What do the following names have in common: Anthonomus testaceosquamosus, the hibiscus bud weevil; Fiorinia phantasma, the Phantasma Scale; Aceria litchii, the lychee erinose mite? All these pests were introduce or reintroduce to Florida during 2018 and were… Read More
Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) Update (as of 06/06/18): The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has positively identified the presence of three Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in south Miami-Dade County. There is a map with the… Read More
On June 1st of 2018, a single male of the Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF), Bactrocera dorsalis , was captured in south Miami-Dade County. Two additional males were captured in nearby detection traps on June 3rd. There is an eradication program… Read More
What is it? There is a new insect pest found in Miami-Dade County. An armored scale, to be specific, it is called the phantasma scale (Fiorinia phantasma) that can affect ornamental plants. Where can it be found? The… Read More
“What kind of pesticide license are you looking for?”, is often what I have to ask when I pick up a call regarding pesticide licensing questions. You need to seek the right category of pesticide license for the… Read More
I’ve practiced horticulture for 25 years, worked with tropical fruit for 20 of those years, and just recently I celebrated five years as a commercial tropical fruit extension agent for UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County. It stands to reason… Read More
Choosing the right cover crop at the right time is important because of our hot and rainy summers. Wisely managing bare land after cleaning up vegetable crop residues is a serious consideration. Keeping land fallow during summer with… Read More
Potential damages Watching out for an outbreak of tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV) in late planting fields has become a great concern again. The first outbreak of TCSV occurred in the Homestead area during the 2014 growing season…. Read More
Rose Rosette Disease (RRD) is caused by the Rose Rosette Virus (RRV) and spread by eriophyid mite (Phyllocoptes fructiphilus), Wild and ornamental rose species and cultivars are susceptible to this disease. And it has been spreading through much… Read More
Thrips: most common insects Thrips are the most common insects in almost all plants in South Florida. Western flower thrips and common blossom thrips are vectors for tomato chlorotic spot virus (TCSV). As a consequence, the incidence of TCSV… Read More
