Forever More Farm

05/02/2024

It feels like we've been waiting forever for spring to arrive, but Brood XIII cicadas have been patiently waiting for 17 years!

Also known as the Northern Illinois Brood, these cicadas are getting ready to emerge in May across parts of southern Wisconsin.

Wondering about sharing your summer vacation with buzzing insects? Don’t sweat it! Their lifespan is only around six weeks, so the sights and sounds of this brood won’t be around long.

Plus, these bugs play an important role in our ecosystem as an abundant food source for songbirds, bats, and small mammals. So PLEASE consider avoiding pesticides which could harm those other critters as well.

04/11/2024

If you own property with oak, birch, crabapple, aspen or willow trees, this is a great time of year to take action and protect them from spongy moth.

During the next couple of months, you can help reduce spongy moth populations by treating or removing unhatched egg masses that are within reach on your trees. Egg mass hatch usually begins in mid-to-late April in southern Wisconsin.

Any egg masses that you can safely access can be sprayed with horticultural oil (available online or at many home and garden centers) when temperatures are warm enough (check the product label). Do not use motor oil or other lubricants, as these pollutants can harm the trees and soil.

You can also gently scrape masses into soapy water to soak for a few days before discarding them in the trash.

Old egg masses (pale and spongy) do not need to be oiled or removed because they no longer contain viable eggs.

Visit spongymoth.wi.gov for additional information on egg mass oiling and removal, physical controls and insecticide application, as well as a map of quarantined counties that shows where the pest is generally established. A local arborist may be able to oil egg masses or apply an insecticide this spring if you have large, valuable trees that have many egg masses on them.

A little work now can help you get ahead of spongy moth this spring and summer!

01/24/2024

This spring, two different broods of cicadas — one that lives on a 13-year cycle and the other that lives on a 17-year cycle — will emerge at the same time from underground in a rare, synchronized event that last occurred in 1803.

Billions of the winged insects will make an appearance across the Midwest and the Southeast, beginning in some places in late April, for a raucous mating ritual that tends to inspire fascination and annoyance.

This year’s dual emergence is a once-in-a-lifetime event.

After 2024, these broods won’t sync up their emergences again for another 221 years.

nbcnews.app.link/qz9PnHGdwGb

12/21/2023

Wouldn't it be amazing if all buildings in the cities looked Ike this 💕

12/20/2023

I know it's December, though looking forward to warmer temps can't hurt, right?

12/18/2023

Have you ever considered winter sowing your seeds for Spring?

It's MUCH easier than you might think!

https://extension.psu.edu/starting-seeds-in-winter?fbclid=IwAR3tHmpv3P9m9S8znyuwCtx2oDPjuk13mwsTLPwJq2tXn2qu3NPWICKiSlQ

11/11/2023

It’s cold out there. Please be kind to opossums. Many of them find a cozy place to combat the cold. (so many we see are missing parts of tails, ears, toes, due to previous frost bite) and your garage or porch may be the only place they have, they won’t hurt anything, and shooing them out may be certain death due to lack of shelter.

They are Northern America’s ONLY marsupial, and these precious souls eat fleas , ticks and other pests.

Please, this holiday season, be kind, and be the change you wish to see in the world

11/04/2023

I'm sure many of you have already cleaned up, though this is a great reminder.

10/26/2023

No poisons on this property!
We do things the natural way and this is a GREAT idea for any building.

10/03/2023

I couldn't agree more!

10/02/2023