Aaaahhhh – Aphids!
Aphids are a very common garden pest. They feed by piercing leaves and sucking out the juices. This can cause leaves to crinkle and curl, especially on new flushes of growth. Aphids excrete a fluid that contains… Read More
Tag: Integrated Pest Management
Multiplying in the Garden: Green Peach Aphid
They are tiny, but their power lies in numbers. These insect pests are born pregnant, and can reproduce out of control in a short time. This column is dedicated to a common pest called the green peach aphid,… Read More
Common rust disease causes premature leaf drop of frangipani (plumeria) plants.
A rust (fungus) disease, Coleosporium plumeria, defoliates many varieties every year. Top photo: The rust disease coats the underside of the leaf with orange pustules and causes leaves to turn yellow, then brown and rapidly defoliate in… Read More
Hey, ho, io!
They can be fairly hard to spot if you’re zipping through the landscape at 8 mph on a golf cart, but it is also hard to ignore 50 feet of a defoliating hibiscus hedge as a result of the… Read More
UF/IFAS Experts Explore Multiple Strategies to Control New Palm Disease
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Home and business owners should use an antibiotic to help limit a new disease threatening certain species of Florida palm trees, a University of Florida scientist says. Lethal bronzing is killing palm species known as… Read More
Another article, another wasp – another beneficial insect
By Ralph E. Mitchell Wasps are so amazing that I am going to continue on a roll with another beneficial wasp article. Imagine if you had a tiny automated drone programmed to find and kill cockroaches. How much… Read More
Protecting Our Pollinators in the Landscape
Bees, butterflies and other insects play important roles as pollinators in our environment. Over 50 major crops in the United States and at least 13 crops in Florida depend on honey bees. Many native plants in natural areas… Read More
Organic Strawberries and Why Disease Testing Matters
I visited an organic strawberry grower the other day who was worried about a rapidly expanding disease in part of her field containing the Camarosa variety. The symptoms were what you see before you: leaf spots constrained within… Read More