This year New York celebrated its first Invasive Species Awareness Week. Across the state, organizations and communities rallied to educate people about the damage caused by invaders. They gave workshops on pest ID. They even pulled weeds. Awareness Week was a great success, serving as a reminder for year-round vigilance in dealing with invasive species….Continue Reading Beware This Beetle: It Is B-A-D
Tis the Zzzzzzzzzz Season
After a long winter, warm weather is a welcome change. But no season is perfect. The air is abuzz with the zzzzzzzzzzz’ing of mosquitoes, a small insect that more than makes up for its size in its capacity to annoy. But mere annoyance is not the extent of the problem with mosquitoes. Itching and swelling…Continue Reading Tis the Zzzzzzzzzz Season
IPM’s Pest Pinochle Debuts at Empire Farm Days
Empire Farm Days is coming back to Seneca Falls from August 5 – 7 for the umpteenth time. So, of course, is NYS IPM, with a table in the Cornell University barn just off the north parking lot. We’re mixing it up a little this year — building our presence around a couple of pinochle…Continue Reading IPM’s Pest Pinochle Debuts at Empire Farm Days
Bad News for Basil
Planning on pesto? Basil downy mildew can leave you with a pot of pasta and no sauce. Basil downy mildew is a disease that can survive on the seed and infect the plant as soon as it germinates. It can also travel by airborne spores and infect plants that started out clean. It only affects…Continue Reading Bad News for Basil
Watch for Pine Sawflies
Notice needle damage on pine trees? Look close. It may be caused by conifer-feeding sawflies. Sawflies feeding on Scotch pine Sawflies? As larvae they look caterpillars which might develop into moths, their name implies they’ll be flies, but they actually become non-stinging wasps as adults. And the saw? As adult wasps the females cut slits in…Continue Reading Watch for Pine Sawflies
Teaching Growers About IPM for Sweet Corn
Many growers practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM), but a refresher is always welcome. And of course, there are others that need a little convincing to try IPM. This year we’re providing on-farm IPM demonstrations at three sweet corn farms throughout NY. Growers have agreed to set portions of their fields aside and let IPM practices…Continue Reading Teaching Growers About IPM for Sweet Corn
Get Hopping? Cornell Hosting Hops Conference at CLEREL on June 21, 2014
The reemerging and geographically diverse hops industry in the Northeastern United States is being driven by a popularity of microbrews, home brewing, and the buy local food movement. The production of hops in the Northeastern United States is currently, and will continue to be, typically a small operation (0.5 – 10 acres). However, with an…Continue Reading Get Hopping? Cornell Hosting Hops Conference at CLEREL on June 21, 2014
Why Is This Grass Weak?
Let me count the ways. First, a little perspective – this is the front lawn of a school that was just renovated. There was little money to invest in the lawn and even less to help the struggling lawn. Problem #1: Compaction This area was the staging area for the equipment and material storage during…Continue Reading Why Is This Grass Weak?
The 80/20 Rule of Pest Activity
When a pest problem begins in an office or workshop, it might seem like the entire place is overrun. But more often the pests are feeding and breeding in just a few confined areas — making there way from there to other parts of the building. Pest managers call this the 80/20 rule, meaning that…Continue Reading The 80/20 Rule of Pest Activity
Green Lacewing a Good one!!
That green fluttery insect near your porch light at night — with wings like green lace? That’s a green lacewing. Lacewings are beneficials — good insects, ones that prey on insects you don’t want. Actually, what you’ve seen is an adult lacewing; it feeds on flower nectar, pollen, and aphid honeydew. It’s the lacewing larvae…Continue Reading Green Lacewing a Good one!!