The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

Foraging worker ants sometimes enter homes in search of food, and if they find an indoor food source, the workers will leave chemical trails for other workers to follow. Food found either indoors or outdoors is carried to the nest to feed the...

Top Yielding Winter Wheat Varieties for Chouteau County MSU Agriculture Research Centers have three test plots for winter wheat in Chouteau County. Research plots are managed by MSU Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center (WTARC) south of the...

A Special Thanks in Advance to our Chouteau County 4-H Fair Superintendents 4-H, the nation’s largest youth development organization, grows confident young people who are empowered for life today and prepared for a career tomorrow. 4-H programs...

The 2021 Montana Department of Agriculture waste pesticide disposal program will take place in Central Montana. The first collection event will take place in Havre on September 21 followed by Great Falls on September 22, Lewistown on September 23,...

Because of the increase in grasshopper pests this year and last year, many folks are spraying insecticides to save their crops and landscapes. The following article comes from the University of Nebraska and is available at: https://bit.ly/3vQPhuz....

The following overview of blue green algae poisoning in livestock was written by Rachel Endecott (Former MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist). Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) are photosynthetic bacteria that live and grow in aquatic environments....

For those who struggling wiAccording to Laurie Kerzicnik (Montana State University Entomologist), grasshoppers continue to be an issue for several areas in Montana. Grasshopper infestations will continue to extend into the fall. High grasshopper popu...

New Montguide Available on Codling Moth Management for Apple Tree Owners FFor those who struggling with worms in apples, a new Montguide called Backyard Guide to Codling Moth Management is available from the Chouteau County Extension office. Below...

The Montana State University College of Agriculture and Montana Agricultural Experiment Station have announced the dates for their annual agricultural field days, which will return as in-person events after being hosted virtually in 2020. “We are s...

Lawn Management Information The Master Gardener program provides research based information for gardeners. Below are a few notes taken from the turf management portion of the program. • Rough bluegrass is probably the best grass in Montana for...

MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) and MSU Extension in Phillips, Blaine, Chouteau and Liberty Counties will be hosting several field days this year. These field days highlight the work being done on Northern Agricultural Research...

Outdoor Range Management Tour at Lost Lake Ranch County Extension is sponsoring an outdoor range management class at the Lost Lake Ranch on Tuesday, June 8 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Dr. Jeff Mosley will address a variety of topics including range...

As we begin spring management of our horticultural landscapes, here are a few reminders for the month of May. • Graft fruit trees from mid -April to early May. • Abort crab apple fruit with ethephon or naphthaleneacetic acid. • Prune lilacs...

1. Why did we see high populations of grasshoppers in Montana in 2020? Favorable weather conditions have promoted grasshopper pest populations. In 2019, a cool wet spring delayed hatching which resulted in high percentage hatch survival rates. In...

2021 Montana Drought Series for Livestock Producers in Havre Montana State University Ranch Management Systems Team in collaboration with local MSU Extension agents have put together a series of workshops to address potential strategies to reduce the...

The single most important component of a successful breeding program is using fertile bulls that have passed a bull breeding soundness evaluation (BSE). Each bull is expected to contribute to 20 to 50 pregnancies each year. Having a BSE conducted on...

The Chouteau County Soil Moisture Survey was started by Judee Wargo in 1993 to assist farmers in determining recropping potential on cereal grain stubble. After 28 years, the Chouteau County Extension Office continues to compile data for determining...

With the coming of spring and warmer weather conditions, snakes are through hunkering down for the winter making human encounters more likely. For many, snakes evoke feelings of uneasiness to outright panic. Montana only has 10 native snake species o...

Hay U Webinar Montana State University Extension Pondera County is sponsoring the first Hay U Webinar for livestock producers. The Webinar will address how to establish a good stand of hay, forage pest management, hay storage, hay quality and hay...

Northern Ag Research Center Posts Top Yielding Spring and Winter Wheat Varieties for the Loma Area MSU Northern Agricultural Research Center (NARC) has posted 2020 wheat yield data for the McKeever plot north of Loma. A special thanks to Peggy Lamb...

Eighth Annual Chouteau County Agriculture Day for 4th and 5th Graders The eighth annual Chouteau County Ag Day for 4th and 5th graders will take place at the Chouteau County Fairgrounds on April 27, 2021. All 4th and 5th graders in Chouteau County...

A Montguide titled Deer-Resistant Ornamental Plants for Your Garden is available at the Chouteau County Extension office or can be mailed to you upon request. The document is also available online at: https://bit.ly/3sn0aTH. The Montguide is written...

The following article was written by Megan Van Emon, MSU Extension Beef Cattle Specialist. The complete article is available at: https://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/beef/moovingminutes.html Be on the lookout for lice in 2021. As temperatures...

Will the cold temperatures increase grasshopper egg mortality? The answer for 2021 is probably not. In Canada, few grasshoppers hatched following a winter with temperatures at negative 22 degrees Fahrenheit (Riegert, 1967). However, Canada had...

Topping is the drastic removal or cutting back of large branches in mature trees. The tree is sheared like a hedge and the main branches are cut to stubs. Many homeowners top trees when they reach heights considered unsafe fearing a strong wind...