Rankin County Extension Office

09/01/2026

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

08/31/2026

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.

08/14/2026

08/14/2026

The cicada killer wasp is the largest wasp in Mississippi (sometimes up to ~2” long) and is very active this time of year. Because of its large size and noticeable stinger (only on females), many people are afraid when they see one!

It is important to remember that this species rarely stings humans and should not really be considered a threat (unless you decide to pick a female up). Males patrol a territory and attempt to scare intruders away, but it is a bluff as they have no stinger.

Females dig small burrows in the ground, and as their common name suggests, they hunt down and paralyze the annual dog-day cicadas that emerge this time of year. They will then drag or even fly the cicada into their burrow and leave it for the developing offspring to feed on when they hatch.

Because they are solitary wasps and don’t form colonies like paper wasps and yellow jackets, they don’t tend to be anywhere near as defensive of their nest.

Learn more here: https://extension.msstate.edu/newsletters/bugs-eye-view/2017/cicada-killer-wasp-vol-3-no-21

08/07/2026

The Rankin County Forestry Association and the Rankin County Extension Service will host a Forestry Herbicide Short Course on Friday, August 28, 2026. The meeting will begin with registration at 8:30 am and will conclude after lunch. It wil be held at the Rankin County Extension Office, 601 Marquette Road, Brandon, MS. There is a $25 fee. Please contact the Rankin County Extension Office for more information on this Short Course

08/05/2026

Watch out for the stinging yellow jackets!!

08/05/2026

A Private Applicator Certification Training is scheduled for September 21st from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm, at the Rankin County Extension Office. There is a $60 registration fee which covers lunch and materials. Please call 601-825-1462 to pre-register