Many products commonly found in the home are legally considered pesticides, even though they may not be sold in the traditional “bug spray” aisle. A pesticide is any substance used to prevent, destroy, repel, or control pests. Because these materials can affect people, pets, and the indoor environment, safe and informed use is important, especially […]
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Removing winter weeds from the garden is most effective when you combine timely action with the right tools and cultural practices. Winter weeds such as chickweed, burning nettle, and annual bluegrass thrive in cool weather and exposed soil. Addressing them early prevents rapid spreading in spring. Best Methods for Removing Winter Weeds By relying on
With a Bounty of Rain Comes Winter Weeds Read More »
Silverfish are small, wingless insects that sometimes turn up inside homes, especially in older houses. They are silvery-gray, carrot-shaped, and move quickly when disturbed. While their sudden appearance can be unsettling, silverfish do not bite, sting, or spread disease. From a household perspective they are mainly a nuisance pest, feeding on starchy materials such as
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Winter is an important time for home gardeners to reduce pest and disease problems before the next growing season begins. Good garden sanitation during the dormant months can greatly limit the number of insects, pathogens, and weeds that survive to cause trouble in spring. Many common garden pests overwinter in plant debris. Insects such as
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World Pollution Prevention Day that is observed every year on December 2nd, serves as an urgent reminder for all of us to address the environmental challenges that our planet faces. With human activities continuing to degrade the Earth’s natural resources, pollution has become a pressing issue that necessitates immediate attention. A close look at the
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The mere sound of their name produces the ewwww factor – cockroaches! These insects thrive in both indoor and outdoor environments where there is food, water, and shelter. During the day, roaches hide in dark, moist areas like cracks, water meter boxes, sewers, and crawl spaces. They come out at night to feed. Good sanitation
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Think before you spray. It sounds good, and makes sense relative to using pesticides. But what does it really mean? In a nutshell, it means that when you have a pest problem, understand what you’re trying to manage before you take action. Know what the pest is, determine how much damage you can tolerate from
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If you recently planted cabbage, broccoli, or kale, (often called Brassicas and cole crops) keep an eye out for cabbageworms! The adult cabbageworm is a white butterfly with one to four black spots on its wings. They lay eggs individually on the leaves of brassica plants. Larvae are green caterpillars that chew on the leaves
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Monarchs, the beloved butterflies in North America, are in trouble. The monarchs that breed in western North America migrate toward the Pacific to overwinter in tree groves scattered along the coast from Mendocino County in California to Baja California in Mexico. For twenty years, counts have been made of overwintering butterflies thanks to volunteers with
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If you’ve got a soggy area in your yard, you might see nutsedges, a perennial weed that thrives in waterlogged soil and can indicate leaking irrigation. Sometimes called nutgrass, they are true sedges with stiff, thick leaves and not grasses, and grow faster than turfgrass species, are lighter in color, and grow upright, causing nonuniform
These are Challenging Weeds! Read More »
