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Weekend Gardening: Outwit and Outlast Those Troublesome Armadillos

Have you ever discovered your once beautiful green lawn looking like the surface of the moon, full of craters? If so, then you may have been visited by an alien-looking creature known as the armadillo.

Armadillos originated in South America. They are mammals. They are neither rodents nor marsupials and are not related to the opossum. Their closest living relative is the anteater and sloth.

The most easily recognized feature of an armadillo is its shell. Their common name, armadillo, is derived from a Spanish term meaning “little armored one”. All armadillos have shells, made of true bone, that cover their backs. Most armadillos also have bony rings or plates that protect their tails.

Digging machines

Armadillos are built to dig. They rely on this ability to escape danger and survive. They prefer sandy or loam soils that are relatively easy to excavate. Therefore, they are well adapted to Northwest Florida soils.

Armadillos typically rest in deep burrows during the day and become more active during the late evening, night, or early morning. These burrows are usually located under brushpiles, stumps, dense brush, or concrete patios, and are about 7 to 8 inches in diameter and can be up to 15 feet long. They often have several burrows throughout their territory.

Food sources

Armadillos feed primarily on insects. They also eat earthworms, scorpions, spiders, snails, and small vertebrates and their eggs. They consume large amounts of armyworms, cockroaches, ants, wasps, flies, beetles, and grasshoppers. They have been known to dig up entire yellow-jacket nests.

Some consider the armadillo a beneficial creature because they eat potential pests. Many consider the armadillo a pest because of their destructive ways. Armadillo can burrow under driveways and patios causing structural damage. Burrows in pastures can pose a potential hazard to livestock. And because armadillos usually search for food by rooting or digging in the ground, they can damage large areas of the lawn or garden.

Control measures

If you find that you cannot live with these creatures, the University of Florida recommends four ways to deal with armadillos.

• reducing the amount of water and fertilizer you apply to your lawn
• creating barriers (e.g., fences),
• live-trapping
• shooting offending individuals (check local ordinances)

The best solution (and the most expensive) is a stout fence to keep the armadillos out. If you take this route, make sure the fence is buried at least 18 inches into the ground, or they might just burrow under it.

Reducing the water and fertilizer applications to your lawn may help reduce armadillo damage. A moist lush landscape is perfect for earthworms and insect larvae. Armadillos love earthworms. Sometimes watering adjacent areas may attract armadillos away from a site.

Trapping can be frustrating and may require some ingenious thinking. Some tried and true trapping techniques are discussed at length in an online University of Florida publication by Dr. Russ Mizell at http://ufinsect.ifas.ufl.edu/armadillo.htm.

Remember that poison baits are illegal and ineffective. No chemical repellents or fumigants are registered for use in Florida.

Armadillos are very happy in Northwest Florida and are here to stay. If they have become unwelcomed house guests, put your thinking cap on and be committed to outwitting and outlasting this prehistoric-looking creature.

For more information, contact Theresa Friday at 850-623-3868 or email tlfriday@ufl.edu. Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.

Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Photos: EWMS Band, Chorus Perform

The Ernest Ward Middle School Music Boosters held a Spring Concert and Spaghetti Dinner Tuesday night in Walnut Hill. All proceeds from the event, which featured performances by the school’s band and chorus, benefited the school’s music programs.

For more photos from the event, click here.

Pictured: The Ernest Ward Middle School chorus (above) and band (below) perform during an event Tuesday night at the Walnut Hill Community Center. Submitted photos by Leslie Gonzalez for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Complete List: Northview Presents Awards For Grades 9-11

Northview High School held their annual Award Program on Tuesday for students in the ninth to eleventh grade.

The following is a complete list of awards and presentations made at the event:

Agriculture (Meehan)

• Exemplary Freshman — Courtney Solari
• Exemplary Sophomore — Jessica Baldwin
• Exemplary Junior — Lydia Weaver

Art (Castor)

• Freshman HAA — Victoria Wright
• Sophomore HAA — Tiffany Sutton
• Junior HAA — Kiani Okahashi

English (Baggett)

• English 1 Hon  HAA — Kasie Braun
• Exemplary — Victoria Wright
• English 1  HAA — Audrey Byrd
• Exemplary — Mason Solchenberger
• English 2 Hon HAA — Jazzlyn Franklin
• Exemplary — Julia Thorpe
• English 2 HAA — Zach Johnson
• Exemplary — Maranda Moye
• English 3 Hon HAA — Jamila Codrington
• Exemplary — Holly Dickson
• English 3 HAA — Taylor Hubbard
• Exemplary — Camie Goetter

Family And Consumer Science (Smith)

• Exemplary Freshman — Courtney Solari
• Exemplary Sophomore — Sandy Rainwater
• Exemplary Junior — Elizabeth Wright

Math (Marshman/Barry)

• Algebra 1a HAA — Lauryn Walker
• Exemplary — Jeffery Taylor
• Algebra 1b HAA — Stephanie Roach
• Exemplary — Natyia Bailey
• Algebra 1 HAA — Courtney Jones
• Exemplary — Justin King
• Algebra 1 Hon HAA — Courtney Solari
• Exemplary — Anna Donald
• Informal Geometry HAA — Jessica Hedgepeth
• Exemplary — Alex Riggs
• Geometry HAA — Zach Johnson
• Exemplary — Ashley Gunter
• Geometry Hon HAA — Kasie Braun
• Exemplary — Victoria Wright
• Algebra 2 HAA — Alexander Payne
• Exemplary — Jamila Codrington
• Algebra 2 Hon HAA — Holly Dickson
• Exemplary — Joel Wetzel

Science (Pleasant/Mcdonald/Barry)

• Anatomy Honors HAA — Holly Dickson
• Exemplary — Jamila Codrington
• Anatomy HAA — Taylor Byrd
• Integrated Science Honors HAA — Courtney Solari
• Exemplary — Anna Donald
• Environmental Science — Tyler Hester
• Exemplary — Lydia Weaver
• Integrated Science HAA — Tiffani Pritchett
• Exemplary — Courtney Jones
• Integrated Science Ii HAA — Lantz Jones
• Exemplary — Dylan Cartwright
• Chemistry 1 Honors HAA — Joel Wetzel

Social Studies (Barry)

• American History HAA — Chelsea Parham
• Exemplary — Michael Sepulveda
• American History Hon HAA — Holly Dickson
• Exemplary — Jamila Codrington

Spanish (Baggett)

• Spanish 1 HAA — Jazzlyn Franklin
• Exemplary — Chelsea Parham
• Spanish 2 HAA — Josie Doucette
• Exemplary — Holly Dickson

Business (Smith)

• Digital Design I Exemplary — Jessica Warner
• Computing For College & Careers HAA — Kasie Braun
• Exemplary — Victoria Wright
• Digital Design 2 Exemplary — Alissa Fiellin
• Web Design 1 HAA — Elizabeth Wright

Physical Education (Day)

• Physical Education HAA — Audrey Byrd
• Exemplary — Cory King

Reading (Findley)

• Reading 180 1 HAA — Chloe Leonard
• Exemplary — Harley Davis
• Freshman Reading III HAA — Mashama Codrington
• Exemplary — Mikaelea Santos
• Freshman Reading III HAA(Semester) — Zaccarra Davis
• Exemplary — Hannah Hedgepeth
• Freshman Advanced Reading — Kasie Braun
• Sophomore Reading — Ashley Cunningham
• Junior Reading — Brandon Carnley
• Exemplary — Atidze Johnson

Vocational (Meehan)

• Construction Technology  HAA — Justin King
• Drafting  HAA — Aaron Rausch

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS

VA Awards (Essay Contest)

• Elizabeth Wright, 1st place
• Victoria Wright, 2nd place

Atmore Youth Leadership (Atmore Chamber)

• Charleigh McPherson
• Caroline Prater
• Hannah Hinton

Atmore Rotary Academic All Stars

• 9th Grade
  • Madison Brooke Arrington
  • Kasie Lee Braun
  • Kira Nerys Cartwright
  • Morgan Nicole Digmon
  • Anna Elizabeth Donald
  • Anna Elizabeth Fischer
  • Tamara Maria Green
  • Jessica Nicole Lowery
  • Tiffani Nichole Pritchett
  • Mikaela Lynn Santos
  • Courtney Yvonne Solari
  • Danielle Nichole Steadham
  • Courtney Alexander Weaver
  • Victoria Anne Wright
• 10th Grade
  • Alison Danielle Bardin
  • Hannah Elizabeth Fiellin
  • Jazzlyn Shanece Franklin
  • Ashton Brooke Gibbs
  • Georgia Anna Goetter
  • Marcus Trey Johnson
  • Zachary Sean Johnson
  • Skyler Ashton Macks
  • Ashley Nicole Mooney
  • Maranda D Moye
  • Sandy Michelle Rainwater
• 11th Grade
  • Jamila Akilah Codrington
  • Holly Nicole Dickson
  • Josie Britt Doucette
  • Amber Dianne Francis
  • Cory Robert King
  • Joel Nathaniel Wetzel
  • Elizabeth Ashley Wright

Ernest Ward Schedules Awards Day

Ernest Ward Middle School will hold it’s Awards Day this Wednesday in the school gymnasium. Family members and friends are invited to attend.

The time for each grade level program is as follows:

8th grade — 9:30 – 11:15

6th grade — 11:45 – 1:10

7th grade — 1:30 – 3:00

Photos: Parade Honors Veterans, Armed Forces

Groups from several communities came together in Atmore Saturday morning for a combined Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day parade.

A sparse crowd lined the streets of Atmore as the Ernest Ward Middle School Band, the Flomaton High School Band, Northview High School NJROTC, a group from the U.S. Navy and Ernest Ward Middle School Drama Team marched along with area veterans.

For a NorthEscambia.com photo gallery from the parade, click here.
The gallery also includes reader submitted photos by Leslie Gonzalez and Cheryl Golson.

Pictured top: The U.S. Navy took part in a combined Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day parade Saturday morning in Atmore. Pictured inset: Danielle Suggs portrays a military widow during the parade on the Ernest Ward Middle School Drama team float. Pictured below: Veterans carry the flags during the parade. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Tate Grad Takes Part In Vegas Military Band Exhibition

The sights and sounds of Las Vegas are generally associated with the casinos, the endless row of hotels on the Strip, and the ads for the new shows being presented.

Somewhere among the organized chaos that has made Las Vegas so famous, the son of a Cantonment couple was adding his own melody to the mix.

Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David L. Morrell, son of Paul and Mary Ann Morrell of N. Highway 95A, Cantonment, was at the Thomas and Mack Center on the UNLV campus with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band for the Las Vegas International Tattoo recently.

The Las Vegas International Tattoo was a musical exhibition to highlight the armed forces and their allies. In addition to the Marine Corps band, the Navy Band Southwest, Air Force Band of the Golden West, and four Canadian and Scottish military and police bagpipe bands played during the performance. The U. S. Army Drill Team also preformed a precision drill routine during the Tattoo.

Morrell, who plays the saxophone, has had a love of music for most of his life.

“I started playing the saxophone at age ten,” said Morrell, a 1996 graduate of Tate High School, Pensacola. “My dad was a big influence on me to appreciate music.”

Playing music, let alone joining the military, was not the first thing on Morrell’s mind when he thought about his future career choices.

“I just wanted a career in music,” said Morrell, who has been a Marine since 1999.

The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band preformed and marched to a medley highlighting the creation of our National Anthem and the War of 1812. Morrell and his fellow Marines have been preparing for their performance for several months.

“We spent a couple of months in preparing including a lot of rehearsals,” said Morrell.

Every band played together in an opening sequence, followed by each band or group, in the case of the Army Drill Team and Irish dancers, performing their own sequences before joining all together again for the finale.

The roar of the crowd and the support for the armed forces was enough for Morrell, and the other military performers, to hope for a call next year to return to the festivities.

Pictured top: The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band performs and marches to a sequence that highlights the War of 1812 and the development of the National Anthem during the 2001 Las Vegas International Tattoo. Pictured inset: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. David L. Morrell is a member of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band and recently participated in the Las Vegas International Tattoo, a multi-national military band exhibition that featured not only the Marine Corps band, but other U.S. military and four Canadian and Scottish military and police bagpipe bands. Pictured below: The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Band, Pipes and Drums, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards, and the U. S. Navy Band Southwest perform at the conclusion. Photos by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sean Worrell for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge

Featured Recipes: Stir Up Some Fun

Who says entertaining guests has to be a lot of work? Whether it’s a dinner party or a casual get-together, with the right recipes you can stir up some crowd-pleasing dishes in hardly any time at all. From delicious dips to a cool twist on classic hot wings to a simple and savory casserole, these recipes make it easy to deliver fun and flavorful food.

(Scroll down to see all of today’s recipes.)

KING RANCH CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 1 packet ranch seasoning mix
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
• 18 6-inch yellow corn tortillas
• 1 1/2cups chicken stock
• 2 cups sour cream
• 1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies, such as Rotel; drained
• 1 4-ounce can green chilies, drained
• 1/2 pound chicken, cooked and cubed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Put the drained tomatoes and drained chilies in a medium bowl. Sauté the onions and bell peppers in the 2 teaspoons of oil until the onions turn translucent and the peppers are tender (2 to 3 minutes). Add to the bowl of tomatoes and chilies and mix to combine.
3. Blend chicken stock, sour cream, dip mix, salt and black pepper until smooth.
4. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray and cover the bottom of the pan with 6 yellow corn tortillas. Sprinkle 1/3 of the chicken and 1/3 of the vegetable mixture on the layer of tortillas. Pour 1/3 of the sour cream mixture over the vegetables and top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese. Repeat twice, beginning with tortillas and ending with a layer of cheese.
5. Cover with foil and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until hot in the center and cheese is melted.

Serves
Makes 6 to 8 servings

HOT CHICKEN WINGS WITH CUCUMBER RANCH DIP

Ingredients

Wing Sauce

• 3/4 cup hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon butter

Cucumber Ranch Dip

• 3 tablespoons ranch seasoning mix
• 1 cup Daisy brand sour cream
• 1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (optional)
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• Pinch pepper

Wings

• 16 chicken wings
• 3 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation

1. Wing Sauce: Add hot sauce to a pot and bring up to medium heat.
2. Add butter and whisk until melted. Set aside.
3. Cucumber Ranch Dip: Add ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly using a rubber spatula. Set aside.
4. Wings: Preheat oven to 425°F.
5. Add wings to a sheet tray and toss with oil. Bake for 20 minutes.
6. Once the wings are done in the oven, remove them from the sheet tray and dump them into a bowl.
7. Add the hot sauce and toss until wings are evenly coated.
8. Serve the chicken wings along with cucumber ranch dip for dipping.

Serves
Makes 4 servings

CREAMY GREEN ONION MINI MEATBALLS

Sauce for Meatballs

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup Daisy brand sour cream
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 packet garden onion seasoning mix

Mini Meatballs

• 2 tablespoons garden onion seasoning mix
• 1 pound ground beef (preferably 80/20 ground chuck)
• 3 tablespoons Italian bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon green onion, sliced
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 1 egg
• Pinch salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons green onions, chopped – optional garnish

Preparation

1. Sauce for Meatballs: Add heavy cream, sour cream and cream cheese to a sauce pot on medium heat. Whisk until ingredients are melted. Then add one packet of dip mix and whisk until smooth. Hold over low heat.
2. Mini Meatballs: Preheat oven to 425°F.
3. In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll the meat mixture into golf ball size meatballs. Place the meatballs on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
4. Once baked, add the meatballs to meatball sauce and toss to coat. Serve hot. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.

Serves
Makes 4 to 6 servings

EASY JALAPENO PEPPERS

Ingredients

• 8 medium sized jalapeños
• 4 ounces (1/4 pound) Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 8 slices of bacon
• 8 short wooden skewers or wooden toothpicks
• 1 packet guacamole dip prepared according to instructions
• 3 avocados

Preparation

1. Create a slit in one side of the jalapeños using a small sharp knife. Do not cut all the way through the ends. Remove the seeds and membrane for a milder popper.
2. Stuff a pepper with 1/8 of the cheese. Wrap with a slice of bacon and secure the bacon with a skewer. Repeat with the 7 other peppers.
3. Preheat oven to 425°F. Sear poppers on all sides over high heat in a nonstick pan until bacon is golden brown. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
4. Serve hot with the guacamole on the side.

Serves
Makes 8 poppers

Video: Byrneville Fourth, Fifth Graders Perform “Funky Fifth”

Fourth and fifth grade students at Byrneville Elementary School performed Beethoven’s “Funky Fifth” Friday at the school under the direction of music teacher Elaine Holk.

You may need to be logged into your Facebook account to see this video. If you don’t see the video, it is because your home, school or work firewall is blocking Facebook videos.

Davis, Johnson To Wed

Darrin Sellers and Tonya Emmons of Cherry Point, NC,  announce the engagement and forthcoming marriage of their daughter, Nicole Naomi Davis, to Justin Charles Johnson of Century, the son of  Dianne Johnson and the late Dewayne Johnson.

Nicole is a 2006 graduate of Northview High School and a graduate of Pensacola State College with an AAS degree in accounting technology.

Justin is also a 2006 graduate of Northview High School. He is currently employed by Smith Industrial Services.

Nicole and Justin are high school sweethearts with a four-year old daughter, Daisy LaRehn Johnson.

The wedding will take place at noon on Saturday, June 4 at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church on Butler Street in Atmore. Family and friends are welcome to attend.

Kevin Harris Retiring From Sheriff’s Office

A retirement ceremony was held Friday at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office for Kevin Harris. Harris, who is assigned to the Century Precinct, is retiring from the department after 27 years.

Upon his retirement, Harris will receive an honorary promotion to sergeant.

Pictured top: Kevin Harris and family members at his retirement ceremony Friday afternoon at the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office in Pensacola. Pictured inset: Lt. Carl Jones shares a memory about Harris as Sheriff David Morgan looks on. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

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