or those who did not require a shelter stay for last year totaled 158 clients and 8,700 units of service.
So far in 2019 the charity has already provided 380 bed/nights, 87 hotline calls, and 600 units of service.
Once a victim has stayed at the NGMCN shelter, the services continue even after that person has checked out. The charity works with community services in the area that the victim chooses to move to and helps provide a network of resources.
Welch said of this work, “That way we can provide a net of services so they don’t fall through the cracks.”
Over $60,000 were provided to those who reached out to NGMCN in 2018. This financial assistance is used when a client leaving a threatening situation has no source of income initially or is needed as short-term emergency funds.
“The fact that we are part of the budget is very much appreciated,” Miracle spoke to the Fannin County Board of Commissioners about the role the county plays, “and the support that you provide in helping us provide services to survivors and victims of our community is very, very much appreciated.”
Fannin County Post 1 Commissioner Earl Johnson shared his thoughts, “I admire what you do because quite simply, every situation you deal with is not a good situation, and you continually do it and your passion about what you do and everything that your organization does do, no one knows. I admire people who work behind the scenes. They do the things that they do. They don’t do it for any glamour or glory, they do it just for the reason you all do it because that’s what you feel like you should do.”
Welch acknowledged that it takes many volunteers, staff, and the community as a whole to provide these services: “It’s not just us. There’s a whole host of other people. It’s a team and working with law enforcement, the judicial system, hospitals…it’s completely a team and community effort.”
“I know some people that you literally saved their lives,” Fannin County Chairman Stan Helton thanked Miracle and Welch for the work they do. “Getting them out of situations that are horrendous. I’m not sure how many people in the county are aware of what a great thing you do. You do such a great thing for the community.”
There are currently 49 clients in their legal advocacy program and NGMCN is housing 14 people in their 12 bed shelter.
“Often times we will have moms that come in that will have small children,” Welch explained the high occupancy.
NGMCN serves both men and women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. They hope by promoting education and awareness in these areas that eventually the cycle of abuse will come to an end.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that attracts more than 300,000 page views and 3.5 million impressions per month in Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYNTV attracts approximately 15,000 viewers per week and reaches between 15,000 to 60,000 per week on our Facebook page. For the most effective, least expensive local advertising, call 706-276-6397 or email us at [email protected]
Become A Sponsor For The Christmas Clash Presented By Team FYN Sports
Featured November 29, 2018Team FYN Sports will be broadcasting live the Blue Ridge Christmas Clash. Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Support your local youth and sports and market your company at the same time. Contact us now @ [email protected] or 706.276.6397
Turfgrass Research Field Day is Thursday, August 9
Outdoors July 27, 2018By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent
Whether you’re a new, beginner or veteran homeowner, landscaper (perhaps your own company) or golf course superintendent, you’ll find the latest research-based information on growing and maintaining Turfgrass at this year’s Turfgrass Research Field Day on the UGA campus in Griffin, GA on Thursday, August 9th.
The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) researchers and UGA Extension specialists will present the latest information on how to care for residential lawns, commercial golf courses, athletic fields and any other space covered with Turfgrass.
Field day topics will include how to control weeds, insects and diseases, managing seed heads, heat and drought tolerance and an update on the UGA Turfgrass breeding programs.
A catered BBQ ribs and chicken lunch will be followed by product exhibits and demonstrations of the latest Turfgrass industry equipment. A self-guided research tour begins at 1:15 pm with at least half dozen programs to choose from. Guided tours will be offered in Spanish for Spanish-speaking attendees.
Registration is from 8:00 to 8:45 am followed by the welcome and presentations plus information regarding the available tours. To view the Turfgrass research plots, the event is held outdoors, rain or shine, so dress appropriately and bring sunblock. The day concludes at 2:30 pm.
Pre-registration is required for the $65 individual fee ($25 for students) before July 17th. After that deadline, fees increase to $80 and $30. Receive a 10% discount for four or more registrants. The registration fee includes instruction, research tours, demonstrations and exhibits, Turfgrass research field day guide and lunch. You can register online at www.georgiaturf.com or via the Griffin location in person, by phone or fax, or snail mail. Their telephone number is 770-229-3477. For more information, view or download the brochure at: http://caes2.caes.uga.edu/commodities/turfgrass/georgiaturf/FieldDay/index.html. We also have a few brochures here in the office if you’d like to pick one up.
The event is sponsored by the UGA CAES, the UGA Center for Urban Agriculture, the Georgia Urban Ag Council, the Georgia Turfgrass Foundation Trust, the Georgia Golf Course Superintendents Association, the Georgia Golf Environment Foundation, the Georgia Sports Turf Managers Association and the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.
Please note: the field day is certified for private and commercial pesticide recertification credits in Georgia and neighboring states. A license number is required to receive the field day pesticide credits.
Also this summer, if you or someone you know enjoys the amusement parks in the area, buy the tickets on-line at a discount and support the Gilmer County 4-H Club. Selling tickets to Six Flags and White Water has been a local 4-H fundraiser for nearly 10 years. Day passes and combo vouchers for season tickets including parking are available. For every ticket purchased through our partnership log in, the Gilmer County 4-H Club gets $1.00 so be sure to write down the following information; it is needed to access the site. A word of caution: the name, password and promo code are case sensitive. Our partnership link is https://sixflags.com/partnerlogin?m=32824 and the name is: GilmerOG and the password is: SixFlags10 and the promo code is: gilmer4h and if you need more information, call the Gilmer County UGA Extension office at 706-635-4426.
Prevent Problems with Leyland Cypress
Outdoors July 23, 2018By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent
Leyland cypress is a popular, fast growing hedge or border tree reaching heights of 50 to 100 feet and widths of 20 to 30 feet. Though Leyland cypress originally appeared pest resistant, problems have recently become apparent. Over use of this plant, improper site selection, improper planting, and stressful weather conditions have led to two disease problems. They are cankers and root rot.
Cankers are infected wounds on limbs and branches that may ooze infectious sap. The trees get the canker because of fungi entering the tree. Leyland cypress can actually get two canker diseases. Botryosphaeria Canker is one type and it is commonly called Bot Canker which kills individual branches in the tree. The foliage may turn rust colored before it dies. The dead branch will have darker bark and will have a sunken canker where the dead part of the branch begins. The other canker is Seiridium Canker. Limbs infected with Seiridium Canker turn yellowish and then brown when they die. Limbs often die back from the tips. The cankers on the main stem are sunken, reddish and ooze sap profusely. There can be many cankers on a limb and unfortunately, there is no spray to control these diseases. The diseases enter wounds and are worse during stressful conditions. The main control is to keep the plant in good health so it can resist these diseases. Extreme weather and improper watering can be big factors in the spread of these diseases. Plants with roots that get too wet or too dry are more likely to get either these canker diseases or root rot.
Even though we have been getting plenty of rain lately, the tree has suffered through years of drought, poor sunlight, and above average rain. Over a period of years this adds stress to the tree. If the weather turns into a drought, water plants deeply once every 7 – 14 days and wet the soil to a depth of twelve to eighteen inches when watering. Soil must dry out between watering or roots may die. Avoid wetting the leaves and limbs when you water. Soaker hoses are better because they keep the foliage dry, which may reduce disease problems.
Selecting the proper planting site will go a long way in helping prevent disease problems. Leyland cypress planted too close together, near paved areas, next to walls or other heat reflecting surfaces may need special care in watering and planting to get established and to grow well. Plant Leyland cypress in well-drained soil in sunny locations. Mulch them after planting but mulches should be no deeper than two to four inches. Apply mulch from the base of the tree out to several feet beyond the reach of the branches. Because it holds in water, do not use landscape fabric unless the soil is very well drained. Do not pile mulch against the base of the plant.
Do not plant Leyland cypress in wet soils or poorly drained areas. They may respond to wet feet by developing root rot or dying. Check soil drainage before you plant or if the tree has problems. Dig a hole about a foot deep and wide. Fill it with water. If it takes longer than three hours for the water to drain out, the soil is probably poorly drained. Do not plant Leyland cypress closer than eight feet. As the plants get big enough for the limbs to touch, remove every other tree. As the limbs rub together, they cause wounds that can be infected by the fungi which causes the canker diseases.
If your Leyland cypress already has these diseases, first cut out the dead limbs. Be very careful to make cuts into good live disease free tissue. Cutting diseased limbs and then good limbs may spread the disease. While pruning you can periodically clean your shears with a towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Leyland cypress generally does not respond well to cuts on the main stem, but if you have cankers on the main stem, remove the tree or cut below the canker and see if the tree recovers. Nothing can be done about the weather, but you can lower the stress on the tree. If you experience a lot of problems you’re your Leyland cypress, you might want to consider using a different plant.
For more information view the publication entitled Diseases of Leyland Cypress in the Landscape on our web site at http://extension.uga.edu/county-offices/gilmer.html or contact me in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office.
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Japanese Knotweed
Outdoors June 18, 2018By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent
Driving around the area, I have been seeing a plant that has become a problem in both Gilmer and Fannin Counties. The weed I’m talking about is Japanese knotweed, commonly known as crimson beauty, Mexican bamboo, or Japanese fleece flower. It was probably introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental and a plant that has flowers that bees love. It’s fairly easy to spot as it has been growing in large patches all over the area. The leaves are alternate, 6 in. (15.2 cm) long, 3-4 in. (7.6-10 cm) wide, and are broadly-ovate or heart shaped. Flowering occurs in late summer when small, greenish-white flowers develop in long panicles in the axils of the leaves.
This native of Japan was initially useful for erosion control, as an ornamental, and for landscape screening. It spreads quickly to form dense thickets that can alter natural ecosystems or interfere with landscaping. It is a semi-woody, bushy perennial and a member of the Polygonaceae (Knotweed) family. Another fact about the plant is that the stem is hollow. Knotweed spreads rapidly from stout long rhizomes. Seeds are distributed by water in floodplains, transported with fill dirt, and to a lesser extent are wind-blown. Populations escaped from neglected gardens, and discarded cuttings are common methods of distribution. Once established, populations are quite persistent and can out-compete existing vegetation.
Japanese knotweed can tolerate a variety of adverse conditions including full shade, high temperatures, high salinity, and drought. It is found near water sources, in low-lying areas, waste places, utility rights of way, and around old home sites. It can quickly become an invasive pest in natural areas after escaping from cultivated gardens. It poses a significant threat to riparian areas, where it can survive severe floods. It is rapidly colonizing scoured shores and islands.
Controlling this invasive fast growing plant is very difficult. One method that is used is grubbing. This method is appropriate for small initial populations or environmentally sensitive areas where herbicides cannot be used. Using a digging tool, remove the entire plant including all roots and runners. Juvenile plants can be hand-pulled. Any portions of the root system not removed will potentially resprout. All plant parts, including mature fruit, should be bagged and disposed of in a trash dumpster to prevent re-establishment.
There are several herbicides that can be used, but it takes some work for them to be effective. One treatment method is the cut stump treatment. Use this method in areas where plants are established within or around non-target plants. Cut the stem 2 inches above ground level. Immediately apply a 20% solution of glyphosate or a 10% solution of Arsenal AC, Polaris AC or Imazapyr 4SL and water to the cross-section of the stem. A subsequent foliar application may be required to control new seedlings and resprouts.
The other spray method is foliar spraying the plants. Use this method to control large populations. It may be necessary to precede foliar applications with stump treatments to reduce the risk of damaging non-target species. Apply a 1% solution of glyphosate or 20%Garlon4 and water to thoroughly wet all foliage. Do not apply so heavily that herbicides will drip off leaves. The ideal time to spray is after surrounding vegetation has become dormant (October-November) to avoid affecting non-target species. A 0.5% non-ionic surfactant is recommended in order to penetrate the leaf cuticle.
For more information, contact me in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office.
Eastern Tent Caterpillar
Outdoors June 13, 2018By: Eddie Ayers, County Extension Agent
As I ride through the county I’ve noticed some webs are back in the wild cherry trees but before you start having nightmares about the webbing we had last fall, you can rest assured that this insect is different. This culprit is the Eastern Tent Caterpillar. The webs serve as a home to the newly emerged larvae or as we like to call them, caterpillars. The eggs are timed to hatch when the cherry buds unfurl as they need to eat to grow and complete their life cycle.
Older larvae are generally black, with long brown hair and a white stripe down the middle of their backs. Along the midline is a row of blue spots with brown and yellow lines. At maturity, the caterpillars may reach a length of 2½ inches. The adults are reddish-brown moths which have two white oblique stripes on each forewing. These are harder to notice, but they are the final step in the life cycle.
The adult moths emerge in May and early June and lay egg masses that resemble chocolate-colored collars that encircle the smaller limbs of their host. Each egg mass is about 1 inch long. Eggs overwinter and hatch in mid-March of the following year to start the cycle again. From each egg mass, several hundred tiny feeding machines emerge, and for four to six weeks they hungrily strip the trees of their leaves. The larvae are gregarious and upon hatching they gather in the forks of the limbs and develop the web that can be seen in the trees. This serves as their home for the larvae. From this mass of silk, the developing larvae move outward to feed on developing leaves, but they return at night and during rainy weather. The nest gradually becomes larger and larger as silk accumulates. Although the nests are most commonly seen in the forks of wild cherries, this pest can be found in other ornamental, shade and fruit trees, especially apples. While not a serious pest in the natural forest, the unsightly web insect can reduce the beauty and esthetic value of shade trees and other hardwoods in the landscape.
About four to six weeks after hatching, full-grown larvae will crawl away from their nests and accumulate on the sides of homes, on driveways and sidewalks and on various woody ornamentals in search of sites to complete the next phase of life, the pupae phase. This phase is a shell or cocoon in which the caterpillar matures into a moth. There is concern that they may be attacking other plants, but when they do leave their web, the larvae are finished with their feeding and will do no damage to plants on which they are found. The caterpillars are primarily a nuisance and do not usually pose a danger to the overall health of a larger, well-established tree as the tree can produce another flush of foliage. However, young fruit and ornamental trees may be damaged, so it is a good idea to remove the web from these trees.
Usually, no chemical controls are necessary or very effective. One reason is that the web is water proof and insecticides that are applied usually do not reach the larvae but you can break open the web and apply an insecticide such as carbaryl (Sevin), BT or a pyrethroid if you would like. If you decide to use an insecticide, please read the label and follow the instructions. In addition, the egg masses can be clipped from the limbs in late June to prevent nests from developing the following spring.
For more information about the webs in trees right now, contact me in the Gilmer County UGA Extension office.