Today’s post is from our Biocontrol Specialist, Amara Dunn Have seed and plant catalogs started arriving in your mailbox, yet? This is the time of year I start thinking wistfully about the arrival of spring. If your spring daydreams include planting habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects, keep reading for the latest on NYS…Continue Reading Not Too Early to Start Planning for Pollinator Habitat
2018’s Best of NYS IPM
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” –Ken Blanchard 2018 has been quite the year and we have been busy blogging, tweeting, videoing, and Facebooking about it. Here’s a recap of some of our more popular 2018 offerings: ThinkIPM – our catchall blog and a great way to keep a pulse on…Continue Reading 2018’s Best of NYS IPM
Educator Bee-Guiles Audiences… Meet Excellence in IPM Award Winner Jen Lerner
Educator bee-guiles audiences with enthusiasm and results, earns Excellence in IPM award A 13 year veteran of Putnam County, Lerner’s work as an invasive species educator, native plant and pollinator advocate, and turfgrass researcher has demonstrated her commitment, enthusiasm and mastery of IPM tools and tactics. Promoting IPM through education, demonstrations, and inclusive programs, Lerner…Continue Reading Educator Bee-Guiles Audiences… Meet Excellence in IPM Award Winner Jen Lerner
Sorry, I Can’t Help You [grow that horribly invasive plant].
Today’s post is from Matt Frye. FYI: (He didn’t just show up on our door talking ticks or rats! And we’re glad he escaped the vines to join our program.) Kudzu is an invasive vine that was introduced from Japan to the United States in 1876. In its heyday, kudzu was planted extensively throughout the…Continue Reading Sorry, I Can’t Help You [grow that horribly invasive plant].
Pollinator Habitat
Today, Biocontrol Specialist Amara Dunn addresses a common question. So you want to grow habitat for pollinators…what’s the best method? The short answer is that there probably isn’t a single best method. But there may be a best method for you. I know it’s not a very satisfying answer, but let me explain. Remember that…Continue Reading Pollinator Habitat
Spotted Lanternfly: A Foe You Should Know
Ryan Parker, NYSIPM Program/Extension Aide II, has spent plenty of hours facing Spotted Wing Drosophila. Today he’s discussing the newest spotted pest. Adult spotted lanternfly. Photo by Emelie Swackhamer, Penn State University, Bugwood.org Tree of heaven. Photo by Chuck Bargeron, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is just heavenly to a spotted…Continue Reading Spotted Lanternfly: A Foe You Should Know
Stop the Bite – Mosquito IPM
Lest you think we only care about ticks these days, another bloodsucker is at its prime. The hot, muggy, wet weather has created perfect conditions for buzzy, bitey mosquitoes. Besides itchy welts, they too can transmit pathogens that cause disease. And the first report of mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile Virus in NY this…Continue Reading Stop the Bite – Mosquito IPM
The Jumping Spider at Your Service
It’s rare that a creature as small as a spider could be aware of a human in such a charismatic way, but that’s the nature of the jumping spider. With two pairs of forward-facing eyes set on a flat face (along with two other pairs pointing outward) the jumping spider is a predator that relies…Continue Reading The Jumping Spider at Your Service
Tick Trickery
Got ticks on your mind? Your questions. Our answers: How common are tick-borne diseases — and who is at risk? Lyme disease is the second most common infectious disease in the entire U.S. But over 96% of all cases come from only 14 states. Now that’s scary, because New York and the Northeast are at…Continue Reading Tick Trickery
Tick and Mosquito Repellent Safety—for You and Yours
ou might have noticed that we’re having a bit of a crisis with ticks and mosquitoes. They bite, they suck, and they can transmit pathogens to us during their feeding. One of the many things that we can do to avoid ticks and mosquitoes is to use repellents. But there are two important ideas to…Continue Reading Tick and Mosquito Repellent Safety—for You and Yours