SCORES & OUTDOORS: Let’s talk weather predictions; how do they come up with it?

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Let’s stray off the beaten path this week and talk about the weather. Everybody does. Especially forecasts in particular, and those people who tell us what to expect, and are very often wrong. Or are they?

A group of us were recently talking about weather forecasts and what they mean. If you asked three people what a 50 percent chance of rain means you’ll potentially get three different answers. The chance for rain (or snow) is probably the most misunderstood part of the weather forecast. In meteorology they refer to the chance for rain or snow as POPS, or probability of precipitation.

A rain chance – also known as a PoP (probability of precipitation) – is often expressed as the coverage of showers and storms in a given day and describes the chance of precipitation occurring at any point in a selected area.

The National Weather Service defines PoP in the following way: PoP = C x A where “C” = the confidence that precipitation will occur somewhere in the forecast area, and where “A” = the percent of the area that will receive measurable precipitation, if it occurs at all. So… if the forecaster knows precipitation is sure to occur ( confidence is 100 percent), he/she is expressing how much of the area will receive measurable rain. ( PoP = “C” x “A” or “1” times “.4” which equals .4 or 40 percent.). Another way to explain this, is that if there is a 50 percent chance of rain in 80 percent of a given area, there is a 40 percent PoP.

This means that PoP is an expression of both confidence and area. If a forecaster is only 50 percent certain that rain will occur over 90 percent of the area, then the PoP is 45 percent (because POP in this instance would equal 0.5 x 0.8).

Let’s say tonight’s forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of rain. It does not mean, 1. that 50 percent of the area will get wet; or 2. that it will rain 50 percent of the time.

According to meteorologists, a 50 percent chance of rain means there is a 50 percent chance for any one spot in the forecast area to get wet during the forecast period. So what’s the forecast area and forecast period?

A UGA study surveyed 188 meteorologists and broadcasters and found that respondents expressed a range of different definitions of PoP, and that each person was highly confident in their definition. The expression given above (PoP = Precip X Area) is one of the most common, while another common interpretation of PoP focuses on a specific point instead (PoP = Precip X Point).

Nearly half of those involved in the survey also felt there was little consistency in the definition of PoP, and the study concluded that it was evident that we need to work together as a community to establish clear and consistent messaging involving the communication of uncertain information. However, to be clear, none of the interpretations of PoP reference the intensity, amount, or duration of precipitation. You can still see flooding with a 30 percent PoP, and there could also be a day with 100 percent PoP that results in little accumulation (such as a day when meteorologists are anticipating a few hours of drizzle everywhere). Planning a beach day and see an 60 percent chance of rain? Dive deeper – don’t let it ruin your fun at first glance! It could mean that there is a high likelihood of a 30-40 minute storm, versus an all-day event. This is why context is critical when consuming any kind of information – especially a weather forecast.

Fortunately, even if everyone isn’t on the same page of what PoP means, they’ve likely adapted their own internal definition of it. If you see an 80 percent chance of rain, you’ll likely remember to grab a rain jacket or umbrella on the way out the door, regardless if you think the 80 percent is referring to how much rain your area will receive or how long it will last. A quick glance at the forecast for PoP is generally all people need to know if they need to grab their rain gear, but if you have plans outdoors, be sure to take a closer look at the forecast.

At no time does a percentage given in a forecast tell you how long it will rain, how much rain is expected, what time the rain will arrive or what the potential impacts are to you.

Confused yet?

There is a lot of confusion around what rain chances actually mean; simply put, the percentage given in a forecast is the coverage of people in the coverage area they think will see wet weather.

Unfortunately, POPS is a very subjective topic. Let’s say your county is the forecast zone and it has a 50 percent chance for rain today. If it rains in just one spot sometime during the afternoon then the forecast is verified, regardless of where the rain fell within the county.

The above scenario happens a lot. It might rain in a rural or unpopulated part of the county, missing the bulk of the population. Because the main population center missed out, most will think “they were wrong again,” referring to the local meteorologists, despite the forecast really verifying, because it did indeed rain within the forecast area during the forecast period.

My mother had two methods to predict rain. One, she would look at the silver maple tree outside, when the green leaves turned over to display the silver on the back side; two, or – we lived on the west side of the Kennebec River, in Waterville, and Hollingworth & Whitney (Scott Paper Co.) was on the east side, in Winslow. Whenever we got a strong scent of sulfur from the mill, and the wind was coming out of the east, on both occasions, she would predict rain – and was right 100 percent of the time.

OK, Mr. weatherman, with your Doppler radar and computer models, when will you be able to tell us which part of a given area will receive 100 percent of the rain?

So, here’s my solution. I have a rock in my backyard that I look at every day. If it is wet, it’s raining; if it is white, it’s snowing; if it’s dry, then it’s a nice day. Best of all, that rock is never wrong.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

What Hall of Fame defenseman, who played 21 seasons for the Bruins, logged the most career games in franchise history?

Answer
Ray Bourque, 1,518 games from 1979 to 2000.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Where have all the insects gone?

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

While sitting around a campfire a couple of evenings ago, someone asked the question: Where have all the bugs gone?

We began to discuss how few black flies, mosquitoes, June bugs, etc., we have seen so far this spring and summer.

Bugs are an interesting subject.

If a dollar value was put on the services insects provide, this would equal roughly $70 billion in the U.S. alone.

With an estimated 5.5 million species, insects are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. More than one million have been named by scientists — and many more have yet to be discovered. In fact, insects account for 80 percent of animal life on Earth.

But, both the number and diversity of insects are declining around the globe due to habitat loss, pollution and climate change. Without widespread action, many of these important creatures face extinction within the next few decades.

For instance, worldwide declines in insect populations have sparked considerable concern. To date, however, significant research gaps exist, and many insect threats remain under-investigated and poorly understood. Example, despite their charismatic bioluminescent displays and cultural and economic importance, the 2,000-plus species of firefly beetles have yet to be the subject of a comprehensive threat analysis.

Writing in BioScience, Sara M. Lewis, of Tufts University, and her colleagues aim to fill the gap with a broad overview of the threats facing these diverse and charismatic species – as well as potential solutions that may lead to their preservation into the future. Lewis and colleagues catalog numerous threats, foremost among them habitat loss, followed closely by artificial light and pesticide use. The future is not bleak, however, and the authors describe considerable opportunities to improve the prospects of bioluminescent insects, including through the preservation of habitat, reduction of light pollution, lowered insecticide use, and more-sustainable tourism.

By making a few small changes in your life, you can help curb this worldwide problem. Insects are crucial to life on Earth and what you can do to help save these amazing creatures.

The question that is always raised is why should I protect insects?

While many insects can seem like pests, they provide a wide range of services to other plants and animals in our environment. In fact, a diverse range of insect species is critical to the survival of most life on Earth, including bats, birds, freshwater fishes and even humans! Along with plants, insects are at the foundation of the food web, and most of the plants and animals we eat rely on insects for pollination or food. For example, 96 percent of songbirds feed insects to their young.

According to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, roughly 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on pollinators to reproduce. That means you can thank a pollinator for about one of every three bites of food you eat. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 100,000 different animal species play roles in pollinating the 250,000 kinds of flowering plants on Earth, with insects like bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, flies and beetles being the most common. Additionally, some insects are natural predators to pests that may harm food crops.

Some insects are known as decomposers, meaning they break down dead materials like fallen leaves and animal carcasses and turn them into simpler materials, making nutrients available to primary producers like plants and algae. In other words, decomposers are nature’s own recycling system.

Only a very small fraction of insects in the world are considered by humans to be pests, meaning they cause harm to people, plants, animals and buildings. While insect pest control costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars annually, this number would be much higher if it weren’t for the countless beneficial insects that serve as natural predators to pest species, like fire ants and mosquitoes. Additionally, some parasitic insects like small wasps lay their eggs inside pest species, driving their population down. To adequately control pests, we need beneficial insects.

Insects are the primary menu item for many reptiles, birds and amphibians. If insect populations continue to decline, some food webs might collapse entirely.

We also depend on insects for silk, dyes, honey and medical and genetic research. But, aside from the services insects provide, they are simply fascinating animals that spark curiosity in humans, especially children. These incredible creatures exhibit many extraordinary behaviors that are unthinkable in other forms of life and have inspired technology that we use today, like drones! Take some time to really observe the insects in your backyard, what behaviors do you see that captivate you?

Since many insects have yet to even be discovered, there may be benefits we don’t even know about yet!

So, the next time you think about swatting, spraying or crushing, maybe, just maybe, that creature can serve more benefits to you alive than dead.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

A large brown bear named Blades is the mascot of what Boston professional sports team?

Answer
The Boston Bruins.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Slugs, they’re everywhere! And now, how to control them

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The common slug

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Slugs! They can truly do a lot of damage to your plants, like they did to mine this past spring. They like damp places, feed at night and prefer tender new growth and seedlings.

Last week we learned about slugs, this week we will talk about how to control them.

Here are a few general tips on how to deal with slugs:

  • Seedling protection: Protect your seedlings with 2-3 liter plastic soda bottles. Make sure no slugs are around the seedlings first. Cut the bottoms out of the bottles, sink them into the soil around the seedlings and remove the caps. You can reuse them over and over.
  • Mulch: Keep mulch pulled away from the base of your plants. Consider waiting to apply mulch until the soil temperatures have warmed to above 75°F.
  • Garden debris: Keep all decaying matter cleaned out of your garden beds. Clear all dead leaves and debris from the garden on a regular basis and put it in the compost pile which is best located in an area away from the garden.
  • Slug havens: The shaded areas beneath decks can be a slug arena. Keep them weed and litter free.

You can also build barriers around your garden:

  • Use cedar, oak bark chips or gravel chips which will irritate and dehydrate them.
  • Try a barrier line or an overall sprinkle of powdered ginger.
  • Use wood ashes as a barrier around plants, however try not to let the plant come into contact with the ashes. The ashes act as a desiccant and dry up the slugs.
  • Spread well crushed eggshells around the plants. The calcium released from the eggshells is an extra benefit that “sweetens” the soil. The sharp edges of the shells will kill slugs.
  • Talcum powder works as a barrier but must be replenished after rainfall or watering.

Finally, there is always the slug trap method:

  • Beer or yeast traps: A traditional trap that seems to work well is to place containers of beer or yeast and water at one inch above the ground level in the garden to entice and drown your prey. Empty traps as needed. For the yeast trap, use one package of yeast to 8 ounces of water.
  • Grape juice: A new rendition on the beer trap is to use grape juice. For some reason slugs really have a taste for this. Use just as you would in the beer method and buy the cheapest grape juice you can find.
  • Beer batter bait: Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with enough beer to make a thick batter. Put 1 teaspoon of this in a small paper cup and lay the cups on their sides around your plants. Slugs will flock to this, get snared in the flour and die. When the trap is full toss the whole thing in the compost pile.
  • Comfrey: This perennial is a preference of slugs and can be used as a trap. Comfrey is considered to be an invasive plant, however, it has so many uses for the garden and medicinally that it is worth having around. Comfrey has more protein in its leaves than any other vegetable, perhaps explaining its appeal to slugs.

I have comfrey around my garden at home and have had very little problems with slugs. So, I might just transplant some to the garden at camp.

Taking into consideration everything we have learned about slugs in the last two weeks, the more I think about it, slugs remind me of college students: They suck up available resources, give very little in return, and they like to drink beer. They even prefer the same beers (a study conducted by students at Colorado State University concluded the slug’s favorite beers are Budweiser products).

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

How many New York Yankees players have recorded 3,000 career hits with the team?

Answer
One. Derek Jeter, 3,465.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Shortnosed sturgeons lurk in the Kennebec River

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Shortnosed sturgeon

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

If you’ve ever fished the Kennebec River, you will know that many species of fish inhabit its waters. From striped bass, large and smallmouth bass, and blue fish, to Atlantic salmon, and bait fish such as alewives and American shad. But did you know that there is another denizen of the deep lurking in those waters? It is the shortnosed sturgeon. And they are endangered.

The term sturgeon includes over 20 species commonly referred to as sturgeon and several closely related species that have distinct common names.

One of the oldest families of bony fish in existence, sturgeon are native to subtropical, temperate and sub-Arctic rivers, lakes and coastlines of Eurasia and North America. Sturgeons ranging from 7 to 12 feet in length are common, and some species grow up to 18 feet. Most sturgeons are anadromous bottom-feeders, spawning upstream and feeding in river deltas and estuaries. While some are entirely freshwater, very few venture into the open ocean beyond near coastal areas.

Several species of sturgeons are harvested for their roe, which is made into caviar, a luxury good which makes some sturgeons pound for pound the most valuable of all harvested fish. Because they are slow-growing and mature very late in life, they are particularly vulnerable to exploitation and to other threats, including pollution and habitat fragmentation. Most species of sturgeons are currently listed as endangered, or critically endangered.

Sturgeons and related paddlefish appeared in the fossil record approximately 200 million years ago, making them among the most ancient of fishes. In that time, they have undergone remarkably little change, indicating that their evolution has been exceptionally slow and earning them informal status as living fossils. This is explained in part by the long inter-generation time, tolerance for wide ranges of temperature and salinity, lack of predators due to size, and the abundance of prey items in the benthic (on the bottom) environment.

They are primarily bottom feeders. With their projecting wedge-shaped snout they stir up the soft bottom, and use the barbels to detect shells, crustaceans and small fish, on which they feed. Having no teeth, they are unable to seize prey, though larger specimens can swallow very large prey items, including whole salmon.

I remember one time when I was salt smelting with a friend in Dresden on the Kennebec River. The night was cold and many of the smelt shacks had their doors closed. But the silence was broken when someone in another shack came running out the door, yelling “shark!” He had hooked into a sturgeon, and upon seeing the snout and vertical tail, thought he had landed a shark. We had a good laugh about that one, and continue to talk about it to this day.

In June 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the go ahead for a project on the Penobscot River to restore 11 species of migratory fish to the watershed. One of those specimens was the shortnosed sturgeon. The plan was to purchase and decommission three dams on the river – removing two of them and building a bypass around the third. Shortnose and Atlantic sturgeon are among the oldest creatures living in the Penobscot River.

If you ever want to get a look at sturgeons, a good place to start is at the public boat landing off Water Street in Waterville. Sometimes, when trolling under the Carter Memorial Bridge for bass or striped bass, you might see a sturgeon, between the Taconnet Dam and the rapids to the south. Some rather large sturgeons have been sighted in that area. Remember, though, they are endangered, and it is unlawful to take, catch, possess, or destroy any shortnose or Atlantic sturgeon from the waters of Maine.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

The Boston Red Sox have won nine World Series, tied with the A’s. Only two other teams have more. Who are they?

Answer
New York Yankees (27), St. Louis Cardinals (10); Philadelphia/Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (9).

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Two other types of illnesses connected with ticks

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Deer tick before and after engorging.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

This week, I will share with you a press release I received from Nancy Bostrom, of American Family Care. In the early days of summer 2023, local healthcare providers are sounding an alarm about a triple tick threat that includes a rare illness that just killed a man!

While Lyme disease – considered one of the most common tick-borne diseases is usually the biggest concern this time of year – local healthcare providers at American Family Care (AFC) are spreading the word about two other types of illnesses associated with the blood-sucking insects.

They’ve even launched an educational campaign called Tick Talk so local families know what to look out for while outdoors this summer and how to protect themselves.

Powassan Virus

Powassan virus is a non-treatable illness transmitted by the same black legged (or deer ticks) that carry Lyme Disease. Just a few weeks ago, health officials in Maine confirmed a man was pronounced dead from the disease.

So far this year, two cases of Powassan Virus have been reported. The CDC has tracked nearly 300 cases, including 264 hospitalizations since 2014, but experts fear many cases are unreported.

Symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, weakness, confusion, seizures or even memory loss. Ten percent of those who contract Powassan will die.  Approximately one half will have long term health problems like recurring headaches, loss of muscle strength, and memory problems.

Big difference from Lyme – It takes Lyme Disease many hours (at least 24) to be transmitted from tick to person. It is suspected that Powassan Virus is transmitted from the tick to person in just 15 minutes.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is another tickborne illness on the rise. Unlike the Powassan virus, babesiosis is treatable if caught early. This illness can also be transmitted by a tick that is also carrying Lyme.

Federal health officials say cases of tickborne illness have skyrocketed over an 8-year period.

Symptoms can include fever, chills, lethargy, joint pain, body aches, loss of appetite, nausea or fatigue – things that can appear to overlap with Lyme disease, but there is no distinctive bullseye rash.

If left untreated, it can lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), severe anemia, congestive heart failure, renal failure, disseminated intra­vascular coagulation (DIC), shock and coma.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is the most known of the tickborne illnesses. It is transmitted through the bite of an infected deer tick. Cases of Lyme disease have more than tripled since 1993 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Lyme disease causes a rash that looks like a bullseye. It also causes flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches.

Lyme disease may evolve through phases, which can overlap and cause ever worsening symptoms that may involve the skin, joints, heart, or nervous system.

Antibiotics are effective treatments for Lyme disease when detected early.

Protect Yourself

Remember, ticks can typically be found in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, or on animals. They typically wait on the tips of branches, leaves, or tall grasses for prey to walk by.

A tick’s saliva has anesthetic properties, so you may not even realize you’ve been bitten.

When spending time outdoors, be aware of your surroundings and the possibility of ticks in the area. Wear insect repellent with DEET. If you must be in a grassy or wooded area, wear long sleeves and long pants. Tucking your pants into your socks for extra protection. Shower immediately after being outside. Ask someone check your body for ticks. If you find a tick on your body, time is of the essence!   Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it by the head as close to the skin as possible. Gently pull the tick upward, making sure not to twist or squeeze it. Wash and disinfect the area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

Save the tick!

Take a photo of the tick and submit to a tick identification website which can inform you of the potential pathogens it could be carrying and whether you might want to have the tick tested as a further assessment of disease risk.

Protection is the key, however, if you do come in contact with a tick, don’t wait. If you’re not sure, seek professional medical help.

Roland trivia question of the week:

Name the only two players to win a World Series with both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

Answer
Babe Ruth and Johnny Damon.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Expert warns Mainers to be vigilant of disease-spreading insect when traveling

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Asian tiger mosquito

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

OK, get ready for another invasion from Asia. This time, it’s a mosquito. Plain and simple, it’s called the Asian tiger mosquito. The mosquito can transmit a number of diseases, including the dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus.

Mainers are encouraged to use repellent if they travel interstate.

Zachary Smith, a licensed pest control professional from PestDude.com, has warned Mainers to be highly vigilant as the Asian tiger mosquito, a small, dark mosquito with distinctive white stripes on its legs and body, spreads across the country at an alarming pace.

One of the key characteristics that makes the Asian tiger mosquito a concern is its ability to serve as a disease vector and transmit a number of diseases, including dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika virus. While these diseases are not yet widespread in the US, the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito has raised concerns they could become more common in the future. According to Smith, two factors are accelerating the insect’s spread: climate change and human transportation. While little can be done in the short-term about changing weather patterns, there are actions Americans can take to stem its spread:

One of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of the Asian tiger mosquito is to eliminate standing water around homes and businesses. The mosquito lays its eggs in standing water, so removing sources of standing water, such as flower pots, buckets, and old tires, can significantly reduce the mosquito population. Smith also points out that these types of mosquitoes only need a bottle cap full of water to lay their eggs, and these eggs can sometimes survive being dried out. He adds: “Asian tiger mosquitos are quite lazy travelers. So if you’re getting bit, it most likely means you are close to the water source. So look carefully in your vicinity for those hidden spots that are holding water. It can be less obvious than you think – a soda can, an old glass bottle, garbage can lids, a tarp piled on the ground, all those things can hold enough water”.

Another effective strategy is to use mosquito repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. The mosquito is known to hitchhike on goods and materials that are transported across borders, allowing it to rapidly expand its range. Therefore, people who are traveling interstate, particularly from east to west, are encouraged to wear repellent before setting off on their journey.

Also, it is important to support community-wide efforts to control the mosquito population. This can include initiatives such as mosquito trapping and surveillance programs, public education campaigns, and mosquito control measures such as larviciding and adulticiding.

About the Asian tiger mosquito: It is a highly adaptable species that can survive in a wide range of environments, from urban to rural areas, and from temperate to tropical climates. Unlike many other mosquito species, the Asian tiger mosquito is active during the day, with peak biting activity occurring in the early morning and late afternoon. The mosquito is particularly prevalent in southeastern states, where it has become established in both urban and rural areas.

“We have noticed a huge surge in calls to deal with Asian tiger mosquitos. Pest industry conferences have recently highlighted the invasive species, and colleagues nationwide are reporting similar findings. Despite the detection of the first Asian tiger mosquito in Texas in 1985, its rapid spread has been limited until now. As a result, individuals, especially those traveling between states, are advised to use repellent, while those with yards are encouraged to eliminate standing water to help control the mosquito’s proliferation,” says PestDude.com’s Mr. Smith.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who is the winningest left handed pitcher in Boston Red Sox history?

Answer
Mel Parnell (123).

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Are we having an epidemic of grubs?

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Japanese beetle grub.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

Question of the week, it seems, is this: Are we having an epidemic of grubs?

I’ve been asked that question many times in the past week. It seems folks in our area are seeing an increase in grub activity in the lawns.

What are grubs and what makes them appear in your lawn?

Grubs are the larvae of Japanese beetles. These larvae are the white grubs that devour lawns. Their bodies are c-shaped with brown heads, visible legs and are approximately 1/8 to one inch in length. During their larval stage, they live beneath the surface. Fully grown Japanese beetles are about 1/3 to 1/2 inch in length with a metallic-green body and head copper-colored wing covers. White hair covers the sides and tips of their abdomens.

Japanese Beetle

Adult Japanese beetles get nice and cozy underground over winter. When spring comes, their larvae instinctually move closer to the surface of the soil so they can nourish themselves on the roots of turfgrass. Once they grow into adult beetles, they emerge in mid-summer and feed on the leaves of grass. Unfortunately, their activity causes the grass to create an odor that attracts more hungry beetles. This is why it’s so important to contact a lawn care service if you suspect you have grubs. It won’t take long before you have a full infestation. Catching them before the adults lay eggs, or these eggs hatch breaks up the cycle. Female Japanese beetles can lay as many as 60 eggs throughout their breeding season in late July and August. The eggs will hatch, and grubs dig deeper into the soil to wait for spring, where the cycle starts over again.

Grubs are a staple food in the diets of birds, possums, raccoons, and skunks. If you notice more of these species than usual, it could be a sign of grub activity. These animals will dig up the turfgrass to get to the grubs just beneath the surface.

As grubs chew on the roots of the grass, the blades above the surface will start to brown, wilt, and die off, creating undesirable dead or brown patches in your lawn. Keep in mind that grub damage often has multiple symptoms, so don’t assume you’ve got grubs if the only thing you notice is brown grass. Brown spots in a lawn could be a type of lawn disease. If, however, you see dead grass in conjunction with the other signs, it could be time to consider grub treatment.

As grubs munch their way through a lawn, it can create uneven terrain. They may also create spongy grass that feels like you’re walking on a yoga mat. Grub activity can also cause your grass to become so loose; it can be rolled back like a sod roll.

Grub populations are also normally controlled by various kinds of birds living in or near home landscapes where there is a diversity of plants and wildlife to support them. Yards that are not visited regularly by songbirds have more grubs and plants suffer greater damage than yards where various kinds of birds systematically inspect the soil for grubs and attack adult beetles before they can lay more eggs in the soil.

Also, grubs are more prevalent in yards where there has been frequent routine or preventative use of broad-spectrum insecticides. These products kill bad and good insects indiscriminately, so nature’s first line of defense–the beneficial insects–is eliminated along with the pest insects. Because pest populations rebound faster than those of their natural enemies, the beetles can reestablish themselves unmolested and begin to lay more eggs unchecked.

How To Get Rid Of Grubs

Like all insects, it’s impossible to eradicate the population. Having some grubs on your lawn does not mean the end of the world. However, ten or more per square foot is when you’ll start to notice the damage. There are several ways of implementing do-it-yourself pest control.

Keep your lawn well-nourished with nitrogen fertilizer, as well as phosphorous and potassium. These are the three key ingredients to a healthy lawn.

Keep the mower height between two and three inches. This promotes a healthy root system, which is less prone to grub infestation.

Treat dead or dying areas with an overseeding application to restore damaged areas, and discourage more beetles from attacking the already stressed grass.

Sometimes, the infestation is more than one person can handle. Don’t wait until greedy little grubs fully take over your lawn. Occasionally contacting a professional grub control service is the most efficient means of eradicating grubs.

Grubs not only can raise havoc on a lawn, they also be a nuisance once they mature into a full-scale Japanese beetle population you have to put up with during the summer months.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Who was the last Boston Red Sox player to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award?

Answer
Dustin Pedroia in 2007.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Unusual sighting turns out to be common

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

It’s simply amazing what you come across in the woods of Maine. While preparing to open camp for the season, my wife and I were helping friends do some raking and leaf pickup, when the wife showed me something that she had raked up. It looked kind of odd. OK, something else I had never seen in the 34 years my wife and I have been there.

Aylostera vulpina, a common house cactus, native to Bolivia and Argentina.

It was round, like an orb, a little smaller than a tennis ball. Brown in color, with black bristles all over the exterior. At one end was a hole with what appeared to be dried mud inside.

That evening, I perused through the myriad of books I own and found nothing that really resembled it. The closest I came was that of a milkweed stock, but still didn’t look the same. So, I turned to my contact at the Maine Depart­ment of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in Augusta. His initial thought was a gall, but he would confer with his botanist colleagues.

Basically, a gall is a kind of swelling growth on the external tissues of plants or animals. They are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues, similar to benign tumors or warts on animals. They are caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites. They are highly organized structures and because of this the cause of the gall can often be determined without the actual agent being identified. In human pathology, a gall is a raised sore on the skin, usually caused by chafing or rubbing.

In the end, what we had found was not a gall.

Several emails later, my contact replied following some consultations with the botanists, and were wondering if it might be a Chestnut gall. This would only be possible if we had a mature Chestnut tree on the premises. There are none that we are aware.

Then, another state botanist concluded there are no trees in Maine with galls that have multiple spines from the same attachment point and therefore he speculated that it was most likely a cactus house plant that was thrown away in the yard some time ago.

He concluded the orb was possibly that of the Aylostera vulpina plant, a cactus that is native to Bolivia and Argentina, but very popular as house potted plants. In the wilds of South America, they grow at altitudes of 3,400 – 3,900 feet. I was not able to find a common name for them.

The plant is easy to grow and recommended for beginners. They prefer a gritty, porous soil mix with a pH slightly on the acidic side. Full sun to light shade. The root system is rot prone so watering should be monitored closely. It’s recommended to let the pot dry out before adding water. It is winter hardy and will sustain temperatures below freezing. They require a winter rest period.

This species of cactus will occupy a small flower pot confortably and remain a manageable sized house plant. The flower is bright red with scarlet petal tips and white stigma.

They are subject to mealy-bug attacks and to fungus and rot brought on by overwatering and high humidity.

It appears that in cultivation they grow larger and cluster more vigorously than in the wild.

The site where the pod was found has had a high turnover rate in the past 6 – 10 years so could very conceivably have been a potted house plant. The area had not been raked in quite some time.

I guess, for the time anyway, we have solved another “mystery” at camp.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

In golf, finish the following phrase: “You drive for show, but putt for…”

Answer
dough.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: Goal of attracting cardinals finally realized

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Female, left, and male cardinals.

Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

My wife has been trying to attract cardinals to our feeders at home for quite some time. Last Sunday she got her wish when a pair of cardinals came in search of food. First, the female showed herself by clinging to a feeding station. A couple of minutes later, the male appeared. I had told my wife when she first saw the female that, for sure, the male was not far away. When you see one cardinal, the mate is always nearby.

It prompted a conversation about how over the last few decades, the northern cardinal, which was rarely ever seen in this part of the country, has become more abundant.

In John James Audubon’s day (1785-1851), the Northern Cardinal was considered a southern bird and was rarely seen as far north as Philadelphia. By 1895, its range reached the Great Lakes, and by 1910, the cardinal was in southern Ontario and along the southern portions of the Hudson River. Some authorities believe the cardinal’s push northward was due to more people feeding birds during the winter and their loss of habitat in its traditional southern grounds.

Today the Northern Cardinal is a year-round resident from the Dakotas, southern Ontario and Nova Scotia south to the Gulf Coast, and from southern Texas westward through Arizona and southward through Mexico as far as Guatemala and Honduras. The Northern Cardinal was introduced in Hawaii in 1929 and is now well-established there. It also occurs sparingly in southeastern California and in Bermuda as an introduced species.

Although nonmigratory, cardinals often gather in large flocks of up to 70 birds during winter months and can be found in bushy thickets in the more sheltered areas of their range.

Northern Cardinals feed by hopping around on the ground and securing food from low shrubbery and trees. Cardinals’ short, heavy, reddish beaks crack seeds with strong abductor muscles that enable them to handle larger and tougher seeds that birds with smaller bills cannot crack. The grooved upper mandible holds the sunflower seed while the sharp-edged lower mandible moves forward and crushes and husks the seed. The bird then swallows the inner nutmeat.

Most authorities believe Northern Cardinals mate for life, but during winter, the male does not allow his mate to feed with him. With the return of spring, however, he regards her in a new light. Then you see the practice of mate-feeding when the male brings shucked sunflower seeds and other choice tidbits to the female. She waits with her wings all aflutter like a baby bird begging for food, and he places the seed in her bill as tenderly as a first kiss between lovers.

Northern Cardinals will eat almost anything offered at feeding stations. Their favorite foods are black-oil sunflower seed, cracked corn, suet, suet mixes, nutmeats of all kinds, melon seeds and safflower seed. The birds’ diet consists of 30 percent insects, which makes cardinals highly valuable to farmers and gardeners. They consume some of the worst agricultural pests: codling moths, cotton cutworms, scale insects, cotton bollworms, grasshoppers, aphids, snails and slugs.

Although cardinals prefer to eat on the ground, they will come to bird tables, trays on posts and trees, window trays, and hanging feeders with perches.

Water for drinking and bathing is just as important for Northern Cardinals in winter as it is during hot months. Remember to keep the water in your birdbath fresh and unfrozen year-round. Because wet cardinals cannot fly quickly to safety, place your birdbath near cover so the birds can escape from cats and other predators. When birdbaths are not available, cardinals bathe in shallow edges of ponds and streams, in snowmelt or in a puddle after rain. Like children, cardinals enjoy bathing in the spray of lawn sprinklers.

Northern Cardinals prefer brushy woodlands, riparian thickets, garden shrubbery, residential areas and parks.

Cardinal nests are compact and well-lined with fine grass or hair, or they might be flimsy and scarcely lined. The birds often use grass, rootlets, weed stems, pliable twigs, vines and bark strips, interwoven with leaves and paper or plastic. Once, when a storm blew the nest out of a bush, a strip of plastic was found in it with the green recycle symbol printed on it. This pair of Northern Cardinals taught me that humans are not the only creatures to use recyclable materials in their homes.

The cardinals have been appearing daily, and it’s our hope they will continue through the summer months.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

Name the only three MLB players to have accumulated at heast 500 home runs and 600 doubles during their career.

Answer
Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds and David Ortiz.

SCORES & OUTDOORS: A week with the dolphins

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Roland D. Halleeby Roland D. Hallee

I will start this column by saying I know we don’t have any of these around here, but on a recent vacation to the Outer Banks, of North Carolina, I saw several of them.

A group of us rented a house on the beach in Nags Head, North Carolina, for a week of relaxation. Every morning, it became ritual to awake before sunrise, walk out to a gazebo near the beach and watch the rising sun. To our surprise, and delight, we experienced an unexpected daily show by dolphins, in the distance.

Now, let’s make this clear as we delve into the world of this intelligent creature. Dolphins are not fish, they are mammals.

A dolphin is an aquatic mammal. There are 40 extant species named as dolphins.

Though not quite as flexible as seals, some dolphins can briefly travel at speeds of 18 mph or leap about 30 ft. Dolphins use their conical teeth to capture fast-moving prey. They have well-developed hearing which is adapted for both air and water. It is so well developed that some can survive even if they are blind. Some species are well adapted for diving to great depths. They have a layer of fat, or blubber, under the skin to keep warm in the cold water.

Dolphins are widespread. Most species prefer the warm waters of the tropic zones, but some, such as the right whale dolphin, prefer colder climates. Dolphins feed largely on fish and squid, but a few, such as the orca, feed on large mammals such as seals. Male dolphins typically mate with multiple females every year, but females only mate every two to three years. Calves are typically born in the spring and summer months and females bear all the responsibility for raising them. Dolphins produce a variety of vocalizations, usually in the form of clicks and whistles.

A dolphin ear has specific adaptations to the marine environment. In humans, the middle ear works as an impedance equalizer between the outside air’s low impedance and the cochlear fluid’s high impedance. In dolphins, and other marine mammals, there is no great difference between the outer and inner environments. Instead of sound passing through the outer ear to the middle ear, dolphins receive sound through the throat, from which it passes through a low-impedance fat-filled cavity to the inner ear.

A dolphin eye is relatively small for its size, yet they do retain a good degree of eyesight. As well as this, the eyes of a dolphin are placed on the sides of its head, so their vision consists of two fields, rather than a binocular view like humans have. When dolphins surface, their lens and cornea correct the nearsightedness that results from the water’s refraction of light.

The olfactory lobes and nerve are absent in dolphins, suggesting they have no sense of smell.

Dolphins are not thought to have a good sense of taste, as their taste buds are atrophied or missing altogether. Some have preferences for different kinds of fish, indicating some ability to taste.

Brain size was previously considered a major indicator of the intelligence of an animal. Since most of the brain is used for maintaining bodily functions, greater ratios of brain to body mass may increase the amount of brain mass available for more complex cognitive tasks.

Self-awareness is seen, by some, to be a sign of highly developed, abstract thinking. Self-awareness, though not well-defined scientifically, is believed to be the precursor to more advanced processes like meta-cognitive reasoning (thinking about thinking) that are typical of humans. Research in this field has suggested that dolphins possess self-awareness. The most widely used test for self-awareness in animals is the mirror test in which a mirror is introduced to an animal, and the animal is then marked with a temporary dye. If the animal then goes to the mirror in order to view the mark, it has exhibited strong evidence of self-awareness.

Dolphins are highly social animals, often living in pods of up to a dozen individuals, though pod sizes and structures vary greatly between species and locations. What we saw everyday was a pod of about a dozen dolphins.

Dolphins communicate using a variety of clicks, whistle-like sounds and other vocalizations. Dolphins also use nonverbal communication by means of touch and posturing.

Dolphins also display culture, something long believed to be unique to humans (and possibly other primate species). In May 2005, a discovery in Australia found Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins teaching their young to use tools.

Dolphins engage in acts of aggression towards each other. The older a male dolphin is, the more likely his body is to be covered with bite scars. Male dolphins can get into disputes over companions and females. Acts of aggression can become so intense that targeted dolphins sometimes go into exile after losing a fight.

Reports of cooperative human-dolphin fishing date back to the ancient Roman author and natural philosopher Pliny the Elder. Dolphins drive fish towards fishermen waiting along the shore and signal the men to cast their nets. The dolphins’ reward is the fish that escape the nets.

Dolphins have few marine enemies. Some species or specific populations have none, making them apex predators. For most of the smaller species of dolphins, only a few of the larger sharks, such as the bull shark, dusky shark, tiger shark and great white shark, are a potential risk, especially for calves. Some dolphin species are at risk of extinction, especially some river dolphin species such as the Amazon river dolphin, and the Ganges and Yangtze river dolphin, which are critically or seriously endangered. A 2006 survey found no individuals of the Yangtze river dolphin. The species now appears to be functionally extinct.

Pesticides, heavy metals, plastics, and other industrial and agricultural pollutants that do not disintegrate rapidly in the environment concentrate in predators such as dolphins. Injuries or deaths due to collisions with boats, especially their propellers, are also common.

In Greek myths, dolphins were seen invariably as helpers of mankind. Dolphins also seem to have been important to the Minoans, judging by artistic evidence from the ruined palace at Knossos. During the 2009 excavations of a major Mycenaean city at Iklaina, a striking fragment of a wall-paintings came to light, depicting a ship with three human figures and dolphins. Dolphins are common in Greek mythology, and many coins from ancient Greece have been found which feature a man, a boy or a deity riding on the back of a dolphin.

Although dolphins generally interact well with humans, some attacks have occurred, most of them resulting in small injuries. Fatal attacks from other species are less common, but there is a registered occurrence off the coast of Brazil in 1994, when a man died after being attacked by a bottlenose dolphin named Tião. Tião had suffered harassment by human visitors, including attempts to stick ice cream sticks down her blowhole.

A number of militaries have employed dolphins for various purposes from finding mines to rescuing lost or trapped humans. The military use of dolphins drew scrutiny during the Vietnam War, when rumors circulated that the United States Navy was training dolphins to kill Vietnamese divers. The United States Navy denies that at any point dolphins were trained for combat. Dolphins are still being trained by the United States Navy for other tasks as part of the U.S. Navy Marine Mammal Program. The Russian military is believed to have closed its marine mammal program in the early 1990s. In 2000 the press reported that dolphins trained to kill by the Soviet Navy had been sold to Iran.

In some parts of the world, such as Taiji, Japan and the Faroe Islands, dolphins are traditionally considered as food, and are killed in harpoon or drive hunts. Dolphin meat is consumed in a small number of countries worldwide, which include Japan and Peru (where it is referred to as chancho marino, or “sea pork”). While Japan may be the best-known and most controversial example, only a very small minority of the population has ever sampled it.

Dolphin meat is dense and such a dark shade of red as to appear black. There have been human health concerns associated with the consumption of dolphin meat in Japan after tests showed that dolphin meat contained high levels of mercury.

That’s what dolphins are all about in a nutshell. There is much more science and data gathered regarding those sea mammals.

Roland’s trivia question of the week:

The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers have met 109 times in the playoffs, which team has won the most games?

Answer
The Celtics are 62-47 against Philadelphia in the playoffs. However, they are 15-43 when playing in Boston.