Union County Extension Office

09/02/2026

09/02/2026

Here's your landscape checklist for September! Some tasks include...

Order daffodil and other spring bulbs for October planting.
Sow ryegrass seed for winter lawns.
Plant hardy annuals.
Apply pre-emergent herbicide for winter w**d prevention in your lawn.
Fertilize and water fall mums.
Watch for garden pests and diseases.
Pick flowers in bloom to create dry floral arrangements.

Learn more about each of these tasks + find further resources here: https://extension.msstate.edu/blogs/extension-for-real-life/september-landscape-checklist

09/02/2026

Applications are now open for the Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine DVM Early Entry Program!

This program allows high-achieving high school seniors to earn pre-approved acceptance into the DVM program. If accepted, students will complete their prerequisites within one of Mississippi State’s undergraduate degree programs. To access the CVM-EEP application, prospective students must be accepted into MSU and meet the following requirements:

Minimum ACT composite or superscore of 27, or an SAT score of 1260
Minimum GPA of 3.6
Three letters of recommendation, including one academic reference, one animal reference and one other reference of the applicant’s choosing. Family members should not be used as references.

To learn more about the CVM-EEP or access this year’s application, visit vetmed.msstate.edu/dvm-early-entry-program.

08/31/2026

During dove hunting season, you might encounter more than just mourning doves! Mississippi is also home to the Eurasian collared dove and the less common white-winged dove.

Here are some identifying features of each species:

Mourning Dove
A slender, familiar dove found across much of North America. They are mostly plain brown and their gray plumage is accented by black spots on the wings. They also have a long, pointed tail with white spots along the edges that are especially noticeable in flight. Their distinctive mournful coo is one of the most recognizable bird calls in North America.

Eurasian Collared Dove
A large, pale brown dove that has rapidly expanded across much of North America after being released in the Bahamas in the mid-1970s. They can be identified by the narrow black collar around the back of their neck and the large white patches on their outer tail feathers. Their broad, pointed wings and relatively large size also help distinguish them from mourning doves. They have a distinctive deep three-part call.

White-Winged Dove
A medium-to-large dove native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, and Central America that has expanded its range north and east over time. In Mississippi, white-winged doves are found primarily in southern portions of the state. They are generally grayish-brown overall, but their most recognizable feature is the bold white patch along the wings, which becomes especially noticeable when the bird is in flight. They also have bright red-orange eyes, blue skin around the eye, and a dark cheek line.

Identifying the dove you're looking at is important—not only for learning the species, but also for knowing which regulations apply while hunting.

Always check the current regulations from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries & Parks for season dates, shooting hours, bag limits, possession limits, and any other requirements before heading to the field.

Follow our MSU Extension Gamebird Program page for more content like this.

08/31/2026

Come join the fun at STEM and Robotics club meetings at the Union County Extension Office.

08/28/2026

Is there something that looks like spiderwebs in your pecan trees? Chances are they’re not spiders--they’re fall webworms!

Light infestations usually won’t cause a lot of damage and are nothing to fret about. If you have only a few webs in small- to medium-sized trees, you can leave them be or use a coat hanger taped to a long pole to destroy the web.

Heavy infestations, which are more common in the southern part of the state, can severely defoliate trees and cause reduced nut production on pecan trees for a few years. Complete defoliation usually will not kill an otherwise healthy tree the first time it happens.

Webworms can be managed with contact insecticide sprays. If you use sprays on pecan trees, read the label to be sure the product is safe to use on pecans because they are a food crop.