“Truth in advertising. We have had fungus gnats in the IPM house” – NYSIPM staffer Just because we spend our working hours thinking, researching, and educating about pests does not mean we don’t sometimes have issues too. We decided a presentation on fungus gnats could help other NYers as well. On Friday, February 4, Dr….Continue Reading What’s Bugging You? – Fungus Gnats
Let’s start with a short pre-blog quiz: which of these native insects pollinate plants? bees moths beetles all of the above — plus flies, wasps, butterflies, moths The answer? #4. If you left out flies and wasps because they freak you out … well, just know there’s scads of different wasps and flies — not…Continue Reading pollination potpourri: wasps, moths, flies, beetles, and oh yes … bees
Insects exhibit a variety of behaviors or adaptations that help them to survive the harsh conditions of winter. One that can be quite frustrating to homeowners belongs to the the group of insects we call “overwintering pests.” These organisms survive winter by taking refuge in South or West facing cracks and crevices, which maximizes exposure to the…Continue Reading Are you ready for fall invaders?
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
A common pest in homes is the red-eyed fruit fly: Drosophila melanogaster. Famous for use in genetic studies, and infamous for emerging from store-bought bananas, management of this fly rarely requires more than discarding infested items outside of the home. Management of this fly’s cousin, the dark-eyed fruit fly (Drosophila repleta), also requires elimination of…Continue Reading Fruit Flies of a Different (eye) Color
It’s tiny, but it packs a wallop. That’s SWD — spotted-wing drosophila — a new invasive fruit fly that’s put down roots in nearly every berry-growing region in North America. Losses can range from “lots” to “entire crop wiped out.” In New York alone, that’s millions of dollars down the drain. CBS2’s Vanessa Murdock reported…Continue Reading Tiny Fruit-Fly Pest Packs Big Wallop — Now on TV
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
Fireflies are out and about, here and there — and when you see them, know that corn rootworms are most likely hatching. If this is year one of a corn rotation, not to worry. Otherwise — scout. Small investment, big returns. Stable fly adults — ouch — have emerged via slowly growing larvae from…Continue Reading Fireflies and … “Four Firsts” in Field Crops