Fall is a busy time for tree squirrels as they comb their environment for food to store for the winter. While they can be fun to watch, they can also be a real nuisance for bird feeders and the garden in general. They feed on a variety of fruits, nuts, and other crops and plants, […]
Squirrels making you nutty? Read More »
Or chewing marks on the trunk of your fruit tree? Could be voles. These little rodents, also known as meadow mice, can inflict some serious damage. They have a compact, heavy body, stubby legs, a short-furred tail, small eyes, and partially hidden ears. Their long, coarse fur is blackish brown to grayish brown. When fully
Got holes in your lawn? Read More »
In the early morning hours, you may see a striking work of art stretching across a doorway or between plants – an orb weaver spider web. Their elaborate, sticky, wheel-shaped webs, measuring up to two feet in diameter, are recreated daily. They eat their web and build a new one! The web extends the spider’s
Be on the lookout for this beautiful spider! Read More »
Ticks are insects that attach to you or your pets and have the potential to transmit diseases once they start feeding. They cannot jump or fly, but often climb grasses and shrubs in order to come in contact with people or animals walking by. Reduce the ticks in your yard by keeping leaf litter, tall
It’s the season for Ticks! Read More »
Yellowjacket wasps prey on other insects and scavenge on human food and garbage. Yellowjackets defend their nests, as do other social wasps and bees, but are more likely to sting if disturbed while foraging. Learn how to distinguish between yellowjackets, wasps and look-alikes. Stings generally cause pain and short-term injury, but some people suffer severe
The flying pests of summer – Yellowjackets Read More »
You’ve been carefully tending your tomatoes dreaming of the day that you’ll be able to pick that plump red globe and savor the fruit. But alas, when you go to pick it, you see a big chunk missing, like someone took a bite out of it while on the vine. There are a few possibilities,
What’s eating my tomatoes? Read More »
Bats. Their mere mention evokes visions of silent, blood-sucking creatures that haunt the night skies or so the scary movies would have us believe. Centuries of superstition and misinformation have landed the furry, winged mammals with the undeserved reputation of nighttime villain. T’aint so. Overall, bats provide positive benefits to the environment – consuming huge
Shy and misunderstood, bats are a benefit to the gardener Read More »
Hot, dry and dusty are pretty typical outdoor conditions for this time of year. The last rains were months ago; late summer and early fall often features toasty daytime temperatures with low relative humidity. Most people, plants and animals don’t prefer it, but it’s ideal for pesky spider mites. More than 200 different plant species,
These pests love hot, dry and dusty conditions Read More »
The pocket gopher is named for the external, fur-lined check pouches the little pests use to carry food to their storage area. These thick-bodied rodents range from six – twelve inches long and have small eyes and ears set back far on the head. Their exposed chisel-like teeth (that grow continuously nine to fourteen inches
Gophers are garden really bad guys Read More »
With the bounty of flowers blooming this time of year, you’re likely to spot one of the most helpful little critters in the garden, though you may not recognize her as such. What appears to be a small bee hovering like a tiny helicopter over Queen Anne’s Lace, but looks and may even sound like
Syrphid flies – the honeybee look-alike Read More »
