These three things you should know about spiders. But first, know this. They’re not bugs. In fact, insects probably outnumber spiders roughly 10 to one. Too bad so many things get blamed on spiders — insect bites, say, or medical conditions that require intervention. One. We are not their prey. In fact, most couldn’t bite…Continue Reading Spider FAQs One Two Three
Every Season Is Tick Season
At IPM we call it the black-legged tick because that’s its true name. Yet most people in North America — perhaps even you, dear reader — call it the deer tick. A name with curious stories to tell. But first the commercial: every season is tick season. Impervious to all but the most bitter cold,…Continue Reading Every Season Is Tick Season
We Reward Excellence
Each year, NYS IPM presents Excellence in IPM awards to people who make a difference on farms and in communities across New York. And each year we’re struck again at how much these people can accomplish through dedication, enthusiasm — and through walking the talk. Over the next weeks and months, we’d like to introduce…Continue Reading We Reward Excellence
Celebrating 30 years of IPM
Program report. You see the words; what comes to mind? Jargon. Puffery. In a word? Boring. But at NYS IPM, we’ve made a practice of telling stories — stories that take you on the farm, in the greenhouse, to the school cafeteria. Now we’ve taken the essence of all our annual reports spanning 30 years…Continue Reading Celebrating 30 years of IPM
Dear Turfgrass Managers
The Cornell Turfgrass Team is asking for your input. We want to know how you prefer to access turfgrass management information, what information is important to you, and how you think it should be paid for. Please take the Cornell Turfgrass Information Survey and pass the link onto others in NY’s turfgrass industry. The survey…Continue Reading Dear Turfgrass Managers
Cornell Forest Entomologist Tackles Tough Pests, Earns Excellence in IPM Award
ITHACA, NY. November 3, 2015: Emerald ash borer. Hemlock woolly adelgid. These pests pack a one-two punch for New York’s 18 million acres of forestland. Now, for his hard work and dedication in slowing the spread of these formidable pests, Mark Whitmore — a forest entomologist at Cornell University — has received an Excellence in…Continue Reading Cornell Forest Entomologist Tackles Tough Pests, Earns Excellence in IPM Award
Lawn IPM – Reducing Stress
“It’s so dry the trees are bribing the dogs.” ― Charles Martin, Chasing Fireflies While drought stress might not seem like an IPM issue, it can definitely impact how your grass will respond to pests, both current and future. As Pat Vittum, Turf Entomologist at UMass, tells her students, “Turf can take one or two…Continue Reading Lawn IPM – Reducing Stress
Get Rid of Carpenter Bees? Yes, Please!
Carpenter bees are common spring and summer insects in the eastern United States. They first come to attention when males “buzz” or “dive bomb” people passing by and females are seen excavating holes in wooden structures. Like carpenter ants, carpenter bees do not eat wood, but rather use the substrate for nesting. They are important…Continue Reading Get Rid of Carpenter Bees? Yes, Please!
The Wannabe Bees
Who wants to be a bee? I don’t claim to know the deepest desires of insects that visit our gardens and farms, except that they want to survive, eat and reproduce. So why do so many mimic other insects that are dangerous, such as yellowjackets? The black and yellow stripes of a typical yellowjacket are easily…Continue Reading The Wannabe Bees
Lawn IPM – Preparing for Summer
“Sopping, and with no sign of stopping, either- then a breather. Warm again, storm again- what is the norm, again? It’s fine, it’s not, it’s suddenly hot: Boom, crash, lightning flash!” – ― Old Farmer’s Almanac What a spring it has been. After a spring drought, the grass is now recovering (or finally coming out…Continue Reading Lawn IPM – Preparing for Summer