When winged assailants — bees, wasps, biting flies — come after us, well, we evolved to run or swat. Now, running makes sense. But swatting? Sometimes that swatting thing can be an evolutionary dead end. Swat the wrong wasp and next thing you know the entire nest is on your case. An injured (or annoyed)…Continue Reading All Buzz. No Sting. Carpenter Bees Do Just What Their Name Suggests
Dandelions? Wasps? Mice? For Every Season There Is a Purpose (But It’s Not Always Obvious)
It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh, you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! — Mark Twain For IPMers who answer homeowner questions, what many people want…Continue Reading Dandelions? Wasps? Mice? For Every Season There Is a Purpose (But It’s Not Always Obvious)
April Was the Cruelest Month: Hard Freeze in Fruit Orchards
Imagine a winter rather like this past one. A winter where February behaved like March (mostly) and March impersonated April. A delight to be sure. But not for the fruit grower with an eye on the weather. Not in New York; not anywhere in the Northeast or parts of the upper Midwest, for that matter….Continue Reading April Was the Cruelest Month: Hard Freeze in Fruit Orchards
Futuristic Billboard Kills Zika Mosquitoes
Its creators call this a billboard. And while it has much in common with the classy, upscale billboards now peppering cities and towns around the world, this particular model is actually a sophisticated piece of equipment — built to attract mosquitoes from more than a mile away. The goal: to intercept and kill mosquitoes —…Continue Reading Futuristic Billboard Kills Zika Mosquitoes
It’s tick season. Put away the matches.
It’s tick season and social media is blowing up with recommendations for removing ticks. Petroleum jelly, a hot match, twisting tools, and swirling with a cotton swab are a few on the list. They all promise to cause the tick to release with the head intact. People are very concerned about leaving the head behind….Continue Reading It’s tick season. Put away the matches.
BioBlitz! Earth Day Helps Teach Appreciation of Wild Things on Golf Courses
It’s BioBlitz time. Beginning on Earth Day (Friday, April 22) and running through Migratory Bird Day (Saturday, May 24), hundreds of Audubon International-certified golf courses are hosting events for golfers, their families, their friends (kids too) — to see who can find and ID as many plants and critters (bugs and mushrooms count too) as…Continue Reading BioBlitz! Earth Day Helps Teach Appreciation of Wild Things on Golf Courses
iMapInvasives Training
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. – Frank Lloyd Wright Do you go outside? Then the NY Natural Heritage Program is looking for you to help map invasive species! And they are providing free training throughout the state for your convenience. iMapInvasives New York is New York State’s on-line…Continue Reading iMapInvasives Training
No Greenhouse, No Grow Light? This Advice Is a Fun Read Anyway
Now, I don’t have a greenhouse or even a grow light on my windowsill. But sometimes IPM ornamentals specialist Elizabeth Lamb’s posts are so much fun to read that I just want to share them with the world. From now on, it’s Elizabeth’s voice you’re hearing. I just figured out how to hyperlink in my…Continue Reading No Greenhouse, No Grow Light? This Advice Is a Fun Read Anyway
Trees and Threes: Prune Now to Keep Trees Healthy
Our gratitude to Paul Hetzler for this lovely piece, adapted for “Think IPM.” Here in one place is most everything you need to know about pruning to keep your trees fit and trim. As far as trees are concerned, early spring is the best time to prune. (Late summer is second–best.) In the 4 to…Continue Reading Trees and Threes: Prune Now to Keep Trees Healthy
Lee Telega, Cornell agricultural advocate, earns Excellence in IPM award
Lee Telega loves farming. Respects science-based knowledge. Cares deeply for the environment. Navigates the halls of New York’s legislature as comfortably as he once navigated a tractor. These attributes were a perfect match for Telega’s steadfast advocacy for the NYS IPM Program, because advocate he did. As a member of Cornell’s Government Affairs office, Telega…Continue Reading Lee Telega, Cornell agricultural advocate, earns Excellence in IPM award