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Orono Weekly Times, We(inesday, April 22, 1998 - Il Great day for a hîke Leat diseases cost the - Ontario wheat producers Plenty of hikers turned up for the guided tour of the Samuel Wilmot Nature Area on Saturday. Prior to the hikes on Saturday, David Crome, of the Municipal, Planning Department, explained how the 200 acres of land for the nature area had recently been acquired by the town. It is the plan of the Municipality and a group of interested individuals to pre- serve this important part of the Wilmot Creek, at its mouth, in, its natural state.' Plans for the nature area will be unveiled at a public meeting in May. Mr. Crome explained that.the plans wîll be implemented as soon as money Living with wild neicihbours The onset of warmer weather and budding flowers signais the birth of new ani- mai life.- Many people are thrilied at the sight of littie raccoor*'.scampering after their mother on nightiy walks. Or watchlng young birds testing their wlngs for the first Urne. Young squir- reis piaylng a game of tag can provide humourous enter- tainment. There is no question that animais enrich our iives. Whether in the wild or an urban environment, animais are an important part of the ecosysteinVand the worid we share. They provide a iink to the natural worid that offsets the fast-paced, concrete soci- ety where many people live. Unfortunateiy, some peo- pie cringe at the sight of wiidiife, vlewing them as pests that rummage through their garbage, ciimb onto their roofs and dig in their gardens. But what these peo- pie don't realize is that they are providing theopportunii-, dies these animais are seek- ing. The behavlours of wild ani- mais are driven aimost exclu- siveiy by a need for food and shelter. People should keep this in mnd when dealing with wiidlife conflicts. Access to garbage paiis, the garage, the roof, the chirmey and the vegetabie patch should be prevented if probiems are to be avoided. Removlng the intruding animal by trapping or kiiling it will not soive the probiem: it wiil only leave a vacant territory for another animai to move into. Also, reiocated animais seidom survive when moved to a new location. But what if squirrels, rac- coons or skunks are already camped out in your attic, your garage or under the deck? The solution to this probiem depends on the time of year. First of ail, don't pantic. Second, determine whether or not the animais are causing damage, what species they are and where they are getting in. The ideal time to evict wiid animais that have set up res-, idence in your home is in the fall when they stili have the opportunity to find altemnate accommodation. In areas where winter brings snow and ice, it can be difficuit or impossible for animais to sur- vive without a den for even a few days. During the spring months from March to June when young are bomn it is inhumane to remove animais from their home. It wiii oniy be a few weeks before the babies are oid enough to venture outside and then you can begin to take action. Repairs should be done only when you are certain that al the animais have ieft the den site. For noctumnal animnais iike rac- coons this wiii be after dusk, whereas for s quirrels it willI be in the> war-mth of the moring. Mter closing up the hoies, the attic or den should be monitored for a few days for sounds of an animal trapped inside. Wheni conducting repairs, it is important to locate al the access holes. Stiff %vire is available, noting that money for natural parks was not a high priority in terms'of municipal services. Guy Morey, led the two groups of hikers on Saturday. The moming group, somewhat smaller than the afternoon's were rewarded with sightings of an owl,, a snake, and a red belly woodpecker. mesh attached with long sta- pies or nails works weil as long as it is very secure with no gaps along *the edges. Remember, this has been their home for some Urne so that animais will be very per- sistent in their efforts to regain entiy. One area that is often neglected is the chim- ney. It should be covered with screening to prevent birds or animais from falling or climb- Ing down. Passive deterrents can be used to provide incentive for the animais to move out. Most animais prefer quiet, dark places to raise their young, so battery-operated lights and radios can be effec- tive. Placing smeily ciothes or dog hair around the nest can also help. The Canadian Federation of Humane Societies encour- ages the public to be patient and respectfui of wiidlife in their backyards. Most situa- tions can be resolved pas- sively with minimal disrup- tion to humans or animais. For more information on resoiving wiidllfe confllcts, fact sheets on raccoons, squirreis, skunks, mice and rats are available free of charge from the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies. Write to: 102 - 30 Concourse Gate, Nepean, ON, K2E 7V7. Fax1613-723-0252, or phone 1-888-678-2347. 9g . n ,a A k 1 Ontario wheat producers are losing an estimated $22.1 million in yield each year to leaf diseases, according to Dr. Arend Smid, disease special- ist at Ridgetown College, Univers ity of Guelph. Dr. Smid, Ontario's mem- ber on the Cereal Leaf Disease Directorate (LeaDD), estimated an average yield loss of 15% based on a five year annual average of 650,000 acres of winter wheat. Smid said his conserv- ative estimate did not account for economic losses from negatively affected quality. "Whien combined with its detrimental effect on kernel grade (shrinkage and dis- colouration), it is becoming increasingly apparent that proper management of cereal leaf diseases is crucial to maximizing wheat yields and grade," Dr. Smid noted. Losses can be reduced sig- nificantly when farmers adopt the Best Management Practi ces guidelines, which LeaDD published last year and stili recommends. Using certified seed, managing rota- tions, selecting seed varieties less susceptible to disease, scouting the crop canopy for evidence of disease, and spraying a foliar fungicide when warranted, are simple but important actions that minimize risk. Dr. Smid advised that the key to managing leaf diseases in cereals is to carefully mon- itor crops for risk factors such as weather, infected seed, and cropping rotation. He added that high humidity, often overlooked in the past, is an important risk factor. Dr. Smid agreed with other LeaDD members that it does flot have to rain for diseases to thrive. High humidity dur- ing the early stages of the crop, which is beneficial for crop development, also gives leaf diseases a boost. Because conditionls chanige from year to year and field to field,' disease experts caution growers that it is difficuit to, predict where high or moder- ately high levels of disease may occur. Research has indicated that more than 50% of grain filling is contributed by upper leaves, particularly the flag leaf, and it is critical that the plant be kept healthy during and following flag leaf emer- gence. Proper crop maniage- (continued page 12> Just Moved? Bride ~¶ TO Be? N ew Baby? For free information and gifts... Cail Sharla- today! 983-8230 À iELCOMEIW -WAGON RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE RATES Owner Occupied 6 mo. 6.00% 1 year 6.10% 2 years 6.25% 3 years 6.30% 4 years 6.40% 5 years, 6.50% RATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE Calil us for other deposit rates and services including FREE PERSONAL CHEQUING. Rates subjeot to change without notice. 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