Winter 2007 Newsletter The Estates of Shady Hollow HOMEOWNERS’ ASSOCIATION Volume I, Issue 2 President’s Message Inside this Issue: Hello Neighbors - have “Karst features” that in all directions around the Wild Estates 2 need to be permanently identi- hydrant. Soil and/or mulch Our annual HOA meeting was Wild Estates (continued) 3 fied and protected. Our HOA may not be stacked against rescheduled for Thursday, is interested in sponsoring this the fire hydrant and an 18-inch Crime Watch 4 November 15th, at 6:30 pm. project. Please contact any of clearance must be maintained The meeting was held at the Water Information 5 the HOA Directors if know if from ground level to the bot- Bailey Middle School cafeteria. you know of a Scout or Troop tom of the hose connection. If HOA page 6 Two ESHHOA Board of Direc- interested in taking on this a fire hydrant is in your yard, Trail (continued) 7 tor positions were filled and we community service project. we thank you for your volun- HOA (continued) 8 voted on a minor revision to tary compliance with these In the near future, the Man- our Deed Restrictions and By- public safety standards. Around Austin 9 chaca Volunteer Fire Depart- Laws defining Members of the ment will be testing the fire Best wishes to you all as we Classified 10 Association as Homeowners in hydrants in our neighborhood start this holiday season.. the Estates of Shady Hollow. HOA Information 11 and marking them. Please do Crossword Yours Truly, The HOA is looking for an Ea- your part to protect and main- gle Scout or Scout Troop tain these fire hydrants. Fire Bob Thonhoff COMMUNICATION needing a project that the HOA hydrants must be visible from President, ESHHOA • The HOA has an e-mail distribu- can sponsor. In our common the street and not obscured by tion list. We use it to communi- 2007 President area, the “greenbelt” aquifer landscaping. A three foot cate important information. If recharge drainage area, we clearance must be maintained Estates of Shady Hollow HOA you have not please send an email to [email protected] to be added. ESHHOA Holiday Decorating Contest • The ESHHOA Board of Directors is creating and will distribute a directory for the ESH neighbor- hood. The last one was eight years ago in 1999! See the forth- coming postcard for more infor- Happy Holidays! mation. • The ESHHOA Board of Directors The ESHHOA is sponsoring the Holiday Lights meets on the third Thursday of each month from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Except for the annual Decorating Contest for the 2007 season. Judg- meeting, the board meets at the Manchaca Fire Hall on FM1626. ing will be on or before December 21st. First For the annual meeting, the board meets at Bailey Middle School. Prize will receive a $100 gift certificate. Honor- We always welcome all ESH home- owners at the meetings or you are free to submit your comments or able Mentions (2) will receive $50 gift certificates. concerns to any director. (see page 9 for contact information) Life in the Wild Estates! This issue we highlight some of the non-people resi- dents in the Estates of Shady Hollow neighborhood... Striped Bark Scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) Scorpions are arachnids, close relatives of ticks, mites and spiders. They are easily rec- ognized by their characteristic shape. Scorpions prefer dryland habitats but they do oc- cur throughout Texas. They can be a nuisance when they interact with humans because they will sting when disturbed. Biology Scorpions hide during the day and become active at night. This behavior helps scorpi- ons manage temperature and water balance, important functions for survival in dry habitats. Many species dig burrows in the soil. They detect and capture prey by the sense of touch. They also have a well-developed sense of hearing. Scorpions hide under stones, bark, wood or other objects on the ground where they wait or search for prey. Chief foods are small insects, spiders, centipedes, earthworms, and other scorpions. Once they capture their prey, they use the large pincers to crush and draw it toward the mouth. The body juices of the prey are eaten by the scorpion. Some species may live for 20 to 25 years, but longevity of the typical scorpion is between 3 and 8 years. Adult scorpions may have several broods of young. Following an elaborate mating process, which lasts from 24 to 36 hours, the female undergoes a gestation period ranging from 5 months to more than 1 year. The young are born alive in semi-transparent sacs. As soon as the young scorpions free themselves from these thin wrappers, they climb onto their mother's back. Already capable of stinging, the young scorpions leave the mother after several days and begin to fend for themselves. Scorpions reach maturity in a year or more, depending on availability of food. The sting of scorpions may be painful, or even deadly, depending on the species. Of 1,500 species of scorpions world- wide, only about 20 to 25 are regarded as dangerous. Stings from such species may cause paralysis, severe convul- sions, cardiac irregularities, or breathing difficulties that may lead to death. Antivenins are available in areas where dan- gerous scorpions live. A scorpion's venom is a mixture of compounds including neurotoxins that affect the victim's nervous system. Fortunately, none of the species in Texas are considered deadly. Stings from most of these species are about as painful as a bee or wasp sting, but the severity of the sting is dependent upon the individual scorpion and the person's reaction to the venom. As with any arthropod venom, allergic reactions are possible. In these situations, immediate medical attention would be required. Scorpion Stings When handled or disturbed, scorpions can inflict a painful sting using the poison gland at the end of the tail. Avoiding their habitats helps prevent stings. The stings from Texas scorpions produce only moderate reactions in most people because the poison has little affect on the nervous system. However, a person who is stung by a scorpion should be watched closely for adverse reactions. An ice pack applied to the affected area will relieve some pain. If swelling and/or pain persists or if breathing difficulties occur, immediate medical attention is necessary. Control Scorpions are difficult to control with insecticides alone. Therefore, the first control strategy is to modify the area sur- rounding a house. • Remove all trash, logs, boards, stones, bricks and other objects from around the home. • Keep grass closely mowed near the home. Prune bushes and overhanging tree branches away from the house. Tree branches can provide a path to the roof for scorpions. • Store garbage containers in a frame that allows them to rest above ground level. • Never bring firewood inside the house unless it is placed directly on the fire. • Install weather-stripping around loose fitting doors and windows. • Plug weep holes in brick veneer homes with steel wool, pieces of nylon scouring pad or squares of screen wire. • Caulk around roof eaves, pipes and any other cracks into the home. • Keep window screens in good repair. Make sure they fit tightly in the window frame. Page 2 The Estates of Shady Hollow Life in the Wild Estates! Once again, there is an increase in Most ESHHOA residents are Red imported fire ants are medium wildlife sightings in the neighbor- aware that we have quite a num- -sized ants that build mounds of hood. Some have reported seeing ber of deer living in our neighbor- soft soil. When disturbed, fire ants foxes and coyotes in the Estates, hood. Most residents like the deer emerge aggressively and sting. and some cats are missing. that roam our yards and duck in Their sting usually leaves a white behind brush and houses when pustule on the skin. Other small to Some of our new neighbors here folks are walking in their direction. medium-sized ants that build small may be surprised to know that The only time the lovely animals in mounds will actually run away wildlife is rampant in our little slice from disturbances and are not fire of suburbia, but especially with our neighborhood typically become a nuisance is when they breakfast ants. construction going on around us, Although most ants are recogniz- more deer, mice and other animals on a favorite plant or surprise us when we are driving at night. able, some forms of winged ants move in. When prey comes, so do are often confused with termites, the predators. It sounds hard to believe and is especially during the termite Some suggestions to reduce difficult to remember that deer are swarming season. The front pair of predators such as coyotes and wild animals and under certain cir- wings on ants is larger than the foxes: cumstances can be dangerous. hind pair, while the four wings of This being said, one ESHHOA Don't leave cat or dog food outside termites are approximately the resident reported that a buck in our same size. Ants have "elbowed" during the night. Feed inside or try neighborhood made aggressive to feed outside during daylight. antennae and a "thin movements towards him while out waist" (narrow between the thorax Leaving a lot of birdseed on the on a evening walk. ground will also attract unwanted and first abdominal segments). In visitors. While rare, there are a number of termites, the thorax and abdomen deer attacks reported every year in are broadly connected and their Make sure to close trashcans the U.S. Attacks have been attrib- antennae are straight and hairlike.