FAQs - Agriculture and Natural Resources, Whitley County

If you have a question that you feel may be a common question relating to agriculture, natural resources, pest control, home lawn and garden, or other similar field, start here. Questions are organized alphabetically by key subject (in bold). You may navigate to the question using key words at top. Follow the link provided to access Purdue Extension or other research-based information that addresses that question. Note that many of these links go directly to select Purdue Extension publications that require Adobe Acrobat Reader. To get this free plug-in, click on the link to the right.

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Ants | Bagworms | Bats | Bed Bugs | Bee Swarm | Black Walnut Toxicity | Cash Rent Contract | Cash Rent Rates | Classified Forest and Wildlands | Cockroaches | Composting | Crop Costs & Returns | Crop Share Lease | Crop Maturity and Harvest Issues | Crop Yield Tests | Custom Rates | Emerald Ash Borer | Farm Fence Law | "Fly-Free" Date for Wheat | "Fly Specks" on Home | Frost Dates | "Fungus" on Tree Trunks | Gardening - Vegetables | Groundhogs | Hay Crop - Seeding | Japanese Beetles | Ladybugs | Land Values | Lichens | Moles | Mosquitoes | Mulch | Mycotoxins | Pasture - Seeding | Pasture for Horses | Pasture Renovation | Pesticide meetings attended? | Pesticide Training Manuals | Pests, Multiple - FAQs | Pests of Field Crops |  Pests of Fruit Trees | Pests of Landscape Plants | Pests of Turf (lawns) | Pests of Vegetables | Pesticide Programs (where, when) | Private Applicator License |  Pond Weed Control | Poisonous Pasture Plants | Pruning | Soil Tests | Spiders | Termites | Timber Sale | Tomatoes | Topping Trees | Toxic Plants | Tree Planting | Vegetable Garden | Weed Control - Crops | Weed Control - Lawns | Wheat "Fly-Free" Date | Wildlife (Nuisance Wildlife Management) | Wildlife prevention/control - permit needed? | Windbreaks

Note that links in the last part of this page will scroll down only so far and will not appear as the question at the very top of your screen. Find the bold key word that matches your question.

1. How do I control ants in and around my home?  Answer    
2. How do I control bagworms?  Answer    
3. I have bats in the house. What do I do?  Answer 
4. How do I avoid/control bed bugs?  Answer 
5. I have a bee swarm I need removed. Who does that in this area? Answer
6. I can't grow some plants under or near a black walnut. Which plants seem susceptible to black walnut toxicity?  Answer
7. Do you have examples of a cash farm lease I can use as a guide to make my own?  Answer
8. What are average cash rent rates and land values for my geographical area?  2021 Purdue Survey (PAER)    USDA Ave Land Values     USDA Ave Cash Rents (see bottom table on page)
9. How do I enroll land into the Indiana Classified Forest and Wildlands program for savings on property taxes?  Answer  Indiana District Foresters can help  
10. How do I control cockroaches?  Answer    
11. How do you make a compost pile?  Answer
12. For budgeting purposes, what are average crop costs and estimated returns?  Answer  
13. Where can I find a one-stop-shop of reliable information relating to crop maturity and harvest issues, including corn ear rots and mycotoxins?  Answer 
14. Where can I find a description and example of a crop share lease?  Answer
15. Where do I find Purdue's crop variety tests?  Answer 
16. What are the average custom rates for field operations?  Answer
17. How do I identify emerald ash borer, know where it is, and know what to do about it?  Answer   
18. What does the Indiana farm fence law say?  Answer 
19. What is the fly-free date for planting wheat in my area?  Answer  
20. I have what looks like fly specks on the side of my home. What are they?  Answer      
21. Frost dates: when is the probable average last spring frost and first fall frost in Indiana?  Answer   
22. I have some kind of fungus growing on the trunks and limbs of my trees that look "scaly" or like little doilies. What are they?  Answer    
23. How can I control groundhogs (woodchucks)?  Answer    
24. I want to seed a new hay crop. How do I select the types of forages I need and when should they be seeded?  Answer  
25. How do I control Japanese beetles?  Answer    
26. I have ladybugs (lady beetles) entering my house and driving me crazy. What can I do?  Answer 
27. How do I control moles in my yard?  Answer    
28. How do I control mosquitoes in and around my home?  Answer    
29. I have something growing in my mulch that looks gross - like dog vomit. What is it?  Answer   
30. I want to seed a new pasture. How do I select the types of forages I need and when should they be seeded?  Answer    
31. How do I go about providing the best pasture for horses?  Answer    
32. How do I accomplish pasture renovation effectively?  Answer    
33. I am a licensed private applicator. How many of the three required pesticide meetings (Private Applicator Recertification Programs, or PARPs) have I attended? Answer
34. Where can I buy pesticide training manuals? Answer
35. Where can I find answers on pests of many kinds (animal, crop landscape, weeds, misc. pests)? Answer
36. How do I identify and control pests of field crops (corn, soybean, small grains, forages)?  Answer    
37. How do I manage pests of fruit trees?  Answer
38. How do I identify and control pests of landscape plants?  Answer (University of Minnesota)
39. How do I manage pests of turf (lawns)?  Answer
40. How do I manage pests of vegetables?  Answer
41. Where are Private Applicator Recertification Programs (PARPs) happening, and when?  Answer
42. How do I get a Private Applicator's Permit (license) to spray restricted use pesticides or apply manure from a CFO (private Category 14 permit) to my own land?  Answer 
43. How do I control pond weeds?  Answer 
44. How do I properly prune my trees and shrubs?  Answer  
45. Where can I get a soil test done?  Answer 
46. How do I control unwanted spiders, and what do the really bad spiders (black widow, brown recluse) look like?  Answer 
47. What are acceptable ways to control termites?  Answer 
48. How do I conduct a timber sale?  Answer   
49. I want to grow tomatoes. What are the basics of growing good tomatoes?  Answer 
50. What's wrong with topping trees?  Answer   
51. Is there information on toxic (poisonous) plants in Indiana?  Answer - livestock and other animals (Cornell University) Answer - in forage crops (Purdue Extension)
52. How do I do tree planting properly?  Answer   
53. How do I plant and care for a vegetable garden?  Answer   
54. Where do I find information on weed control in field crops?  Answer (Resource involves purchase)
55. How do I control weeds in my home lawn?  Answer 
56. Where do I find information on nuisance wildlife?  Answer   
57. If I want to prevent wildlife damage or use lethal controls - do I need a permit?  Answer 
58. What trees are good for windbreaks?  Answer

Updated 7/27/21