Alabama peanut farmers have a sweet spot for Valentine’s Day. Consumers love to commemorate the “holiday of love” with the gift of candy, and the sweet and salty flavor combination of chocolate and peanuts remains America’s favorite treat.

That’s good news for farmers because nearly 20 percent of peanuts harvested are used in candy production. According to the Alabama Peanut Producers four of the top 10 selling candy bars contain peanuts or peanut butter. Many candy lovers would insist no box of chocolates is complete without turtles, a traditional confection made of chocolate, caramel and nuts.

Candy is one of the most popular Valentine’s Day gifts, second only to greeting cards, according to a survey from StatisticBrain.com.

Peanuts are an important crop in Alabama, contributing $211.4 million to the state’s economy and employing 2,046 people. Nearly half of national peanut production is located within 100 miles of Dothan, Ala.

Bermudagrass stem maggot, a new invasive pest, has been found across much of the Southeast. First identified in Georgia in 2010, bermudagrass stem maggot is a pest that cattle and forage producers need to learn how to manage.

A webinar,  Biology and Management of Bermudagrass Stem Maggot, will be held at 10 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 6. This webinar is an excellent opportunity for cattle and forage producers to get an update on the bermudagrass stem maggot.

Drs. William Hudson and Dennis Hancock from the University of Georgia will discuss the status of this new invasive pest and provide research-based information on what is known about its biology and management. Questions for the speakers can be submitted during the webinar via e-mail and will be answered during the webinar.

The webinar will be recorded so it can be viewed at any time after Feb. 6.

Got ants?  Tired of ladybug invasions in the fall?  Brought home bed bugs from your last trip?  Alabama Cooperative Extension professionals will moderatre a free webinar series that will take on all of these topics.  In 2013, most of the webinars will be on fire ants and other invasive ant specias.  Other topics for the year include bed bugs and various insects that invade homes each autumn.

Alabama Extension entomologist Dr. Kathy Flanders says these free webinars are designed for homeowners and the general public.

"We will provide them wilth sound, research-based management solutions for these pests from some of the best experts around the country," she says.  "The webinars are specifically for ordinary people wno need answers they can use."

"Participating is as simple as clicking on a web link."

Each webinar will begin at 1 p.m.