Virginia Cooperative Extension-Danville

What a great event!

Hey, beekeepers! Interested in learning more about Varroa mites and how they impact honeybees? Dr. James Wilson will be instructing a workshop on varroa mite biology, IPM strategies, and more! Please sign up using the link below if you plan to attend.

https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AYQ9cZ3HM8

Come learn about ladybugs with us!

Join us as we partner with the Virginia Cooperative Extension and the City of Danville’s Public Works Department for a delightful community event to release ladybugs into Downtown Danville! This free program is for all ages. Check below for highlights of this event.

🐞 Ladybug Release: Participate in the release of ladybugs in Downtown Danville. These beneficial insects will help enhance the local ecosystem by naturally controlling pests.

🐞Educational Activities: Learn about the important role ladybugs play in our environment!

🐞Community Engagement: Meet fellow community members and enjoy a day of shared excitement and learning.

Registration is encouraged, but not required. Simply show up at the Ruby B. Archie Public Library parking lot at 6:30 p.m.

For more information or to register, call (434) 799-5150 or sign up online at https://secure.rec1.com/VA/city-of-danville-va/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTMxNjQ2MTI=

We look forward to seeing you there!

Great time this afternoon checking on the trees we planted at Ballou Park on 4/19/24. Thanks Dana, Barry, and Sonya for coming out and learning how to evaluate trees.

Great day at the Greenhouse!

What a great day and great turnout! Thanks to everyone that participated and made this event successful! Special thanks to all the partners involved with this project!

A lot of misinformation out there. Refer to this map for cicada information. We will only see one brood here in Danville - if we see any at all.

Don’t panic: Although there’s been recent media hype about a rare cicada double-brood emerging this spring, most parts of Virginia will not see any periodical cicadas.

Here’s what you need to know:
- Most Virginians will not see periodical cicadas in 2024.
- There are annual cicadas that emerge every year. Annual cicadas have black-green coloring, while periodical cicadas have black-red-orange coloring.
- Cicadas are harmless to people and pets.
- Adult cicadas will not eat or severely damage your plants, though young woody stems can be damaged by the egg-laying process.

https://news.vt.edu/articles/2024/03/ext-cicada-double-brood-emergence-wont-affect-virginia.html

This is a great event that we have been working hard on with all our partners. Please come out that day and learn something about trees and help us begin to replant Ballou Park!

We have a conference on March 5th in Chatham, VA if you need to renew your commercial pesticide applicator license. More information at the link below.

2024 Southside Commercial Applicator Recertification Workshop 2024 Southside Commercial Applicator Recertification Workshop March 5, 2024 This recertification program will provide training and certification credit hours to commercial applicators in Virginia.

Great native plant for your garden! Tolerant to being in shaded, wet soils as long as it receives some sun.

Native plant spotlight: The Virginia Native Plant Society plant of the year is white turtehead, Chelone galabra. This widespread native can be found in moist environments throughout the southeast. It is a wetland plant that hosts larvae of the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly.

Turtlehead is so named because the blooms resemble a turtle's head. White (with pink and purple) blooms appear on terminal spikes from mid-summer into the fall. This spreading perennial is a good garden addition for mass plantings, naturalizing or woodland gardens, or bog gardens.

Image text:
Native plant spotlight:
White Turtlehead Chelone glabra
Blooms: Distinct tubular flowers on 6-8 inch spikes resemble turtle heads. White often tinged pink/purple. Blooms mid-summer into fall.
Conditions: Grows in sun or partial sun. A wetland plant, it likes acidic, rich, moist soil.
Shape: Erect perennial, 1-4 ft. tall
Features:
Larval host of the Baltimore checkerspot (Euphydryas phaeton)
Found along stream banks, open woodlands, fens, flood plains and marshes
Named for Chelone (rhymes with “baloney”), a nymph of Greek mythology who was punished by being turned into a tortoise.

Please welcome Terrance aka Mr. Draper to our team.

Register soon for an early bird discount! Find the event online at Eventbrite!