October is Bat Appreciation Month. So, why would a whole month be devoted to these odd-looking creatures? It has nothing to do with Halloween or vampires. It’s more about getting to know these mysterious flying superheroes that help our environment, and aren’t as scary as you might think. Often having the undeserved reputation of nighttime […]
Bats get a Bad Rap! Read More »
If you notice a quarter of a tomato plant missing overnight, but you can’t figure out what’s causing it, look closer! A master of disguise, the tomato hornworm may be the culprit! These are enormous caterpillars – up to four inches long! Their striping pattern makes them hard to spot despite their size. One tell-tale
Good or Bad Guy Chomping Your Tomatoes? Read More »
Ever stick your nose to inhale the perfume of a rose, and see teeny-tiny bugs jump? Likely you’ve just met some flea beetles. Named for their well-developed hind legs, they jump like fleas when disturbed. While these insects can be a nuisance to roses, they don’t do any real damage. They’re more commonly found on
What’s Jumping in That Rose? Read More »
Your garden is growing like crazy as we head into summer. Is it time to feed the lawn, the tomatoes and veggies, roses, and other flowers? Before you haul out bags, boxes, or bottles of plant food and sprinkle, spread, or pour them on, consider whether you really need to. Are the products beneficial to
Do you Really Need that Fertilizer? Read More »
Ever see a creepy, crawly, worm-like creature with oodles of legs in your yard or even in your house? Could be a centipede or a millipede. These strange looking critters are not insects – they’re more closely related to lobsters, crayfish, and shrimp, but are land dwellers. They’re most active at night around moist habitats
What’s that Crawling in the Garage? Read More »
One of the unwanted visitors to the spring garden arrives just about now. That pulsating mass of tiny pests that cloak the new growth on your roses, viburnums, or peach trees are at best an unsightly nuisance and at worst, creatures that can damage tender new growth on plants and spread disease. Welcome to the
It’s not just Aphids Read More »
There’s a whole lot of buzzing going on – bees are busy doing their thing, zipping from flower to flower, moving pollen from one to the other, bringing the promise of plump peaches, tasty tomatoes, and humdinger zucchini. There are also ones that might be drilling little holes in the eaves of your roof or
A Bee or Not a Bee, that is the Question Read More »
If your last crop of apples featured a worm inside that big, juicy fruit, it likely was the larvae of the codling moth, a serious pest of apples that also attacks pears, large-fruited hawthorns, and walnuts. This insect pest can be a bane in the home orchard. The moth larvae tunnel into the fruit and
Prevent getting Worms in your Apples Read More »
You don’t need a calendar to tell you that spring has arrived, and along with it – bugs. A portion of a tree, suddenly stripped of its leaves that’s now home to a wiggling clump of fuzzy caterpillars. A pulsating mass of tiny pests cloak the new growth on your roses, elderberries or peach trees,
Villains of the Spring Garden Read More »
Birds, bees, and butterflies as important pollinators. Did you know there are lots of other pollinators, like ants, beetles, moths, and even the wind? While often considered the ugly cousin of the butterfly, moths are not only beneficial pollinators, they’re often equally gorgeous! There are more species of moths in the U.S. than all the
Moths are Pollinators Too! Read More »
