Illinois is entering the peak time for tornadoes. While most tornadoes are relatively weak in intensity, wind speeds can range from 70 to almost 300 miles per hour. Improved tracking systems such as Doppler radar and volunteer spotters have decreased the number of injuries and deaths in Illinois. That should not lull us into thinking we are fully protected.
Preparing a tornado plan, being aware of watches and warnings, and constructing or strengthening buildings against wind damage will help keep people from being caught in a dangerous situation. Knowing the difference between a tornado watch and warning is equally important. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornado formation. A tornado warning means a tornado has actually been sighted, or that radar is showing an area with strong circulating winds. Everyone living in the home should know where to gather if a tornado is approaching. This can be a basement, center hallway, bathroom or closet on the lowest floor, away from windows. If you are at home and a tornado warning is announced, go to the designated gathering spot.
If you are outside and see a tornado approaching, try to get to a low-lying area, away from power lines or other potential hazards. After a tornado passes, do not venture into damaged areas where fallen power lines may be present. Continue to listen to the radio for information and instructions. Residents in mobile homes are at greater risk. Statistics have shown occupants in these structures should seek alternate shelter when a tornado is approaching. The National Weather Service and the American Red Cross recommend residents leave the mobile home and seek shelter in a low- lying area, if no sturdy building or structure is available.
During hot weather, a central air conditioner can account for 30% of your energy bill. Check the air filter regularly – a clean air filter improves system efficiency, which should lead to energy savings.
Have a professional check your air conditioning system to ensure that it works properly and is not leaking coolant. The recommended thermostat setting is between 75°F and 78°F. Every degree you raise your thermostat can result in a 5% savings on the cost of cooling your home. Be sure all windows are shut and outside doors are closed when the AC is on. It is important not to have lamps, televisions or other heat sources close to the air cond itioner thermostat – heat from these sources may cause the air conditioner unit to run longer than it should.
Check to ensure that no furniture or other obstacles are blocking ducts or fans. This will enable cooled air to circulate freely, making your home more comfortable.
Farm Direct: Connecting Farmers With Consumers
Illinois farmers' markets, fruit and vegetable growers, livestock producers and other local food producers still have time to register with Farm-Direct, a statewide farmer-to-consumer directory.
This directory helps consumers locate fresh, high-quality agricultural products that are grown and sold in their local communities. By listing their organization or business in the directory, local farmers' markets and other ag producers can reach more potential customers.
Farm-Direct started in central Illinois during 2002-2003 to build strong links between local Illinois food producers and consumers looking for fresh, healthy products. This initial effort in a 25-county area yielded a listing of more than 200 producers, markets and processors that sold directly to consumers. Now, the Farm-Direct project is expanding to include the entire state.
There is a common misconception that natural or botanical insecticides are always safer than synthetically derived insecticides. Nothing could be further from the truth because a number of registered botanicals are toxic to fish, beneficial insects and mites, and mammals.
This is based on the LD50, a term used to describe the lethal dose required to kill 50% of the test animals (mainly mice and rabbits), expressed as milligrams (mg) of toxicant per kilogram (kg) of body weight. The lower the LD50, the more toxic the compound is to humans. In fact, several botanical insecticides have a lower LD50 than the synthetically derived insecticides carbaryl (Sevin) and malathion.
Although naturally occurring insect toxins are extracted from plants, "natural" does not necessarily imply "safe" or "nontoxic." Bottom line: Natural compounds derived from plants are not inherently less toxic to humans than synthetically derived compounds. Read the label and be safe!
Pesticide Safety
Read the label first...and often!
Identify the pest problem. Is there an alternative to chemical control?
Read the safety ins tructions before mixing and applying the pesticide.
Find the right product for the right pest.
Buy only the amount you need. Try not to have surplus pesticides around the home.
Pay attention to the label warnings.
Use the product the right way and decrease the risk of harm to the environment (and to you).
Pesticide labels are legal documents. Applications must be made according to manufacturer's directions. Be careful -- be safe!
Watersheds and Development
The development of new shopping centers, new houses, new roads and parking lots creates impervious areas. An impervious area is any surface in a watershed that does not allow water to soak into the ground, increasing storm water runoff.
The amount of impervious area in a watershed affects the health of the watershed and water quality, and thus can be used to predict the health of our streams. Water quality deteriorates as the amount of impervious area increases in a watershed. Watersheds with a 10 percent or greater amount of impervious area have been shown to negatively affect stream quality.
Our growing and changing communities can impact our water quality and the health of our streams. As our land use intensifies with development it will have a direct relationship on our water quality as it reduces the amount of water available for groundwater recharge and affects the base flow (year round flow between storms, maintained by the slow seepage of groundwater out of the soil) of perennial rivers and total groundwater discharge into our rivers.
Urban areas with a lot of impervious surfaces rely on storm water drains to carry storm water runoff to streams and rivers resulting in more pollution. Before we make any decisions about development and land use in a watershed we need to think of the whole watershed, its resources and the needs of its inhabitants. A healthy watershed requires an ongoing level of protection. It is up to us to protect our greatest natural resource, water, for current and future generations.
- Susan Meeker, Extension Educator, Natural Resources
Reducing Pollution of Storm Water Runoff
Reducing the quantity and improving the quality of storm water runoff in a community can start with individual homeowners. Some storm water best management practices can be implemented when first planning and building the home and designing the landscape. Others can be incorporated into day-to-day activities such as:
Mulch and seed bare soil as soon as possible to prevent the soil from eroding into the storm sewer.
Apply fertilizer and pesticides only onto target areas. Don't spread fertilizer onto paved surfaces that drain to the storm sewer. Avoid unnecessary pesticides, fertilizer or water use by using plants adapted to the local area.
Store oil, gasoline, antifreeze and other automotive products properly. Keep these substances tightly sealed and avoid leaky containers. Clean up oil or other hazardous drippings or spills promptly.
Wash vehicles at a commercial car wash or on non-paved surfaces to avoid drainage to the storm sewer.
Avoid allowing pet waste to be dumped or washed into the storm sewer. Properly bury or flush the waste down a toilet into the sanitary sewer system for treatment.
Mulch grass clippings and leave them on the lawn for natural fertility or use them for compost.
Many of these best management practices may seem rather simple or small, but the cumulative effect throughout an entire watershed can significantly contribute to improved storm water management.
- John Church, Extension Educator, Natural Resources
A Few Tips on Driving More Fuel Efficient
Keep Your Engine Properly Tuned
Routine maintenance and repair can improve gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent, though results vary based on the kind of repair and how well it is done. Fixing a faulty oxygen sensor may improve your gas mileage as much as 40 percent.
Fuel Economy Benefit: 4-40% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: 6¢ to 60¢ per gallon
Check & Replace Auto Air Filters Regularly
Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. The air filter keeps impurities from damaging the inside of the engine. Replacing a dirty air filter saves gas and protects the engine.
Fuel Economy Benefit: Up to 10% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: Up to 15¢ per gallon
Keep Tires Properly Inflated
You can improve your gas mileage approximately 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under- inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.4 percent for every 1 psi (pounds per square inch) drop in pressure of all four tires. Properly inflated tires are safer and last longer.
Fuel Economy Benefit: Up to 3% Equivalent Gasoline Savings: Up to 5¢ per gallon
- Source: U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Storm Water Solutions
As spring showers and thunderstorms replace winter snow and ice, the ground becomes saturated with moisture. Precipitation runs off the impervious surfaces like sidewalks, driveways, streets, and rooftops straight into storm drains. The water in storm drains flows directly into lakes, rivers, stream, or water treatment facilities, carrying with it pollutants such as soil, pesticides, fertilizers, oil, leaves and litter. In urban areas, storm water runoff is difficult to control because it comes from every home, business, factory, parking lot, and street. Urban storm water runoff creates a host of problems, including flash flooding, water and ground contamination, erosion of stream banks, and a reduction in groundwater recharge. To help reduce storm water runoff and protect your property, consider the following solutions:
Plant native grasses or ground cover to reduce soil erosion
During construction, use silt fences to slow runoff and trap soil and pollutants
Use interlocking cement blocks when constructing sidewalks and driveways instead of asphalt to encourage storm water to soak into the ground
Attach a rain barrel to gutters to capture rainwater – use later to water plants
If you live near a lake or stream, plant native grasses along the banks to reduce soil erosion and trap harmful pollutants
Don't over water lawns
Don't over use pesticides, fertilizers, or chemicals – or use before it rains
Pick- up and dispose of pet waste in your yard – harmful bacteria and nutrients can be carried away by storm water
Properly dispose of automotive fluids and batteries
- Elizabeth K. Haynes, Extension Educator, Natural Resources
Start Feeding the Birds this Spring
In Illinois, most birds return to their spring and summer breeding grounds in April. If you plan to start feeding the birds this spring, be sure to have your feeders out by mid- April. That way, you may be fortunate to attract some different bird species that are migrating through your area in addition to your common feeder visitors.
If you are starting a bird- feeding program for the first time this spring, be patient and don't be discouraged if it takes several weeks for the first birds to show up. In the meantime, begin by evaluating your backyard from a bird's standpoint.
Is it appealing to the particular birds you want to attract?
Is there cover from predators and harsh weather?
What type of food(s) are you providing?
Is it a favorite of your target specie(s)?
Is there a fresh source of water nearby?
Nature lovers will observe more bird species at their feeders if they encourage yearround feeding. By putting up a bird feeder and regularly filling it with good quality seed, everyone can experience the pleasures of nature and wildlife right at home!
- Bob Frazee, Extension Educator, Natural Resources
Time To Test Well Water
Individuals who receive their water through a private source are solely responsible for ensuring the safety of that supply. Yearly analysis is necessary as water quality changes as the environment around the homestead changes.
Testing need not be complicated or expensive. Water should be checked for coliform bacteria, nitrates, pH and total dissolved solids (TDS). The best time to submit a water sample is spring or early summer. If possible, gather the sample after a rainy period as this is when levels of bacteria and nitrates will be the greatest.
An additional sample for nitrates should be submitted when:
Work is done on the water system
Water taste, color or smell changes
A pregnant woman, or woman anticipating pregnancy is a water user
An infant under six months is a water user
Local health departments, private companies and the Illinois State Water Survey are the three primary suppliers of water-sampling kits. Self-analysis kits can be purchased but the results of those tests are generally not as accurate.
When collecting a sample, use the faucet in the house that is most frequently used for drinking. It is not necessary to submit a sample from every faucet in the house unless you are trying to determine if there is corrosion in a certain section of pipe. Always follow the directions provided on how to collect a sample.
Ladybugs and Japanese Beetles... What might they have in common?
Besides having a hard protective "shell" or elytra covering their wings, six legs, both insects also have a propensity to show up in locations that drive homeowners to near madness! What else do they have in common? Well, pest management researchers at the University of Connecticut are working on a project to determine if a particular type of pesky ladybug (Harmonia axyridis) releases an aggregation scent or pheromone that attracts more ladybeetles. This certainly seems likely based on area homeowners' experiences of discovering caches of ladybugs in the fall or early spring near the base of trees and shrubs under the protection of a few leaves or mulch. And, this makes the stories of mounds of ladybeetles being found in the attic near a southerly facing roof ventilators or eave vents very believable.
Even with a few "pest" qualities exhibited by ladybugs, remember that they are still considered beneficial in control of over 50 kinds of aphids and some scale insects that feed on many desirable plants in our landscapes and orchards. One the other hand, the Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) will continue to find very few friends among gardeners and homeowners in Illinois. When this beetle releases a congregating pheromone at an attractive feeding site, then the rest come running... or rather, flying.
Use care and caution when considering all pest control options. The first place to start is with proper pest identification. After that, use management options best suited for the target pest and have the least impact on the environment... oh, and reading the label is also a good idea.
- Gary Letterly , Extension Educator, Natural Resources
Streamside Conservation
After many years of being ignored, misunderstood and abused, streamside areas commonly referred to as riparian areas are now the focal point of a number of conservation initiatives across the United States. Heightened interest in these critically important areas come as the result of water quality and fish and wildlife resource concerns of landowners, resource agencies and the general public. In addition, as we become more knowledgeable about the functions, processes and products produced in riparian areas, we begin to more fully realize the importance of these areas to all of society. Thus the focus on riparian area improvement. It is important to understand the difference between improvement and restoration. Restoration implies reverting the riparian area back to its condition before a disturbance took place resulting in its current cond ition. In many cases this is not ecologically or economically feasible. Riparian area improvement is focused on improving the area's ability to perform natural processes and functions such as improving water quality, stabilizing streambanks or improving wildlife habitat.
Riparian improvements fit into one of two broad categories; passive or active. Passive improvement practices are those that involve the cessation of activities that are contributing to the current condition of the riparian area. This may include discontinuing livestock grazing, converting to no-till cropping practices or idling an area previously farmed. Active improvement practices are those that require some sort of physical or structural manipulation of the area. This may include such practices as planting trees or installing a vegetative buffer near the stream, stabilization of streambanks or construction of water and sediment control basins in the stream's upper watershed.
Regardless of the type of improvement practice employed, it is critically important to understand that degrading land practices in the stream's watershed must also be addressed and eliminated. Riparian areas reflect the environmental quality of the watershed they are located in. They cannot be separated from them.
We know it as Styrofoam, but its technical name is "foamed polystyrene". Polystyrene is made from styrene, which can be found in naturally occurring substances, while synthetic styrene is made from petroleum byproducts. As with many products, there are pro's and con's associated with its use.
Advantages of Using Foamed Polystyrene
Sanitary product for one-time food and beverage use
Low cost of purchase
Manufacturing process not necessarily more harmful than for paper
Adds little by weight to waste stream
Biodegradability not an issue in modern landfills
Disadvantages of Using Foamed Polystyrene
Non-biodegradable in the environment
Made from non-renewable petroleum products
Use as a container for heating food and beverages should be avoided
The use of Styrofoam or other foamed polystyrene products is a personal choice. If used properly, it is an economical, sanitary product, with low environmental risks. However, used improperly, it can quickly become an unsightly environmental nuisance and does have potential health risks. Visit the following web sites for more informatio n: www.polystyrene.org/polystyrene_facts/facts.htmlwww.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/
