April 27, 2018 - Last week, our office got a call from one who saw a cloud of flying insects coming out of an old stump. “It almost looked like rising smoke, but it was all bugs,” they said. 

What they saw were termites and those termites were swarming.

Adult reproductive termites are dark-brown to blackish insects, about 3/8 inch-long. Commonly referred to as “swarmers”, the job of reproductive termites is to mate and start new colonies. Termite swarmers may or may not have wings, as their wings often are shed shortly after flight. 

April 16, 2018 - The District 5 4-H Fashion and Roundup contests were held on April 7, 2018 at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches.  We had several 4-H’ers enter in the Fashion Contest with their duct tape designs and fabric/textile creations.  We had several 4-Her’s also enter in the Roundup contests which include taxidermy, share the fun, and photography. A special thank you to all our 4-H parent volunteers for making this an exceptional experience for the youth of Shelby County.  A special thank you to following project leaders:  Tasha Jones, photography, Ms.

March 28, 2018 - The Smith County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office Environmental Horticultural Committee will be hosting a spring landscape seminar Saturday, April 14, 2018 from 9:00AM - 12:00PM at the HUB, 304 E Ferguson St, Tyler, TX 75702.  The program is $15.   

Bob Byers, Director, Fort Worth Botanic Garden will present “Imagining a Better Garden; Easy Concepts for Understanding Landscape Design” while Smith County horticulturist Greg Grant will cover choosing plants for your East Texas garden.

February 13, 2018 - Plans for the 2018 Annual Shelby County Livestock Show are set. The show will be held on Thursday, March 1st at the Shelby County Expo Center. The sale will be held Saturday, March 3rd, at the John Dean Windham Civic Center, meal starting at 6pm.

February 22, 2018 - Parents often ask child safety seat experts what is the safest seat for their baby. Truth be told, for an infant or young child, it is not the brand of seat they purchase, but the direction they face the seat in their vehicle that will save their child’s life. Since 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has been recommending that children stay rear-facing until age 2 or to the limit of the seat for the best crash protection.