“He that plants trees loves others besides himself.” – Thomas Fuller Pollinators have been big news over the past few years. Whether you are a farmer, golf course superintendent, landscaper, gardener, or just a random person walking down the street, it is likely that you have heard the importance of protecting pollinators and doing your…Continue Reading Right Plant, Right Place – For Pollinators
Pests, Pesticides and Proposals: Funding IPM Community Projects
Pests and pesticides—both can pose problems to our health, our environment, and our economy. At the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program (NYS IPM), we help New Yorkers address those problems safely and thoughtfully. How? Through innovative biological, cultural, technological, and educational practices. IPM, in a word. Community IPM takes place in settings as…Continue Reading Pests, Pesticides and Proposals: Funding IPM Community Projects
When It Rains, It Pours: Anatomy of a Wet Year
Remarkable, how much things can shift in a single year. Case in point: the growing season in 2017 compared to that in 2016. The contrast was stark, with ’17 as wet as ’16 was dry. These things matter to all of us. After all, there are over 35,000 farms in New York, covering over 20…Continue Reading When It Rains, It Pours: Anatomy of a Wet Year
Climate, Weather, Data: Change Is the Name of the Game
Nearly two years ago, NYS IPM convened “Climate, Weather, Data,” a statewide conference focused on pests and our changing climate. Because it’s here. It’s real. So … what will a shifting climate mean for our farms and forests, our parks and gardens? We brought together researchers, crop consultants, farmers, and more from New York and…Continue Reading Climate, Weather, Data: Change Is the Name of the Game
Planning for pollinators: No time like now
$1.15 billion. That’s what the 450 species of wild pollinators that call New York home contribute to our agricultural economy each year. But we’ve seen alarming declines in pollinators of every stripe and color. Some are bees and wasps. Others are flies and butterflies (and on the night shift, moths). Their loss is worrisome to…Continue Reading Planning for pollinators: No time like now
One bug at a time: how biocontrol helps you, even in winter
Sure it’s winter. But many greenhouse growers work year-round. And what’s this about biocontrols? In fields, orchards, vineyards, and greenhouses—especially greenhouses—biocontrols are the predators and parasites that keep pests in check, minus the pesticides. What’s special about greenhouses? They’re where pests consistently find plenty of food, just-right temperatures, and little to stop them from bounding out…Continue Reading One bug at a time: how biocontrol helps you, even in winter
We give awards: IPM, excellence, and Julie Suarez
True — this media release dates back to January 4. But that’s not so long ago, and for someone like Julie Suarez it bears repeating. In short: we presented Julie (whom you’ll meet in a minute) with an Excellence in IPM award for—well, we could name a host of reasons. But we’ll let this speak…Continue Reading We give awards: IPM, excellence, and Julie Suarez
Ticks and the freezing weather
“That is a bracing cold, an invigorating cold. Lord, is it cold!” – Sheldon Cooper It is inevitable that when the temperatures drop below zero we are asked “Will this extended period of extremely low temps kill off ticks?” First, the bad news. We do not expect the cold to directly affect blacklegged or dog…Continue Reading Ticks and the freezing weather
Rats! the latest research comes with surprises
Consider the rat — the urban sort. Then consider our health, our food, and the damage rats do to our buildings. Yet despite the considerable impact they have, there’s not much science out there. Until recently, most of the research dates back to the mid-1900’s. Now, though, rodent researchers worldwide are taking a closer look…Continue Reading Rats! the latest research comes with surprises
Wasps in winter? the IPM do-nothing approach
You might live in a row house, an apartment house, a single-family dwelling. You might have a carport or outbuildings. You might be buttoning up a concession stand for the winter and moving the picnic benches under cover for the winter. And then … you see it. Feel it. A wasp or hornet nest, up…Continue Reading Wasps in winter? the IPM do-nothing approach