News

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The peanut brittle at John and Peggy Guyton’s house looks like it might be made from a special family recipe, but they are not keeping their unique ingredient a secret: insects.

In fact, the Guytons used black soldier fly larvae to provide additional protein to peanut brittle whipped up in the microwave in a matter of minutes. Peggy also bakes banana nut bread with crickets and has several recipes featuring mealworms.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Sightings of sugarcane aphids on sorghum crops, commonly known as milo, have increased rapidly from one Mississippi county in 2013 to the entire northern and central portions of the state this year.

Seed treatment and increased crop monitoring will be crucial in preventing the pests from causing major damage to future grain sorghum crops in Mississippi, said Angus Catchot, a row-crops entomologist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

Brrr…it’s cold out there…we need some cover!

Winter arrived early this year in Mississippi. Not only did humans notice, but so did the birds. Providing winter habitat in your backyard for birds is quite simple, as long as you have the essentials: cover, food and water.

I don’t keep it a secret that I think pansies are the perfect plants for cool-season annual beds. They are really easy plants to grow, and they provide great color during cold winters.

The Matrix pansy is always a great choice because of the way it displays flowers high above its foliage. But lately I’ve been admiring the unique trailing growth habit of Cool Wave pansies.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Before 1965, coyotes did not live in southern states east of the Mississippi River.

However, over the last 40 years, the coyote population has expanded rapidly for several reasons, including loss of larger carnivores such as red wolves and cougar, the introduction of coyotes to the area by humans, reduced trapping in the West and widespread timber harvesting.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Students in Mississippi State University’s Horticulture Club will host their annual Christmas Plant Sale on Dec. 5.

This fundraiser, which will take place from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., supports club activities throughout the year. Students will be assisting shoppers in the campus greenhouses on Stone Boulevard behind Dorman Hall.

Poinsettias, Christmas cacti, succulents, living wreaths, mistletoe balls and ready-made table pieces will be available.

For more information, contact the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences at 662-325-2311.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Compounding the chaos of the holidays with the recent loss of a loved one can make the entire season downright overwhelming.

Experts from Mississippi State University recommend that those coping with the loss of a loved one slow down amid the hustle and bustle of the season.

Although it seems like Christmas decorations have been in the stores since Labor Day, what really tells me it’s beginning to look like Christmas is when the poinsettias hit the garden centers.

Poinsettias may be the perfect plant for the Christmas season. In their native Mexico, the poinsettia’s bright red flowers of are known as Flores de la Noche Buena, or Flowers of the Holy Night, as they bloom each year during the Christmas season.

RAYMOND -- E.G. “Gene” Morrison spent more than 40 years with Mississippi State University, where he devoted his career to research projects aimed at improving livestock production methods.

On Nov. 20, 2014, former colleagues, friends and family celebrated with him as the MSU Brown Loam Branch Experiment Station was named in his honor. Morrison, a native of Utica, served at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station facility as superintendent for 33 years, beginning in 1956.

While dressing a deer this fall, there are some common parasites you may encounter. None of these parasites actually affects the quality of the deer meat, but it is important to recognize what they are.

Louse flies…

Have you ever noticed little wingless critters crawling around on a deer’s belly? Those are louse flies -- also called deer keds. The adult flies shed their wings and become flightless. While at first glance louse flies resemble small ticks, they only have six legs.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Farmers can’t choose the weather or the prices they get for their crops, but they can choose the best seed for their growing conditions, thanks to research by Mississippi State University.

MSU conducts extensive official variety trials each growing season to document the performance of seed varieties under different growing conditions. MSU offers variety trial information on corn, cotton, grain sorghum, peanuts, rice, soybeans, wheat, oats and forage.

Valuable effort …

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- The Early Years Network at Mississippi State University is celebrating Regina Hinton, owner of Little Pebbles Child Care in Hattiesburg, as the network’s first provider to earn an important professional credential.

Hinton is the first in-home provider enrolled in the Early Years Network scholarship program to complete the In-Home Child Development Associate credential.

STONEVILLE -- Row crop producers, landowners and others interested in the latest research findings and technologies related to water management can attend a one-day event in Stoneville.

State and regional experts will gather Dec. 10 in the Capps Center, located at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center, for the Irrigation and Water Conservation Summit.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Young children can receive free developmental screenings at a one-day event in Petal on Dec. 2.

The Early Years Network’s Special Needs program is hosting a Developmental Screening Day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Petal School District Center for Families and Children located at 201 West Central Avenue.

A team of early childhood specialists will check children 6 months to 5 years for age-specific physical and educational milestones.

To register, call Leslie LaVergne at 601-266-6225.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Deer hunters can take wildlife biologists’ expertise with them to the woods this season by downloading free apps from Mississippi State University.

Three smartphone apps were developed by experts with the MSU Deer Lab, a collaborative effort of the MSU Extension Service and MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- Holiday lights brighten the inside and outside of homes during this season, but these decorations should be treated with caution.

Mississippi State University experts have some safety tips every homeowner should know before hanging decorative lights this year. Homeowners should make sure lights intended for indoor use have been approved by a certified laboratory. Outdoor lights should be labeled for outdoor use only.

PASCAGOULA -- Finicky eaters and hectic schedules make it hard for some parents to ensure their children have a well-balanced diet.

Children and parents who attended the healthy cooking fair at Pascagoula School District’s Super Saturday event sampled nutritious entrees and snacks and got recipes to try at home.

The Nov. 15 event was one of six Saturdays per year that the district partners with other organizations, businesses and industries to open its Aaron Jones Family Interactive Center to the public for a variety of learning opportunities.

MISSISSIPPI STATE -- In the midst of a historical football season at Mississippi State University, the spotlight shines brightly on the Bulldogs, many of whom serve as role models both on and off the field.

Senior football players Robert Johnson and Matt Wells connect with local youth while completing their internships in the MSU School of Human Sciences.