I love any excuse to come to New York — when it’s not February. — K. A. Applegate Ahh, February. The Monday of months. Yet even with a foot of snow on the ground over most of New York, you can take steps now for a healthy lawn. First, be grateful for the snow —…Continue Reading Lawn IPM – the February Edition
Nature’s Herbicides and Lessons from Black Walnut Trees
You’re prepping your garden for winter, muttering about the sapling black walnut trees the squirrels planted on your behalf mere inches away — and the mother tree is in your neighbor’s yard. You know you can’t put off removing them: this might be the last year your loppers can manage the task. Black walnuts get…Continue Reading Nature’s Herbicides and Lessons from Black Walnut Trees
How to Winterize Your Compost Pile
Let’s make compost. It’s an earthy topic. Does it matter? Oh, yes. Bagging up organic matter and setting it out for trash is a pity — the moment it’s dumped in the landfill, it turns quickly to methane, a greenhouse gas 20-plus times more potent than CO2. And trash trucks bring tons of it to…Continue Reading How to Winterize Your Compost Pile
Move Over, Medusa: Pretty? Poisonous! in the Caterpillar Clan
Our gratitude to Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County, for letting us use this post. The IPM connection? ID those fuzzy beasts before you add them to your “warm and fuzzy” petting zoo. When I was a kid I was fascinated by caterpillars but had trouble with the word. To me, the sweet little woolly-bear…Continue Reading Move Over, Medusa: Pretty? Poisonous! in the Caterpillar Clan
Trees and Drought Make for Less Colorful Fall (and the IPM Connection)
Many thanks to Paul Hetzler, CCE St. Lawrence County, for permission to use this piece. It turns out that, in terms of fall foliage, the color of too dry is officially known as “blah.” This would undoubtedly be the least popular color selection if it was included in a jumbo pack of Crayolas. Basically, it…Continue Reading Trees and Drought Make for Less Colorful Fall (and the IPM Connection)
Tick Talk, Tick Checks, Tick Folklore — and More to Come
I needed some quick advice on ticks. So I went to NYS IPM’s tick webpage and saw — oops. This page is due for a makeover. Now. Why? Conventional wisdom has it that a (so-called) deer tick needs to be attached to its host for at least 24 hours before it can transmit Lyme disease….Continue Reading Tick Talk, Tick Checks, Tick Folklore — and More to Come
World-class Golf Comes Home. Thank You, IPM
The Barclays PGA Tournament kicks off the FedEx Cup playoff in professional golf. This year it’s right here, right now — at Bethpage State Park on Long Island in downstate New York. The IPM (integrated pest management) piece of this story? Here’s where we tested, developed, and showcased preventive, threshold-based IPM protocols that can steeply…Continue Reading World-class Golf Comes Home. Thank You, IPM
Fighting Waterbugs — with Water
Plumbing issues lead to pest problems — there’s little doubt about that. Leaks offer standing water to rodents, and clogged, scummy drains are breeding sites for flies. How curious that one of the most common plumbing-related pest problems I see is drains and pipes without water. Case Study At a multi-story office building, workers reported…Continue Reading Fighting Waterbugs — with Water
Ultrasonic Devices? Ultra-Ineffective
Sometimes I get questions about using ultrasonic devices for coping with pests. “Mrs. Jones uses them and she never sees a mouse!” is often how it goes. I understand the appeal: plug in this thing and my problem is solved. Sure! They also have great marketing campaign: this device will emit a sound you can’t…Continue Reading Ultrasonic Devices? Ultra-Ineffective
Wasps and Festivals
One of the great things about living in New York State in the summer and fall is the availability of numerous festivals. It seems like every area has several each weekend. Hard to choose! In addition to sudden downpours, yellowjacket wasps are one of the consistent nemeses of festival attendees. This is especially true in…Continue Reading Wasps and Festivals