Grub damage is showing up in New York later this year than usual, so don’t let your guard down just because it’s October. Still, how do you know if it’s grubs — or something else? One test: if you can loosen the sod with a trowel or garden fork, then peel it up like a…Continue Reading IPM for Dead Grass SOS
Test Your Bed-Bug IQ
Test your bed-bug knowledge — and no peeking at the answer key. A. Which diseases do bed bugs spread? A. Hepatitis B. AIDs C. Malaria D. None E. Meningitis B. How long might I need to leave my house for, so bed bugs will starve? A. A week B. Two weeks C. A month D….Continue Reading Test Your Bed-Bug IQ
Tiny Fruit-Fly Pest Packs Big Wallop — Now on TV
It’s tiny, but it packs a wallop. That’s SWD — spotted-wing drosophila — a new invasive fruit fly that’s put down roots in nearly every berry-growing region in North America. Losses can range from “lots” to “entire crop wiped out.” In New York alone, that’s millions of dollars down the drain. CBS2’s Vanessa Murdock reported…Continue Reading Tiny Fruit-Fly Pest Packs Big Wallop — Now on TV
What Is That Wasp in the Window?
Those of us who work in “structural pest management” (think office buildings, schools, or homes) tend to see the same cast of characters each year: cockroaches, ants, termites and bed bugs to name a few. But every now and then an interesting critter will show up that has a neat story to tell. Enter Brachymeria…Continue Reading What Is That Wasp in the Window?
Late Blight Strikes Again — Blame It on the Weather
This summer New Yorkers have seen more than their share of late blight, a dread disease of potatoes and tomatoes. The abundance of rain we’ve had statewide provides perfect conditions for the “water mold” pathogen that causes this disease. August alone saw 36 late blight reports in New York. Pennsylvania and the New England states…Continue Reading Late Blight Strikes Again — Blame It on the Weather
Bee Alert When Using Pesticides
If you’ve seen neonics in the news lately, you know that there’s a debate raging on the connection neonics might have with the health of honeybees and native bees that pollinate so many of our food and ornamental crops. Neonics — that’s short for neonicotinoids. And neonicotinoid — well, this mouthful of a word is…Continue Reading Bee Alert When Using Pesticides
Alien Plant Take Over Your Flowers? No — It’s “Aster Yellows”
Are your purple coneflowers suddenly looking weird — as in truly weird, almost like some alien plant highjacked them and replaced their gorgeous flowering heads with its own? Ah … but it’s really a disease called aster yellows. And those green flower heads? They’re tufts of deformed coneflower leaves erupting amidst the blossoms. Aster yellows,…Continue Reading Alien Plant Take Over Your Flowers? No — It’s “Aster Yellows”