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Our translator station serving St. Francis and Cheyenne County at 96.3 FM is off the air due to an air conditioning breakdown at its leased transmitter site, making it too hot for HPPR's equipment to operate. We are currently working to fix the situation. We apologize for the loss of service and ask listeners to tune to KZNK at 90.1 FM or listen on line through the player above or HPPR's mobile app.

Growing on the High Plains: Hungry Caterpillars Make Magnificent Moths

Photo credit: Lisa Brummett, Kansas State University

Today's Growing on the High Plains features a couple of unique garden worms that mature into moth-hood in spectacular fashion.

When you take care of a tomato garden, you come to expect a few freeloaders among the foliage. Today's show will share some insight about the common "tomato hornworm," a greedy gobbler that'll decimate your plants and is difficult to deter. We'll also flutter through the features of a white-lined sphinx moth, whose hyperspeed flitting rivals that of the hummingbird. These critters might be small, but they can serve your garden a punch—and sometimes gardeners return it with a crunch.

Years ago Skip Mancini left the rocky coast of Northern California to return to her roots in the heartland. Her San Francisco friends, concerned over her decision to live in a desolate flatland best known for a Hollywood tornado, were afraid she would wither and die on the vine. With pioneer spirit, Skip planted a garden. She began to learn about growing not only flowers and vegetables, but hearts and minds. If you agree that the prairie is a special place, we think you'll enjoy her weekly sojourns into Growing on the High Plains.