Front Page News!

Yesterday, the Herald Journal did an interview with Chad and his lab. The article came out today! Front Page news! Congratulations Chad!!!

Squash that pest

Rodrigo Ferreira holds a Mormon Cricket at a laboratory on campus at Utah State University in Logan Tuesday. A USU team is looking for ways to effectively kill Mormon Crickets. (Alan Murray/Herald Journal)

By Kim Burgess

Published:

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 4:29 AM CDT

Call it a Mormon cricket’s worst nightmare.

Utah State University scientists are researching a fungus that eats the insects alive by depositing spores inside them that multiply and eventually break through their exoskeletons.

The fungus is already providing an organic method of controlling crickets and grasshoppers in places like Australia, Africa and South America. Now the USU team is searching for it in the U.S.

“We can’t import it (the fungus) from other countries because of EPA restrictions,” explained Chad Keyser, a graduate student in biology. “They’re very careful about bringing in exotic species from other places.”

Fortunately, Keyser and his faculty mentor, insect pathologist Donald Roberts, believe the fungus probably exists near the Mexican border. They hope to find it within the year.

As part of the effort, Roberts’ team is analyzing 10,000 soil samples gathered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 17 states. Lab technicians isolate fungus within the dirt and grow it in petri dishes. The results are tested on Mormon crickets, though the fungus will also be effective on grasshoppers.

“The Mormon cricket is not a traditional cricket,” Roberts

explained. “It is really a katydid. It is closer to the grasshoppers than a lot of the crickets.”

Keyser said that so far some of the samples have killed 80 percent of the bugs they’ve tested.

In addition, the fungus is more environmentally friendly than current pesticides.

“It won’t harm fish or mammals, though it could kill non-target insects,” Roberts said.

Keyser said he believes that farmers could use the fungus and maintain an organic certification. However, he said that fungus probably could not replace all chemical pesticides because it works too slowly to stop massive insect plagues like those affecting Tooele.

In addition, the fungus can be finicky. Temperature and weather conditions can affect its potency.

Still, the researchers say they are excited by the possibilities of commercializing the fungus into a product that gardeners can spray on their crops.

“We aren’t looking to the future,” Roberts said. “We buy pesticides, we throw them out and we never look at what we can do better.”

Warm Weather Fun

We've had some fun times lately with the warm weather! We have finally been able to break-out the water toys. For Myra's b-day she got this fun "hose" toy. When you turn it up high, the water shoots out everywhere, but the girls just liked it on low to dip their toes in. Lexi played in it forever! Then yesterday, we set up the kiddie pool. The kids loved it, even though it was very cold! I finally had to make Lexi get out because she was shivering.

And now I can't keep them out of it, clothes and all. They just like to "dip" their fingers in it. It's so nice to have warm weather to be able to enjoy all of these outdoor things! One evening Chad even took the girls for a bike ride. I didn't go, mostly because of my lopsidedness, I was afraid I might fall off my bike, but the kids had a great time!

As for other news, we've made a slight change in Lexi's sleeping arrangements. We've put off moving Lexi out of her crib for a while. Mostly because we didn't want to lose the storage space under the crib if we just put a mattress on the floor and because we will hopefully be moving in a few months, we haven't wanted to buy any more furniture. However, our plans changed when we found Lexi halfway out of her crib one morning. So, Chad just took off the front piece and because it's still pretty high off the ground, we bought a railing for it so that Lexi wouldn't fall out. I think Myra was more excited about the change, although Lexi does like being able to get into her bed by herself. She went down for a nap yesterday with no problems, although bed time last night was a little more crazy. As soon as we shut the door, Myra was telling Lexi to get out of bed and come play with her. So, they played for a little while before they both fell asleep, in their own beds! I've never thought this transition would be hard for Lexi and I'm glad I was right. Although they did get up awfully early this morning, but at least they stayed in their room and played with each other. I'm sure there will be some rough times ahead, but Lexi always seems to just go with the flow. It's fun to see her growing up so much!

Chad's Famous!!!!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

USU isolating Mormon cricket-killing fungus

June 25th, 2009 @ 10:21pm

By Ed Yeates

LOGAN -- Mormon crickets are well-ingrained in Utah's history books. Cyclical infestations have wreaked havoc across the state over the years, even as recent as 2004.

During that year, Utah State University Insect Pathologist Donald Roberts said, "The infested part of Utah was larger than the surface area of Rhode Island."

Roberts has been studying these insects a long time, and he's collected a team of student researchers from around the country to zero in on environmentally-friendly fungi found in soils that kill not only the crickets, but grasshoppers as well -- specific ones that kill what you don't want but preserve what you do want.

They've collected 10,000 samples of soil. Student researcher Everton Fernandes said, "The team has to go through each sample collected from most of the western United States. It's a lot of work."

Each sample is carefully prepared, isolating fungi and preserving them in an almost perfect laboratory environment. Even though they kill here, they must do the same in the real world.

Out in a large field, the group placed more than 400 mesh cages, each housing a single cricket. Researchers want to know which group of fungi work the best.

"They might work great in the lab. Then as soon as we bring them outside, they get too hot or too cold and won't kill anything," research student Chad Keyser said.

In fact, once some hoppers detect an infection, they sun themselves, raising the body temperature beyond which the fungus can survive.

The team is searching for those that can sort of outwit the insect. So far, it's paying off. In early test cages, fungi groups have killed 70 percent of the hoppers.

Happy Father's Day!!!!

I just want to wish a very Happy Father's Day to the most wonderful husband and father! Thank you Chad for all that you do for us! We are so blessed to have you in our lives! I also want to wish a Happy Father's Day to my Dad and to my Father-in-Law! We love you!

Today in the Parade magazine, there was a letter written by President Obama about Father's. I'm glad to see a President that seems to love his family so much! Anyway, I wanted to post it here, just because I thought it had some really good thoughts!

As the father of two young girls who have shown such poise, humor, and patience in the unconventional life into which they have been thrust, I mark this Father’s Day—our first in the White House—with a deep sense of gratitude. One of the greatest benefits of being President is that I now live right above the office. I see my girls off to school nearly every morning and have dinner with them nearly every night. It is a welcome change after so many years out on the campaign trail and commuting between Chicago and Capitol Hill.

But I observe this Father’s Day not just as a father grateful to be present in my daughters’ lives but also as a son who grew up without a father in my own life. My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told. And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.

As an adult, working as a community organizer and later as a legislator, I would often walk through the streets of Chicago’s South Side and see boys marked by that same absence—boys without supervision or direction or anyone to help them as they struggled to grow into men. I identified with their frustration and disengagement—with their sense of having been let down.

In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence—both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill. We can do everything possible to provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make up the difference.

That is why we need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.

As fathers, we need to be involved in our children’s lives not just when it’s convenient or easy, and not just when they’re doing well—but when it’s difficult and thankless, and they’re struggling. That is when they need us most.

And it’s not enough to just be physically present. Too often, especially during tough economic times like these, we are emotionally absent: distracted, consumed by what’s happening in our own lives, worried about keeping our jobs and paying our bills, unsure if we’ll be able to give our kids the same opportunities we had.

Our children can tell. They know when we’re not fully there. And that disengagement sends a clear message—whether we mean it or not—about where among our priorities they fall.

So we need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what’s going on in their lives.

We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done. We need to say to our daughters, Don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for your goals. We need to tell our sons, Those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in our house, we find glory in achievement, self-respect, and hard work.

We need to realize that we are our children’s first and best teachers. When we are selfish or inconsiderate, when we mistreat our wives or girlfriends, when we cut corners or fail to control our tempers, our children learn from that—and it’s no surprise when we see those behaviors in our schools or on our streets.

But it also works the other way around. When we work hard, treat others with respect, spend within our means, and contribute to our communities, those are the lessons our children learn. And that is what so many fathers are doing every day—coaching soccer and Little League, going to those school assemblies and parent-teacher conferences, scrimping and saving and working that extra shift so their kids can go to college. They are fulfilling their most fundamental duty as fathers: to show their children, by example, the kind of people they want them to become.

It is rarely easy. There are plenty of days of struggle and heartache when, despite our best efforts, we fail to live up to our responsibilities. I know I have been an imperfect father. I know I have made mistakes. I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood. There were many days out on the campaign trail when I felt like my family was a million miles away, and I knew I was missing moments of my daughters’ lives that I’d never get back. It is a loss I will never fully accept.

But on this Father’s Day, I think back to the day I drove Michelle and a newborn Malia home from the hospital nearly 11 years ago—crawling along, miles under the speed limit, feeling the weight of my daughter’s future resting in my hands. I think about the pledge I made to her that day: that I would give her what I never had—that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father. I knew that day that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless she had every opportunity in hers. And I knew I had an obligation, as we all do, to help create those opportunities and leave a better world for her and all our children.

On this Father’s Day, I am recommitting myself to that work, to those duties that all parents share: to build a foundation for our children’s dreams, to give them the love and support they need to fulfill them, and to stick with them the whole way through, no matter what doubts we may feel or difficulties we may face. That is my prayer for all of us on this Father’s Day, and that is my hope for this nation in the months and years ahead.

Vermicomposting

Chad recently saw this video on Vermicomposting and we've decided to give it a try! Just as a quick explanation, Vermicomposting is the breaking down of organic material using worms. Basically, you get a container, fill it with worms, put your leftover food in it and they eat it, which creates compost. So, we thought it would be a fun thing to do. We purchased a container, made air holes in it, put some soil in it and ordered our worms online. The kids really enjoyed putting it together and I was pretty amazed that Myra held the worms in her hand. We've been feeding the worms different things like watermelon rinds, egg shells, and lettuce. They are doing a pretty good job of eating it and the kids are always wanting to check on the worms. The funny thing though is that Myra is always telling people about them. She'll announce to anyone she see's, "We've got worms." Then I have to hastily explain to them what she's talking about. Silly girl!

Catch Up

Last week, Chad's mom came to visit us. She showed up on Sunday and the plan was to go up to Bear Lake on Monday for a couple of days. Unfortunately, Chad ended up with appendicitis on Monday, which changed all of our plans. He came home from the hospital on Tuesday and just took it easy. Then on Wednesday, he worked half a day. We were all surprised at how well he was doing. Not too much pain, at least that's what he said. We were very glad to have Grammy here with us during the week, especially on Monday to help out with the kids. Myra and Lexi loved having someone to play with all the time. They were quite sad when she left on Thursday. On Saturday morning, my friend Angie and I hosted a Baby Shower for our friend Janelle. It's her 3rd baby, but 1st BOY! We didn't have a huge turn out, but I sure had fun sitting around and chatting with the other women, especially since there were no kids! While I was there, Grammy and Grandad picked up the girls and headed up to Rexburg with them. Once the Baby Shower was over, Chad and I headed up to Rexburg as well. It was nice to have such a quiet drive! We went to Rexburg to see our new nephew, Michael! I was very excited to hold a newborn again. It made me extra excited for our baby to get here! Myra and Lexi were also SO excited to see the baby.
They both kept asking to hold him. They also had a good time playing with their cousin James. We played around the house on Saturday, then on Sunday they blessed Michael. We headed home that evening. On Monday morning, Myra started swim lessons at the local pool. She was so excited, but the first thing they had her do was dunk her head in the water. She doesn't like getting her eyes wet and so this didn't make her very happy. She wasn't too excited about going back the next day, so we went and let her pick out a new Beach towel and really talked it up. By Tuesday morning, she was ok with going back. I was glad that they started out in the shallow pool playing a couple of games. She had a lot more fun the 2nd day, which was a relief to me. She was quite upset that she didn't get to go yesterday and today because of the rain.
Yesterday morning we also had another ultrasound to make sure the baby is growing alright. The baby measured just a little bit small, but nothing to worry about. They'll probably do another ultrasound in a couple of weeks to check on the baby again. We took Lexi with us to this appointment and she was very excited about seeing the baby. Anyway, that about sums things up. Chad's hit his busy time during the cricket season, so we won't be seeing him as often. :-( And I've continued to be busy with the kids and my business. Life is good!

It's that time of Year!

Last Friday we decided to head up the canyon to roast hot dogs and marshmellows. We LOVE this time of year! We go up the canyon quite often for dinner, hiking, geocaching, whatever! It was fun to go up for the first time this year. We just went up Green Canyon, which is really close here. That's one of the best things about living in Cache Valley, there are several great canyons that are only a 10-15 minute drive away! We were surprised how packed it was and we ended up quite a ways up the canyon. On the drive up we saw a RattleSnake right in the middle of the road. Yuck! I admit I was a little more worried about the kids after that. I know snakes are in this area, but I'd never seen one. Anyway, we roasted hot dogs. Myra loved trying to roast her own hot dog, although she never got it close enough to the fire to cook it at all. Lexi sat at the table eating Chips and, well, mostly dip the entire time. It was a quick trip, but we had a great time enjoying the outdoors and a little campfire!

A first for Everything!

This past Saturday, Chad woke up during the night with terrible stomach pains. He was up most of the night and I didn't even know it. The next morning he was feeling better, but still had a pain in his stomach. He had to give a talk in church that day, so he was glad to be feeling a little better. After that, however, his stomach still bothered him all day. He said it was like a cramp you get from running too much. It never relented during the day and when it was still lingering Monday morning, I called the doctor's and scheduled an appointment for him. He never would have done it himself! To make a long story short, after seeing 2 doctors and having an ultrasound, they decided he had appendicitis and was rushed into surgery. It was so crazy! Everything happened so fast! The surgery took about an hour and after a little recovery time, he was in his hospital room. I was surprised how awake he was. Just a little shaky. Actually, throughout the rest of yesterday, he was doing really well. This morning he said it was a little more painful, but he was able to come home around 9:30 this morning. And besides a little tenderness, he's doing great! I think he's mostly upset that he had to have surgery. Chad's never had any medical problems before, no surgeries, not stitches, no broken bones, nothing! Everyone at the hospital seemed quite surprised that he was so healthy. The funniest thing was that Chad had ridden his bike to work yesterday morning. Everyone was so shocked that someone with Appendicitis had ridden up Old Main Hill just a couple of hours before having surgery! Every nurse that came in during the duration of his stay all commented on it, so they must have passed it along to everyone. Anyway, we are very grateful that it was caught early and that Chad is doing great!

Lost

A couple of nights ago, we went to ShopKo so I could look for some new Maternity clothing. I headed off to the dressing room to try some things on. When I came out, Chad asked me where Myra was. Apparently, after I had gone to the dressing room, she had taken off after me. He thought she had made it into the dressing room with me, but I had never seen her. We looked around all of 5 seconds before a voice came over the loud speaker, "Will Shannon Keyser please come to the front desk." Quite embarrassed, I head off to the front of the store. Sure enough, there's Myra, with a red splotchy face from crying. The funniest part though was seeing her standing there, holding several Bras she was bringing for me to try on. I guess she had gotten lost trying to find the dressing room. Hopefully that will be the last time I'm called over the loud speaker to get my kid, but very possibly not....

Lexi Do it Mom!

Lately, Lexi is all about doing things by herself. She doesn't want to sleep in her crib anymore. She doesn't want to sit in her booster seat. She doesn't want to wear a bib while eating. She wants to get in and out of her car seat by herself. She wants to get her own food. She even wants to put on her own diapers. The most common thing we seem to hear from her lately is, "I do it." Today, she informed me she doesn't want to wear diapers anymore. Funny, because she doesn't seem ready to potty train any time soon. She's never gone in the toilet and rarely do I even know if she's going in her diaper. So, I thought, we'll see where this goes. I let her pick out her own panties and I cleaned out the old kid potty. After nap, she wanted to wear her new panties. So, I told her that she had to tell me when she needed to go potty. Then, about every 5 minutes, I would ask her if she wanted to go potty. Which she would enthusiastically reply, Yes! Of course, she would just sit there and do nothing for about 2 seconds, before she jumped up yelling, Done! After a couple of tries, she promptly wet her pants and is now back in diapers. However, Myra has taken to this potty training MUCH more enthusiastically than I have. I've caught her several times in the bathroom with Lexi today, coaching her on potty-training basics. They include, but aren't limited to:
*(Yelling) Lexi, sit down and go potty!
*Don't poop in the little potty, just the big one.
*You have to pull out the toilet paper, like this. Make sure it goes in the toilet.
*(Yelling) Lexi, I'm going to tell you one more time, go potty!
*I'll go in the big toilet and you go in the little toilet.
*Lexi, why haven't you gone yet?
*(And my favorite!) When you are potty trained you have to learn the potty dance. I'll show you...

I'm making a VERY half-hearted effort to potty train Lexi right now, but maybe Myra will just do it all for me! After all, Lexi does do EVERYTHING that Myra does.