Weekend Gardening: Tomato Pests
June 15, 2014
June is prime time for growing tomatoes here in Escambia County, but it’s also the best time to see a lot of pests in tomatoes that can totally ruin a crop. To help you figure out what’s “bugging” your tomatoes, here’s a quick rundown of some of the pests that you might see in your garden. Much of the information in this article was adapted from the University of Florida EDIS (Electronic Data Information Source) publication Insect Management for Tomatoes, Peppers, and Eggplant. Management techniques for the pests will be found in the full publication.
Click any photo to enlarge.
Silverleaf Whitefly
The adult silverleaf whitefly is small, approximately 1/16 of an inch in length, and has powdery white wings held tent-like while at rest over a yellow body. Whiteflies are usually found on the undersides of leaves. Eggs, which are yellow and football-shaped, are attached upright by a tiny stalk inserted into the lower leaf surface. A mobile first instar (growth stage), or crawler stage, hatches from the egg and settles on the leaf. It then develops through immobile second, third, and fourth instars which look like semi-transparent, flat, oval scales. The fourth instar or “pupa” is more yellow and more easily seen without the aid of a hand lens, and typically has very distinct eyespots, and is referred to as a “red-eyed nymph.”
As the plant grows, leaves bearing the maturing nymphs are found lower down on the plant, so older nymphs can be found by looking at older leaves. Whiteflies ingest sap from the plant vascular system (phloem) through stylets similar to those of aphids and, like aphids, process a relatively large volume of plant sap by excreting excess liquid in the form of a sugary substance called honeydew. The honeydew will result in sooty mold—a black, powdery looking substance that reduces photosynthesis in the leaves. Sometimes the nymphs will feed on the fruit and that will cause white tissue on the inside of the fruit walls.
Aphids
Aphids are soft-bodied, sucking insects that can rapidly colonize plants due to their short life cycle. Adults are delicate, pear- or spindle-shaped insects with a posterior pair of tubes (cornicles), which project upward and backward from the end of the abdomen and which are used for excreting a defensive fluid. In Florida, winged and wingless forms are all female and give birth to living young (nymphs). Nymphs are smaller but otherwise similar in appearance to wingless adults, which they become in 7 to 10 days.
Heavy aphid infestations may cause stunting and leaf distortion. Feeding on blossoms reduces fruit set. Sooty mold will grow on the honeydew that the aphids excrete. Aphids may also spread plant viruses.
Brown and Green Stink Bugs and Leaf-footed bugs
Like aphids and whiteflies, true bugs are sucking insects. True bugs can be recognized by their front wings, which are leathery close to the body but membrane-like at the tips. Nymphs resemble adults in shape but are often colored differently and do not have fully developed wings. Stink bugs are green or brown shield-shaped bugs 1/2 to 2/3 of an inch long. Eggs are barrel-shaped and found on the undersides of leaves in masses of 10 to 50.
Leaf-footed bugs are dark-colored true bugs with parallel sides. Eggs are metallic and ovate but somewhat flattened laterally and laid in clusters. Some leaf-footed bugs lay their eggs end-to-end in a single row or chain along a stem or leaf midrib. Nymphs are oblong in shape and red in color, especially on the abdomen.
Nymphs and adults of both stink bugs and leaf-footed bugs suck juices from green fruit leaving a puncture which later may become surrounded by a discolored zone due to invasion of secondary pathogens. Stink bug feeding punctures are often surrounded with a lightened, sometimes depressed, blotch beneath the fruit surface caused by the removal of cell contents and the enzymes injected by the bug. Leaf-footed punctures may cause fruit to become distorted as they enlarge
Tomato Hornworm
There are many caterpillars that can feed on tomatoes but the tomato hornworm can strip a plant of leaves in a few days. The adult moth is large with mottled brown forewings that are longer than the lighter brown hind wings. The sides of the abdomen have five yellow spots on the sides. The female moth will lay eggs on the upper and lower surfaces of leaves. The adult moths are nectar feeders on many flowers and may be seen in the early evening around gardens and flowers.
The emerging caterpillars will feed on leaves and go through several molts as they develop into large green caterpillars with a black ‘horn’ on the tip of the abdomen. Caterpillars are also identified by the white or yellow ‘V’ marks on the sides of the abdomen. When it is time to pupate, the caterpillars drop to the soil and make a cell for changing to the adult moth. The pupa is reddish brown and has a loop structure at the head that contains the mouthparts. There are normally two generations of tomato hornworm a year and as late summer arrives, the hornworm goes through a resting phase.
Other plants in the tomato family can be eaten by tomato hornworms but tomatoes are the favorite in our area. The caterpillars will eat entire leaves and initially work their down on the plant, eating leaves, blossoms, and even green fruit. Because they blend in with green foliage, a homeowner will often overlook the caterpillar despite its large size.
Hornworm does have natural enemies so be cautious before reaching for the insecticide. They can also be easily handpicked and destroyed after you find them.
If you would like further information, please contact the Escambia County Extension office, (850) 475-5230.
Jordan, Carnley To Wed
June 15, 2014
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Jordan of Byrneville announce the marriage of their daughter, Kasey to Dustin Carnley, son of Mr. Frankie and Mrs. Kay Carnley of Flomaton.
Grandparents of the bride are the late Gay and Nell Jordan of Flomaton and Jimmy and Barbara Wilson of Byrneville.
Kasey and Dusty will be married at Beulah Chapel on June 21, 2014, at 3 p.m. Friends and family are welcome to attend.
Bridge Repairs Next Week On Molino Road
June 15, 2014
Drivers on the west end of Molino Road can expect delays beginning Tuesday for bridge work.
Crews from Gulf Marine Construction will make repairs from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. daily on the Alligator Creek Bridge. Repairs are slated to be complete in one week. The repairs will require temporary single lane closures and motorists are advised to seek alternate routes and expect minor delays.
The Alligator Creek Bridge is located on Molino Road between South Highway 99 and Barrineau Lane.
Groundbreaking Held For New Escambia County 4-H Center Building
June 14, 2014
A groundbreaking was held Friday afternoon for the new Langley Bell 4-H Center Building on Stefani Road, next to the Escambia County Extension Service.
In 2012, the children and teens on the 4-H County Council voted to sell their 240 acre Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union. Navy Federal paid $3.6 million for the property next to the credit union’s campus in Beulah, and the Escambia County Commission agreed to construct a new 4-H Center on Stefani Road.
The new 4-H Center will be a single story building just under 10,000 square feet that will include a multi-purpose room/auditorium with stage, kitchen, offices, reception area, life skills room, science room with wet lab, volunteer room with technology lab, county council, club meeting room and storage.
Escambia County also purchased about 108 acres on and near Chalker Road in Molino to house the 4-H’s animal science and outdoor education programs with reimbursement to come from the Escambia County 4-H Foundation. An open house is being held at the property today from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. with free hotdogs and hamburgers while they last and property tours. The property entrance is located at 5600 Chalker Road in Molino.
Pictured top: Escambia County commissioners, 4-H and county officials and members of the Langley Bell family broke ground on the new 4-H building Friday afternoon. Pictured inset: Speakers at the event. Pictured below: An conceptual drawing of the new Escambia County 4-H building on Stefani Road. Courtesy images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Elderly Man Struck, Killed By Lightning While Picking Blueberries
June 14, 2014
A elderly man was struck and killed by lightning while picking blueberries near Allentown south of Jay Friday morning.
James Donald McDaniel, age 71 of Milton was found in a field at the Blue Basket Farms and transported to Santa Rosa Medical Center where he was pronounced deceased.
The Allentown Volunteer Fire Department, Santa Rosa EMS and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office were called to the blueberry patch at 8651 Highway 89 about 9:42 a.m. The clerk and her son were loading supplies when they saw the lightning strike. They jumped into their car to escape the storm and then discovered McDaniel down in the field a few minutes later.
The point of the impact of the lightning bolt was located two rows of blueberries north of where McDaniel’s vehicle was parked.
McDaniel was the sixth person killed by lightning this year in the United States, the fourth in Florida.
Century Extends Term Of Mayor, Council Members; Sets Election Dates
June 14, 2014
The Century Town Council voted Friday afternoon to extend the term of the mayor and two of five council members for an additional year as part of plan to align the town’s election cycles with the rest of the county and state.
With the previous election date cycle, the positions of Mayor Freddie McCall, Council President Ann Brooks and member Annie Savage would be on the ballot in 2015 — when there are no other local elections in the county. The town council voted extend their term expiration dates from January 2016 to January 2017 and put the three seats on the 2016 ballot, coinciding with other local, state, and national elections, including the presidential election.
The council also set 2014 election dates for the council seats currently held by Gary Riley, Jacke Johnston and Sandra McMurray Jackson. If a contest has three or more candidates, a primary election will held on Tuesday, August 26. A runoff, if needed, and the general election will be Tuesday, November 4. Candidate qualifying was set for June 16-June 20.
Pictured top: Century Town Council members (L-R) Ann Brooks, Sandra McMurray Jackson and Jacke Johnston review an elections ordinance during a special meeting Friday afternoon. NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Temporary Repairs Made After Highway 97 Shoulder Collapse Worsens
June 14, 2014
Crews from the Florida Department of Transportation made temporary repairs to a collapsed shoulder on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.
Back on May 15, the shoulder of Highway 97 about a mile south of Ernest Ward Middle School collapsed in an existing 50-foot deep gully. Sometime Thursday or early Friday, the situation worsened, with a part of a paved shoulder falling into the hole.
“FDOT crews are monitoring the site and adding material to provide a safe environment until a permanent fix can be made,” FDOT spokesperson Tanya Branton said Friday morning.
A large drainage pipe travels under Highway 97 to the site of the collapse and then curved downward along the bank of the gully where it was designed to drain at the bottom. But the pipe apparently separated under the shoulder of the roadway, just beyond a guardrail, and blew out and undermined the shoulder of the road.
There’s no word yet on when a permanent repair will be made.
Pictured top: FDOT crews make temporary repairs to a collapsed shoulder on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill Friday morning. Pictured below: Contractor Transfield Services surveys the collapse after it was discovered in mid-May. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Scott Signs Abortion, Parasailing, E-Cigarette Bills
June 14, 2014
Gov. Rick Scott signed 95 bills into law Friday, including measures to further restrict abortions in Florida, keep electronic cigarettes out of the hands of minors and regulate the commercial parasailing industry.
The new laws, which mostly go into effect July 1, are also designed to draw more private insurers to write flood-insurance coverage in the state, crack down on questionable charity operations and move up the start of the 2016 legislative session from the usual March kickoff to January.
Meanwhile, Scott has not taken action on eight bills that were among 105 sent to him by the Legislature last week.
The bills still on Scott’s desk include proposals (HB 989 and HB 7141) to try to curb human-trafficking in the state and a measure (SB 1030) that would legalize a form of medical marijuana that purportedly does not get users high but which alleviates life-threatening seizures.
As with his other bill signings since the end of the spring session, Scott did the latest paperwork without public fanfare. His daily calendar has recently focused on campaign appearances.
Scott has now taken action on 184 of the 255 bills approved by the Legislature this year. Only one bill, which would have allowed speed limits to be increased on state highways (SB 392), has been vetoed.
Probably the most-controversial bill signed Friday was the abortion measure (HB 1047), which lawmakers approved along almost straight party lines.
The bill defines viability as the stage of development when the life of a fetus is sustainable outside the womb via standard medical measures. It would require physicians to conduct exams before performing abortions to determine if fetuses are viable, and if so, abortions generally wouldn’t be allowed.
Supporters say the measure could prevent abortions around the 20th week of pregnancy, while opponents called it a setback for women’s reproductive rights. Under current law, most abortions are banned during the third trimester of pregnancy.
Former Senate Minority Leader Nan Rich, running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, blasted Scott’s signing of the abortion bill in a fundraising email.
“This is an outrage, and we have to do something,” Rich emailed to supporters. “Florida needs a pro-choice governor, so I need your help.”
Meanwhile, sponsors of bills signed Friday quickly sent out emails touting the new laws.
As an example, Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Fort Myers, thanked Scott after he signed SB 224, which bans the sales of electronic cigarettes to minors, similar to bans on sales of cigarettes and other tobacco products.
“As a mom, I’m proud of our fight to keep e cigs out of kids’ hands,” Benacquisto, who championed the legislation, tweeted.
Electronic cigarettes have become increasingly popular as they allow users to inhale vaporized nicotine without all the health risks of smoking regular cigarettes. While supporters point to those health benefits, critics of “e-cigarettes” warn that the devices can hook people on nicotine, which could lead to use of other tobacco products.
Also pleased Friday was Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who backed the bill (HB 629) intended to crackdown on charities that may be misusing contributions. He said in a release that the measure “will weed out the bad actors who are defrauding generous givers and thus bring integrity back to Florida’s network of reputable charities.”
The bill is aimed at giving consumers more information about what charities are doing with their contributions — especially those that raise large amounts of money.
The bill would bar groups that broke laws in other states from soliciting money in Florida, ban felons from raising money for charity, increase reporting requirements for larger charities and require information from companies that solicit donations for charities by phone.
A long-sought effort to regulate Florida’s commercial parasailing industry, the White-Miskell Act (SB 320), will require operators to log weather conditions before embarking, forbid operations during severe weather conditions, require operators to be licensed by the U.S. Coast Guard and limit operations near airports.
The law is named after Kathleen Miskell, a 28-year-old Connecticut woman who died in August 2012 after she fell from a harness while parasailing over the ocean off Pompano Beach, and Amber May White, 15, of Belleview, who died in 2007 after a line snapped on a parasail, resulting in her hitting the roof of a hotel.
Parasail operators got on board with the legislation at the urging of Senate President Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, after two Indiana teens were videotaped last summer as they were seriously injured parasailing in Panama City Beach.
On another high-profile issue, St. Petersburg Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes and Clearwater Republican Rep. Ed Hooper jointly issued a release after Scott signed the bill (SB 542) to expand flood insurance coverage while hopefully lowering costs in the state.
The law, effective immediately, isn’t as flexible as Brandes wanted during session, but he noted in the release “this bill allows Florida to control its own destiny. I look forward to continuing this discussion on flood insurance in future sessions to ensure that Floridians have options that are flexible and secure.”
Lawmakers began looking for ways to expand private coverage after it appeared that tens of thousands of Florida homeowners could get hit with massive increases under the National Flood Insurance Program. Congress has since temporarily alleviated those concerns.
As Scott signed the pile of bills Friday, lawmakers also forwarded 59 additional bills to him. Scott has until June 28 to sign, veto or let those bills become law without any action.
Included in the latest batch are a proposal (HB 89), known as the “warning shot” bill, that would allow people to show guns and fire warning shots if they feel threatened. Also the batch includes a proposed ranking system for funding proposals involving professional sports stadiums (HB 7095) and an expansion of eligibility for the state’s de facto school-voucher system (SB 850).
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida
Second Arrest In Baby Beating
June 14, 2014
Days after the arrest of a Santa Rosa County man that allegedly beat a baby with his hands and fists, a woman has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Angela Marie Morris, 27, was charged with a felony count of child neglect with great bodily harm and a misdemeanor count of perjury. She was booked into the Santa Rosa County Jail Friday with bond set at $20,000.
Joseph Shawn Walker, 27, was arrested last week for felony cruelty toward a child and aggravated child abuse for allegedly striking the six-month old repeatedly because the baby would not stop crying at a baseball park. The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that the incident occurred inside a vehicle, not around other people in the ballpark.
The Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to call from the Santa Rosa Medical Center where the 6-month old baby had been taken. The baby suffered a skull fracture, extensive bruising to the head and face area, and bruising to the abdomen shoulders and back. The baby was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital and remains in intensive care.
Morris allegedly provided false information during the investigation. The Sheriff’s Office redacted information from her arrest report that specified what information she provided.
Mostly Sunny, Scattered Showers
June 14, 2014
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
- Saturday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light and variable after midnight.
- Sunday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Light and variable wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
- Sunday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. South wind 5 to 10 mph becoming light west after midnight.
- Monday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 91. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Monday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Tuesday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
- Tuesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 69. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.
- Wednesday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
- Wednesday Night Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
- Thursday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.
- Thursday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70.
- Friday A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93.