What to do if you’re attacked by bees?

Shared from Insects in the City A few bees entering a home usually means a nest is somewhere inside. This colony in a roof soffit likely consists of 30,000 or more bees. The unpredictability of bees means that a normally peaceful nest can turn dangerous quickly. While honey bees are highly beneficial to man, they can also be dangerous.  If you don’t believe this, consider two Texas incidents this summer.  In June, a Waco area man was killed by honey bees while working on his tractor.  This past weekend a couple was severely stung and two of their miniature horses were killed following a bee attack at their Tarrant county home.  Both incidents illustrate how serious honey bee infestations can be. It’s not that bees are mean, in a human sense. But they do take exception to any people or animals that threaten their nest, or colony. So what should you do if you are attacked by bees? Run!  Some people make the mistake of standing in place and swatting bees, but this only gives bees more time to recruit from the colony, and results in more stings.  Get to shelter as quickly as you can.  Get in a car or building that can be securely shut.  If you encounter stinging bees and are a long way from shelter, try to run through shrubs or brush to distract the bees.  If there is no shelter nearby, keep running until you leave the bees behind. Some bees may pursue victims a half mile or more before giving up the chase. Don’t be fooled into seeking escape in water.  According to the Fort Worth Star Telegram article, after failing to swat and swipe off the bees, the Tarrant county couple tried diving in their pool. “We were trying to stand up in the water but every time we stuck our heads out for air, they would cover us and start stinging us,” she said. “We were trying to breathe and they were stinging us in the face and in the nose.” Water is a poor shelter from bee attack. Once you’ve escaped the swarm, remove any stingers from your skin as soon as possible. Honey bees are one of the only stinging insects that leaves its stinger in the skin.  Left in the skin, the accompanying venom sac will continue to pump venom.  Pull the stingers out with a knife blade scraped gently across the skin, or by scraping off with your finger nails. Seek medical attention immediately, especially if you experience hives, swelling around the throat or face, or difficulty breathing. While an average  healthy adult may able to withstand hundreds of bee stings, for people with bee venom allergies even a single sting can be highly dangerous. Honey bee attacks have received more media attention since Africanized honey bees entered the country in the early 1990s. Africanized bees, while physically identical to domesticated European bees first brought by settlers to this country about 300 years ago, are genetically predisposed to be more aggressive than the European bee.  Africanized bees typically have a lower tolerance for nest disturbance, will send more bees out in pursuit of an intruder, and will chase victims further than their European cousins. All wild bee colonies in Texas should be assumed to be a hybrid between Africanized and European wild bees.  Beekeepers usually ensure that their colonies are founded on the more docile European bees, so the threat from domesticated bees is less than wild bees. All of this is good reason to be wary of any wild honey bee nest in your home or on your property.  A licensed beekeeper or pest control professional can help you get rid of bees.  For more information, see our publication E-346, Honey bee control in and around homes.

New animal identification rules aid disease traceability

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release – May 22, 2013

ARDMORE, Okla. —On March 11, 2013, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated the Animal Disease Traceability Program (ADTP) to track interstate livestock movement. The new rule replaces the previous version of the National Animal Identification System (NAIS) and pertains to all livestock, including cattle, horses, sheep and goats.

According to the USDA, knowing where diseased or at-risk animals are, where they have been and when, is important to providing a rapid response when animal disease events take place. This will reduce the impact of an animal disease event.

Noble Foundation Livestock Consultant, Robert Wells, Ph.D., said the ADTP will require livestock that move interstate to be accompanied by an Interstate Certificate of Veterinary Inspection (ICVI), owner-shipper statement or a brand certificate. The owner-shipper statement and brand certificate must be approved by officials in both the state of origin and the receiving state. Animals moved intrastate will be under the jurisdiction of the state’s regulations.

For cattle, the following are deemed officially accepted forms of identification:

• Metal ear tags (brucellosis “orange” tag or National Uniform Eartagging System “Brite” tag).
• Plastic ear tags (with or without RFID, but must have a unique 15-digit code with 840 as the first three digits, the U.S. shield and manufacturer’s logo or trademark).
• Group or lot identification when applicable.
• Brands, when recognized by a brand inspection authority, accompanied by an official brand inspection certificate and allowed by the receiving state.
• Ear tattoos acceptable to breed registries when accompanied by a breed registration certificate or back tags when cattle are moved directly to slaughter.

Cattle are exempt if they are moved directly to a livestock slaughter facility or to an approved livestock tagging facility with an owner-shipper statement; moved from farm of origin to a veterinary medical facility and then returned to the farm of origin (directly from one state through another state and back to the original state); or moved as a commuter herd with a copy of the commuter herd agreement.

“Ordinarily there is no requirement for a producer to maintain a copy of the movement document, but it is highly recommended that records be kept,” Wells said. “However, if an animal loses an official ear tag, a replacement may be used. If this occurs, then records that indicate the new identification number, the date it was implemented and the old number must be maintained for five years.”

As beef cattle producers manage their herds now and into the future, they will need to make sure that cattle have compliant identification and they maintain those records necessary for USDA compliance.

Federal rules require the following animals to be officially identified:

• All sexually intact dairy cattle.
• All rodeo, exhibition or event cattle and horses.
• Sexually intact beef cattle over the age of 18 months.
• Equines that move interstate.
• Existing sheep and goat scrapie regulations apply.

SPRING EXPO EVENT SCHEDULED

          Spring is just around the corner, and with the arrival of spring comes the need to get pastures and hay meadows fertilized, work cattle, and plan for changes to be made in the coming months. To celebrate the arrival of springtime, Texas AgriLife Extension in Hunt County and the Northeast Texas Farmers Coop in Greenville will be sponsoring a Spring Expo on Wednesday, February 27.

            This event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fletcher Warren Civic Center, 5501 Business Highway 69, in Greenville. There will be many vendors showcasing their products and answering producer questions regarding, pastures, cattle management, fencing, vet supplies, herbicides, livestock supplements, and other agricultural products.

         Talks will be given to update producers on sprayer calibration, weed control and herbicides, improving pastures, soil testing, fertilizing, rotational grazing, and more. In addition at noon, there will be a hamburger lunch provided free of charge to all participants, and many door prizes will be given away.

            The event is free of charge to all attending, compliments of the NET Farmers Coop. A  RSVP 

is requested by February 26. More information can be obtained, and reservations can be made by 

calling the Coop at 903-455-6365 or the Extension Office at 903-455-9885.

USDA Announces 45th General Sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a four-week general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), beginning May 20 and ending on June 14. CRP has a 27-year legacy of protecting the nation's natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States.

Currently, about 27 million acres are enrolled in CRP. Producers that are accepted in the sign-up can receive cost-share assistance to plant long-term, resource-conserving covers and receive an annual rental payment for the length of the contract (10-15 years).

Contracts on 3.3 million acres of CRP are set to expire on Sept. 30, 2013. Producers with expiring contracts or producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP.

Additional sign-ups for continuous CRP programs such as Highly Erodible Land Initiative and Initiative to Restore Grasslands, Wetlands and Wildlife will be announced in spring 2013.

For more information on CRP and other FSA programs, visit a local FSA service center or www.fsa.usda.gov.

Beef Quality Assurance Training Scheduled

Hispanic and Women Farmers and Ranchers Claims Period Ends March 25

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack reminds Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers who allege discrimination by the USDA in past decades that there are 45 days remaining in the filing period closing March 25, 2013.

USDA urges potential claimants to contact the Claims Administrator for information and mail their claim packages on or before March 25, 2013.

The process offers a voluntary alternative to litigation for each Hispanic or female farmer and rancher who can prove that USDA denied his or her application for loan or loan servicing assistance for discriminatory reasons for certain time periods between 1981 and 2000. As announced in February 2011, the voluntary claims process will make available at least $1.33 billion for cash awards and tax relief payments, plus up to $160 million in farm debt relief, to eligible Hispanic and women farmers and ranchers. There are no filing fees to participate in the program.

Claimants may register for a claims package by calling the telephone number below Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time or by downloading the forms from the website.

Website: www.farmerclaims.gov

Phone: 1-888-508-4429

Claims Period: September 24, 2012 - March 25, 2013.

Independent legal services companies will administer the claims process and adjudicate the claims. Although there are no filing fees to participate and a lawyer is not required to participate in the claims process, persons seeking legal advice may contact a lawyer or other legal services provider.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Stop 9410, Washington, DC 20250-9450, or call toll-free at (866) 632-9992 (English) or (800) 877-8339 (TDD) or (866) 377-8642 (English Federal-relay) or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish Federal-relay).

USDA Finalizes New Microloan Program

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled a new microloan program today that will expand access to credit for small farmers and ranchers and beginning and socially disadvantaged producers.

The microloan application process is simpler and requires less paperwork than traditional operating loans. Additionally, the requirement for managerial experience and loan security has been modified to ensure that small family operations and beginning farmers and ranchers can obtain the credit needed to start and continue an agricultural operation. This loan program will also be useful to specialty crop producers and operators of community supported agriculture (CSA).   

Eligible applicants can apply for a maximum amount of $35,000 to pay for initial start-up expenses such as hoop houses to extend the growing season, essential tools, irrigation, delivery vehicles, and annual expenses such as seed, fertilizer, utilities, land rents, marketing, and distribution expenses. As financing needs increase, applicants can apply for an operating loan up to the maximum amount of $300,000 or obtain financing from a commercial lender under FSA’s Guaranteed Loan Program.

Small farmers often rely on credit cards or personal loans, which carry high interest rates and have less flexible payment schedules, to finance their operations. The microloan program will expand access to credit and provide a simple and flexible loan process for small operators.

The current interest rate for Microloans is 1.25 percent.

In addition to microloans, FSA offers several farm loan programs that provide funding to purchase land, livestock, equipment, feed, seed, and supplies, or can be used to construct buildings or make farm improvements.

Producers interested in applying for a microloan or other FSA farm loan program should contact their local Farm Service Agency office