News Stories - Page 77

University of Georgia student Drew Butler can kick a football – his longest punt in a game was 75 yards against Oklahoma State in 2009, the same year he was named college football’s top punter. But when it comes to cricket spitting, he prefers to judge from the sidelines.

Spring gardens are now full of beautiful blooms, or eye candy for gardeners. But gardens can offer bountiful taste treats, too. Honey, herbs, tomatoes and blueberries highlight a savory episode of “Your Southern Garden with Walter Reeves” April 17 at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Georgia Public Broadcasting.

Have you ever noticed flies buzzing around your favorite restaurant? No big deal, right? Wrong. “People view flies as a nuisance, but the evidence shows they are much more than that,” said Ludek Zurek, faculty member with the Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine and College of Agriculture. “House flies may be the link of bacteria between food animals and residential areas.”

University of Georgia research isn’t done just by professors in laboratories in Athens, Ga. It’s also conducted in fields, orchards and gardens statewide by UGA Cooperative Extension agents, who look to solve problems for the people in their counties.

Chocolate-covered bugs, mealworm cookies and cricket-spitting contests are taking the spotlight again for the 25th annual Insect Zoo at the University of Georgia. The zoo will take place 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 2 in room 426 of UGA’s Biological Sciences Building in Athens, Ga.

Every spring as lawns start to green up, lawn perfectionists begin their vigilant watch for the onslaught of pests waiting for fresh dinner. Along with pests like armyworms and grubs, mole crickets cause significant damage to southeastern lawns.