Owatonna Izaak Walton League

06/18/2026

🐞 Not all “ladybugs” act the same, especially around the house and pets.

⚠️ The Asian lady beetle can look very similar to a normal garden ladybug, but one big clue is the dark *M or W-shaped mark behind the head*. It can also be more orange, yellow, or reddish, and the spots can vary a lot.

🌿 Outside, Asian lady beetles are not useless. They still eat aphids and other soft garden pests, so they can help plants.

🏠 The problem starts when they gather in large numbers around windows, walls, doors, attics, or inside the house, especially when they look for warmth.

🟡 When disturbed, they can release a yellow, bad-smelling fluid. This can stain light surfaces and can irritate skin, eyes, or a pet’s mouth.

🐶 For dogs, the risk is mostly if they bite, lick, or eat them. In rare cases, the beetles can get stuck in the roof of the mouth and cause irritation, sores, or chemical-burn-like spots.

🚫 If your dog is drooling, foaming, refusing food, pawing at the mouth, or acting uncomfortable, check the mouth carefully and call a vet if you see anything stuck or irritated.

✅ Native/common garden ladybugs are usually calmer garden helpers. They are great aphid hunters, rarely bother people, and are exactly the kind of beneficial insects we want to protect.

🌼 Best tip: keep flowers for ladybugs outside, avoid harsh sprays, and seal cracks around the house before beetles try to move indoors.

06/17/2026

🌱 COMPOSTING IS EASY when you know what belongs in the bin and what should stay out. The goal is simple: feed the pile with natural plant-based scraps, balance wet “greens” with dry “browns,” and avoid anything that can attract pests, smell bad, or slow the process down.

🥕 FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SCRAPS are some of the best compost ingredients. Apple cores, banana peels, carrot tops, potato peels, cucumber ends, and other raw plant scraps break down well and add life back into the soil.

🥚 CRUSHED EGGSHELLS can go in the compost, but crush them first so they break down faster. They are not a magic fertilizer overnight, but they are a useful natural material to return to the garden.

☕ COFFEE GROUNDS, FILTERS, AND STAPLE-FREE TEA BAGS are usually good for compost. Just make sure the tea bags do not contain plastic and remove any staples, labels, or synthetic parts before adding them.

🍂 DRY LEAVES, GRASS CLIPPINGS, SHREDDED PAPER, AND PLAIN CARDBOARD help balance the pile. Wet kitchen scraps need dry materials too, otherwise the compost can become slimy, heavy, and smelly.

🍞 BREAD, GRAINS, CITRUS PEELS, AND ONION SCRAPS are best added only in small amounts. Too much bread can attract pests, and too much citrus or onion can slow things down, so mix them well with dry leaves or cardboard.

🌿 HERB TRIMMINGS, SPICES, UNTREATED SAWDUST, WOOD CHIPS, HAIR, FUR, AND NATURAL FIBERS can also go in, but only if they are clean and chemical-free. Avoid anything treated with paint, plastic, perfume, or strong chemicals.

🚫 MEAT, FISH, BONES, DAIRY, OILY FOOD, AND GREASY LEFTOVERS are better kept out of home compost bins. They can smell bad, attract flies and rodents, and make the pile harder to manage.

🐾 PET WASTE should not go into regular garden compost, especially if the compost will be used around vegetables or herbs. It can carry harmful bacteria or parasites, so it is safer to keep it separate.

🌱 DISEASED PLANTS should also stay out of the compost. If the pile does not get hot enough, the disease can survive and return to your garden later.

📄 GLOSSY PAPER, COATED CARDBOARD, PLASTIC BITS, AND PRODUCE STICKERS do not belong in compost. Always remove stickers from fruit and vegetable skins before tossing the scraps in the bin.

✅ SIMPLE RULE: If it came from plants and is clean, natural, and untreated, it usually belongs in compost. If it is greasy, animal-based, plastic-coated, diseased, or full of chemicals, keep it out.

05/30/2026

Liz Tinaglia and Seth Muir, instructors at Owatonna High School, received the Dr. Breckenridge award for professional educators. It is the highest environmental award offered by the Minnesota Division of the Izaak Walton League.
They were honored for the work that they and their classes did to preserve and improve the Owatonna Area environment. For many years their classes have cleaned trash from several parks and cut buckthorn and other invasive species.
Congratulations from the Owatonna Ikes.

Pictured with Liz and Seth is Gary Schwartz, Owatonna Ikes Director.

05/30/2026

Two of Liz Tanaglia's Ag. Classes from Owatonna High School did some work at Hammann Park in mid May. We cleaned both ends of the park. There were 35 students, two OHS staff and 6 Ikes caring for our environment.

05/21/2026

For a small donation you can receive this every other month magazine. Always great articles on the outdoors and the environment.

It's and we are celebrating Minnesota Conservation Volunteer (MCV)! For 86 years, this award-winning publication has been the magazine Minnesotans stuff in their packs before heading outside.📚💚

Summer is close. ☀️ Whether you're hiking stunning state trails, mountain biking, or chasing that trophy catch, MCV brings the stories, photography, and insights that connect you even deeper to Minnesota's wild places and creatures. 🐾

Are you a 'nature nerd' like us? Check out the latest issue and find your next inspiration. 👉🏾https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2026/may-jun/index.html

05/10/2026

05/06/2026

A great reminder, recycle lithium batteries.

04/30/2026

The Owatonna Izaak Walton League is having their Rip Roarin' Rummage Sale this weekend. It begins on Fri. May 1st at 9:00 a.m. not as the sign indicates.
Come for WONDERFUL deals!

04/25/2026

A hint from our electric supplier.

04/10/2026

Support the Nongame Wildlife Fund this tax season