That unsightly black stuff When a black film we call sooty mold visits your plants and covers the leaves you can be sure of at least one thing. You have an insect problem. Most of you have seen… Read More
The incredible honey bee There is nothing quite like a the honey bee. They are one of natures great pollinators. While doing that job they store wonderful honey. They also store pollen, form propolis and they produce something called… Read More
The business of bees Honey Bees are everywhere in Highlands County. It’s that time of year when the bees are busy making honey. Because Highlands County produces so much citrus and citrus produces a heavy nectar flow, the… Read More
By David Austin with co-author Master Gardener, Lesa Morey. Milkweed is food for butterflies Milkweed is a plant best known as a specific host plant sought out by certain butterflies; notably the well-known Monarch Butterfly and lesser considered… Read More
To Bee or not to Bee Everyone is worried about the bees. Since colony collapse started being recognized as in issue in the 2007, the word is out that bees may be in trouble. Yet,… Read More
Aphids are soft bodied pear-shaped insects generally less than 1/8 inch long and usually green in color but many are black, brown, pink, yellow, blue, or white. Most aphids are wingless but when colonies become overcrowded or the… Read More
It could be a fungus called “sooty mold” that feeds on honeydew (a sticky sap sucking insect liquid poop) that covers the leaf surface. Learn to identify sap sucking insects (aphids, whiteflies, treehoopers, mealybugs and soft scale). They… Read More
