Muskrat Day. Velcro Appreciation Month. Hair Follicle Hygiene Week. Arbor Day. You know it’s an obscure event when the greeting-card trade hasn’t bothered to capitalize on it. I like to think the industry knows Arbor Day is worthy of a Hallmark line, but that they’ve decided to honor its spirit by conserving paper. (C’mon, it’s…Continue Reading Make Every Day Arbor Day – contributed by Paul Hetzler
Ground Bees Come in Peace
One of the first springtime insects that homeowners observe are ground bees. These insects create ant-hill like mounds in areas of bare soil with a ¼” opening in the center (about the thickness of a pencil). On warm, sunny days there may be dozens to hundreds of bees flying low to the ground among the…Continue Reading Ground Bees Come in Peace
Lawn IPM—Getting Ahead of the Weeds
“…winter, will be forced to relent, once again, to the new beginnings of soft greens, longer light, and the sweet air of spring.” – Madeleine M. Kunin As spring progresses and temperatures continue to rise, lawns are recovering from the long winter. As the grass grows and the dry tips are mowed off, areas that…Continue Reading Lawn IPM—Getting Ahead of the Weeds
An Unwelcome House Guest: the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
The shield-shaped adult brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) are between ½ to ¾ inch long with grayish-brown speckling on the top and bottom. “Marmorated” refers to the light and dark bands along the edges of the body. Now (April – May) is the time that they emerge from their overwintering places in our houses to…Continue Reading An Unwelcome House Guest: the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
Lawn care and the spring itch
“April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.” ― William Shakespeare It’s Spring (with a capital S) and the urge to get outside and work in the yard is mounting. When it comes to your lawn, what should you be thinking about and doing as April progresses? Ahhh, spring. Waiting for the grass to…Continue Reading Lawn care and the spring itch
IPM | Looking Back to Look Ahead Circa 1986
Last week we announced that — now that we’re 30 — we’ve planned a whole different take on our Year in Review. For prepping for NYS IPM’s 30th anniversary takes looking back — back to times when IPM was a whole new ballgame for farmers statewide. What are we finding? Take these “for instances”: Our…Continue Reading IPM | Looking Back to Look Ahead Circa 1986