Ants on your artichoke plant? Your plum tree or leafy vegetables? They’re a prime indicator that sucking insects are feasting on your plants. There’s a group of soft-bodied insects — aphids, mealybugs, soft scale and whiteflies being the most common, that feed by sucking juices from plants. The direct damage they inflict on the plant […]
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There are many popular plants in Marin gardens that are not native and that’s usually OK. However there are some that find the environment so wonderful that they can easily grow beyond their desired boundaries and spread rapidly. These plants may be invasive species – learn more about invasive plants and why they are a
Don’t plant a pest! Read More »
Seeing mounds of soil, or open holes in your grass or flowerbeds? Could be a gopher, a vole or a mole. Gophers and voles are rodents that eat only plants, doing significant damage in the process. Moles are NOT rodents; they are meat eaters, feasting on grubs and other insects especially in lawns. Learn the
What’s digging up my soil? Read More »
Spring is here and plants are leafing out all over! Do any of your plants have leaves that look dry and crispy? Pale, small and misshapen? It may be the result of unintentional exposure to a weed killer. Plants can be damaged by even a slight amount of spray drift – in your own yard
Weird looking foliage may be a result of weed-killer Read More »
True or false – the only good bug is a dead bug? FALSE! Without bugs (mostly insects), our world would not be the same. There are more than 1.5 million known insect species in the world, with about 97 percent being either good for the garden, or simply benign. Less than three percent of insects
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In early spring, masses of thick foam can coat delicate stems on a variety of plants – they’re spittlebugs. While visually unappealing, they’re generally nothing to be too concerned about. The abundant globs of bubbles are produced by young froghopper larvae as they begin to feed; the frothy mass is thought to serve as protection
What’s that foamy stuff on my roses? Read More »
Don’t be fooled! This is NOT a green ladybug! The cucumber beetle is a common pest that feeds on the leaves of many vegetables as well soft fruit, though it’s not fussy and can be found in many parts of the yard. While they may be a just a nuisance on your roses, they can
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Insects do so many important things on our planet; here are some of the most important. Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles, and other small mammals that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce. Want
Birds, bats, bees, butterflies, beetles… Read More »
This hard-to-miss fearsome looking ground beetle is a definite GOOD GUY, feasting on soil dwelling insect larvae and pupae and other invertebrates like snails and slugs. Find out more about the “10 Most Wanted Bugs” in your garden. Like his name, the predaceous ground beetle is most often seen in or on the soil but can
Bad bug or good bug? Read More »
You know the saying – a weed is any plant in a place you don’t want it. Are you seeing grasses, dandelions, bindweed and even wild blackberry, popping up in your lawn, flower beds, vegetable gardens or other exposed spaces; even in teeny spaces between bricks on your patio? What’s a gardener to do with
