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Don’t get scammed!

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Guest Columnist
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A K-State expert cautions consumers against scams

Scammers, it often seems, never rest.

Whether it be by phone, email or suspicious website, consumers face an onslaught of characters aiming to cash in on an easy buck, or even steal an identity.

But Kansas State University family finance specialist Elizabeth Kiss says knowing the tangles that scammers often use will help consumers stay safe.

“The Federal Trade Commission has a lot of great information for consumers about fraud and they highlight signs for things that might be a scam,” Kiss said.

Some of the common signs consumers should look for include:

The scammer pretends to be from an organization you might know.

Some examples include the Social Security Administration, the IRS or Medicare. Or, Kiss notes, the caller may represent themselves as being from a utility company or charity. “They have used technology to change their phone numbers,” Kiss said, “so it looks like what you’re seeing (on your phone).”

The scammer indicates there is a problem that needs your attention.

You might be told that you owe money or someone in your family had an emergency and need your assistance immediately. On a computer, you may get an urgent message about a virus infecting your files. Another form of scam indicates that you’ve won a prize and you must act immediately to claim it.

The scammer pressures you to act immediately.

Scammers don’t want you to have time to think; they want to get your attention now. There is an urgency to the claims the person is making, whether it’s by phone or computer.

As reported in the High Plains Journal.

Elm Leaf Beetle

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Guest Columnist
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Description: Young larvae are dark-colored, hairy grubs. Older larvae are yellow with two long, dark stripes. Adult beetles have green and yellow stripes and are about 1/3-inch long.
Life Cycle: There are typically two generations of elm leaf beetles each year. They overwinter as adults and emerge from their protective shelters in early spring. As elm trees develop leaves the beetles move in and females begin laying eggs. Larvae hatch and spread throughout the tree to feed. Larvae reach maturity within four weeks and seek shelter to pupate. They may drop to the base of the tree or crawl within cracks of the bark to pupate. Adults emerge in about two weeks and relocate to the leaves to eat and mate giving rise to the second generation of larvae. This generation of adult beetles will wait to lay eggs until the spring.
Damage: Larvae cause most of the damage by skeletonizing leaves of elm trees, giving
preference to Siberian (Chinese) elms. Adult beetles chew holes through the leaves. Leaves that have been heavily damaged may turn brown and drop.
Control: For healthy trees, at this point in the season, elm leaf beetles and larvae tend not to cause significant damage so spraying is not recommended. If the larvae are active, they can be controlled with several insecticides. If they have already dropped to pupate spraying will be ineffective.
Larvae and adult sprays include: acephate (Acephate, Orthene), spinosad (Natural Guard
Spinosad, Conserve, Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, Monterey Garden Insect Spray), lambda cyhalothrin (Scimitar, Spectracide Triazicide).
Cynthia Domenghini, Extension Agent

Harvesting and Roasting Sunflower Seed

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Guest Columnist
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Sunflower seeds are usually ready for harvest between mid-September to October. As the petals turn brown you can wrap the seed heads with a brown paper bag or cheesecloth and secure it with a twist tie. This will protect the seeds from birds as well as catch any seeds that drop.
      Sunflowers are mature when:
      • Florets in the center of the head shrivel
      • The head turns downward
      • The back of the flower head has a lemon-yellow color
      Mature seeds are black with longitudinal white stripes. If the seed shell is empty that may indicate poor pollination earlier in the season. If you choose not to cover the seed head, harvest when several seeds have turned black and white. Though not all seeds may be mature and the flavor won’t be as good, this will protect the seeds from becoming bird food.
      Cut the seed head free from the plant and place it in a paper bag to dry. Alternatively, cut the head with a foot of stem still attached and hang upside down to dry. Cover the head with a paper bag to catch seeds as they drop. Once fully dried, rub your hand over the seeds to break them free.
      Soak mature, unshelled seeds in salt water (2 quarts water:1/2 to 2 cups salt) overnight. To expedite, bring the water to a boil and simmer the seeds for two hours. Spread sunflower seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook at 300 degrees F for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Toss seeds with melted butter or olive oil and salt to taste.
Cynthia Domenghini, Extension Agent

Garden Spiders

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Guest Columnist
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Though some consider spiders to be unwelcomed, they are a valuable resource for pest control.
The yellow garden spider is commonly found in our Kansas gardens. The body is one-inch long and has yellow markings on the dark-colored abdomen. Legs of the garden spider are black with a yellow or reddish band.
The banded garden spider is similar in size with yellow and white bands marking the legs and abdomen. The legs have black and orange bands.
These two varieties of spiders are types of orb weavers and construct large, circular webs often in bushes, tall grasses and other areas with high insect populations. These spiders are not dangerous to humans and should be left alone to allow them to continue feeding on pests in the garden.
Cynthia Domenghini, Extension Agent

Ornamental Sweet Potatoes

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Guest Columnist
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Ornamental sweet potatoes are mostly valued for their attractive foliage as it drapes down the sides of containers and spreads over the ground within planters. As with other ornamental vegetable varieties, though ornamental sweet potatoes are edible, they are grown for their aesthetic value. Consequently, the flavor quality of ornamental varieties is often lacking. In the case of ornamental sweet potatoes, the tuberous roots are much more bitter than the edible counterpart. If you choose to consume them, follow the curing instructions in this newsletter.
Ornamental sweet potatoes can be overwintered by digging them just before the first frost and storing until it’s safe to plant in the spring. Remove the above ground growth and keep the roots in moist peat moss in a cool, dark room. Alternatively, the entire plant can be moved indoors and kept as a houseplant during the winter. Check the plant first for signs of disease or pests. Cut the vines back to about one-foot and carefully transplant into the desired container. Keep the plant in a space with plenty of natural light until warmer weather returns in the spring.
Cynthia Domenghini, Extension Agent
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