By Norman Winter | The Garden Guy

When it comes to the backyard wildlife habitat, the cup plant has it all. To me, it is the flag bearer perennial for bees, butterflies, and birds. It is a stalwart native in 34 states from Louisiana north to Canada crossing every border east. Alas however its size is quite imposing. It is big, bold and wonderful, and this is the time of the year it shines the most.

If you are getting interested but are not familiar with the cup plant, it is known botanically as Silphium perfoliatum and as I alluded above cold hardy from zones 3-9. It can grow tall, 4 to 10 feet, and colonize, so it is a plant for the back of the border. Here at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens ours are around 7 feet.

Though it may be hard to imagine, they can dwarf a brown-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia triloba, or a Brazilan sage, Salvia guaranitica, both also considered large plants and terrific partners for the cup plant. Close by, we have the pagoda flower Clerodendrum paniculatum, Java glory bower, Clerodendrum speciosissimum, as well as Baby Lace, Hydrangea paniculata, all of which do their part to bring in hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.

You may be asking, why it’s called a cup plant. This is one of the magical attributes of the plant. As the plant grows, it develops large square stems that give the impression of piercing the center of the large leaves. It has two leaves without petioles that are attached to the stem, forming a perfect cup to collect rainwater. Small birds like finches take advantage of this natural reservoir of water. These same birds also feed on the seeds as they mature and get ready to disperse.

You’ll find the blooms to be covered in what may best be described as a pollinating frenzy. Every kind of bee, including honey bees by the hundreds, bumble bees, and wasps are there doing their thing. A quick glance on a recent morning visit showed eastern tiger swallowtails, long-tailed skippers, fiery skippers and yellow sulphur butterflies. It was like a Serengeti for pollinators. Though I didn’t see any, everyone reports hummingbirds on the plants as well.

The nature lover will find this to be one of the most thrilling plants to incorporate in the landscape. Get a chair, a pair of binoculars and a camera, and you are ready for a day of journaling. It will take some attitude adjustment for most gardeners before planting.

First, are you ready to incorporate such a tall, aster-family member into the back of the border? Second, can you accept a colonizing racehorse of a plant so to speak? Not only will you have rhizome spread but you will have reseeding. So, in other words, there will be some maintenance to confine to space allotted.

Native plant nurseries sell the plants, but they are also easy to start from seeds. Sow non-stratified seeds in the fall or stratified seeds in the spring. If you want to stratify, moisten coarse sand and seeds in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator for three months.

Since this plant will be the backbone of your wildlife habitat or pollinator garden choose companions that are not only beautiful but will bring them in too. I’ve mentioned salvias and brown-eyed Susan’s, but Joe Pye weeds, milkweeds, and ironweeds native to your region would partner well.

Other favorites would be anise hyssops like Blue Fortune, Blue Boa, and Black Adder. They would give that complementary sizzle of opposite colors. Lastly, use the cup plant to create mystery in the garden by blocking a view and forming an area of transition.

The cup plant amazingly does it all for both wildlife and pollinators, all the while showing out with dazzling 3½-inch yellow blossoms. You have to agree that is pretty doggone special.

By Ann Asher

Every year about this time, it feels like the flies start winning. No matter how clean I keep the pens or how many fly strips I hang, they show up in clouds. Over the past few summers, I’ve tried just about everything—feed-through supplements, predator bugs, DIY traps, and plenty of fly sprays. Some things helped. Some were a waste of money. If you’re battling flies this year, here’s what’s actually worked for me—and what research says can make a real difference on the farm or ranch.

Start with Cleanliness (But Know It’s Not Enough)

The first—and most repeated—advice is to stay ahead of the mess. Manure management is critical, especially around barns, pens, and loafing sheds. Flies lay eggs in fresh manure, and those eggs hatch into larvae in as little as 24 hours during warm weather.
I try to clean high-traffic areas at least every other day, but the truth is, even on the cleanest farms, flies can still be a problem because of moisture, standing water, and nearby neighbors.

Feed-Through Fly Control: A Solid Foundation

One thing that made a noticeable difference for my horses and cattle was starting a feed-through larvicide early in the season. These products add a growth regulator to the feed that passes through the animal and prevents fly larvae from developing in manure.
It’s not an instant fix—you won’t see fewer flies for several weeks—but once it kicks in, you’ll notice fewer new flies being born.

Tip: Feed-through products only work if all animals on the property are eating it consistently. Otherwise, you’re just treating part of the manure, and flies will keep breeding.

Fly Predators: Small, Mighty, and Surprisingly Effective

Last year, I tried fly predators for the first time. These are tiny, non-stinging insects that lay their eggs in fly pupae, stopping the next generation.
I was skeptical (and honestly a little creeped out at first), but I noticed that where I used predators around the barn and dry lots, the fly pressure dropped. Some companies even offer subscription services that send predators timed to your local climate.

Tip: Fly predators don’t kill adult flies—they stop future flies. So you still need to control the adults already buzzing around.

Good Old-Fashioned Fly Traps

In areas like the barn aisle and outdoor runs, nothing beats physical traps.
I like a combination approach:

• Sticky ribbons and strips for indoor areas
• Odor-baited traps placed away from livestock areas to draw flies away

Tip: Hang baited traps a good distance from barns or stalls. Otherwise, you’re luring flies right into your animals’ space.

Fly Sprays: Choose Carefully

Fly sprays are the first thing most of us reach for—and they do help—but they have limits.
For horses, sprays containing pyrethrins, pyrethroids (like permethrin), or natural oils tend to offer the best repellency. Even then, most sprays only last a few hours, especially if animals are sweating heavily.

Tip: Apply before morning turnout and again before evening if possible. Reapplication is important, especially after heavy exercise or rain.

Other Tools That Help

• Fly masks and fly sheets — particularly those with UV protection, to protect sensitive areas like the eyes and ears
• Fans in barns and run-in sheds — flies struggle to land in strong airflow
• Automatic sprayer systems — an investment, but highly effective for larger barns

The bad news? There’s no magic bullet for fly control.
The good news? Combining several methods—manure management, feed-through treatments, predators, traps, and targeted sprays—can actually make summer bearable for you and your livestock.

At the end of the day, I figure if I can cut the fly population by half, I’ve already made life better for my animals—and a lot less miserable for myself.

References:

1. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Managing Flies on Livestock
2. University of Kentucky Entomology – Controlling Flies Around Livestock
3. North Carolina State Extension – Livestock Pest Management
4. USDA Agricultural Research Service – Fly Management Resources
5. Spalding Labs (for info on biological control programs) – Fly Predators Information

By Andy Anderson

It’s August, which means hunting season is right around the corner. Hunters will soon begin to venture back into the woods to start prepping. Part of this annual ritual is checking out the deer stand, camp area and to getting things cleaned up. This is dangerous and will make you scream for your mamma if you are not prepared!

A few weeks ago I was clearing some fence line out. I had just cut the wire and kicked the wire fence to push it out of the vegetation and away from the T-post. It was then I realized I had just entered into a very painful situation. Now, I’ve been stung by honey bees, wasp, hornets, ground hornets and more, but what I had just angered was unlike anything I had ever experienced.

As I stepped back to move down to the next post, I heard a buzzing sound and the all too familiar bug flying around my face. I gave a quick swat of a hand, a swat that seemed to kick it all off. All of a sudden, BAMM! Before my mind could catch up and process what was happening, I had been hit four or five times in the head. As I turned to run, two more hit me in the back and right above my belly button.

I felt like I got a little distance from the attackers, but as I turned to check my six wounds, I see this black mass emerging from the ground, forming into a ball. I pick up the pace. I am digging in with each step in near panic, wanting to scream in fear of the pending pain that’s about to rain down me. As I am looking back, running as hard as I can at the moment, I trip. My combat training kicks in: I go with the fall, roll out left and pop up quick to get back on my feet. BAMM! One more hits me right between the shoulder blades.

I slide around the front of the truck like Bo Duke, grab the driver’s door handle and jump in. A dirty little aerial assassin followed me into the truck! I jump out quick; it follows me out. I jump back in.

As I sit there, covered in sweat and dirt, the pain starts to radiate throughout my body, specifically my head. I had been stung at least nine times; six of the most painful were in the back of my head. My belly was on fire! As I am catching my breath, trying to think of my next move, I look up. Hundreds, if not thousands of those black and yellow angry bumble bees were swarming my truck. I couldn’t believe it! They were literally ramming the windows, –you could hear each impact.

As the pain sets in I begin to develop a sense of a need to retaliate. As soon as it was safe to do so, I jump into my cabbed skid steer equipped with the equivalent of a brush hog. I shred the area where I thought they emerged from. There were thousands of them, vicious and fearless. They were attacking and trying to sting the equipment.

I pull back and wait to see if they will go away. Nope. After applying eight cans of wasp spray with no success, I call an exterminator. There were two, possibly three, hives underground. It was bad, and of course I had to find it.

The pain lasted two days, my head swelled up and my stomach turned red. I had always been told bumble bees had the worst sting and would chase you down. Well, I can confirm that statement.

A week later, as I head out to the woods to start prepping for this approaching hunting season, I am reminded of what I will more than likely encounter.

My experience with the bumble bees has changed my approach to dealing with wasp and such. I take a much more cautious approach, stopping to watch for any flying to and from to help identify where the nest is. Then a hit the igniter and open the fuel system with the gentle squeeze of the handle. The flame grows and intensifies. With a sweeping motion I cover the entire deer stand with the flame thrower, burning it to the ground along with all those stinging little…ok, not really, but it’s what I imagine I’m doing as I spray them down with wasp spray.

Bottom line, I was lucky. Bee stings in general are no joke, worse if you happen to be allergic to them. I took a bunch of hits when any one of them could have caused an allergic reaction and possibly death.

People do die each year from bee stings, mainly because they couldn’t get help fast enough. Before you enter the woods or head out to work that fence line, go prepared. Get some wasp spray, pain reliever, an epi pen and a flame thrower!