Category: Home Landscapes

Winged Menaces: Mosquitoes, Pets, and Growing Risk of Disease, Series 6

by Lisa Hickey
September 22, 2025

Mosquitoes are more than just a summertime winged menace; they can have a lethal impact on humans and our pets. Known for spreading diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika among humans, these tiny insects also pose serious threats to our pets ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Control Mosquitoes, Dog Heartworm Prevention, Mosquitoes, Pets And Mosquitoes, Potbellied Pigs And Mosquitoes, Prevention, Sentinel Chicken Program

Pesticide Safety Awareness: Protecting Yourself and the Environment

by Lisa Hickey
September 5, 2025

Be safe and reduce your pesticide exposure. Whether you are a backyard gardener using pesticides or a professional pesticide applicator, precautions are necessary before and during the use of pesticides. The use of pesticides comes with significant ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture
Tags: Awareness, Pest Control, Pesticide Awareness, Pesticides, Safety, Weed Control

Florida’s Flying Menace: What You Need to Know About Mosquitoes and the Diseases They Spread Series 4

by Lisa Hickey
August 27, 2025

Florida’s warm, humid climate makes it a paradise not just for people—but also for mosquitoes. These tiny pests are more than just a nuisance; they can carry serious diseases that affect humans, pets, and wildlife. Understanding which species ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Coasts & Marine, Farm Management, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Water
Tags: #FloridaHealth, #MosquitoAwareness, #MosquitoSeason, #PublicHealthFlorida, #VectorControl, #WestNileVirus, #ZikaPrevention

Mosquito Defense Guide: Sprays, Devices, and Clothing Tips Series 2

by Lisa Hickey
June 18, 2025

When the sun sets and the air cools, the buzz begins — and not the good kind. Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance; they are relentless invaders of our summer evenings and potential carriers of disease. Fortunately, modern ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Control Mosquitoes, Mosquito, Mosquito Bites, Mosquito Season

Ditch the Itch – Tips for Mosquito Season in Florida

by Lisa Hickey
April 16, 2025

Mosquito season is the least favorite season in Florida. Don’t let mosquitos ruin your summer fun. Interestingly, as soon as our temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees, dormant mosquito eggs start to hatch. For some areas in ... READ MORE

Category: , Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Control Mosquitoes, Mosquito, Mosquito Season, Stop Itching

The Buzz on Pollinators

by Lara Milligan
June 20, 2017

We all know pollinators are very important for the production of our food. Bees pollinate the cherry trees, and then the trees produce cherries. Same with apples, oranges, bananas and so on. But did you know that almost all flowering plants ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Natural Resources
Tags: Bees, Butterflies, National Pollinator Week, Pollinators, Wasps

Strange Growth on Plant

by Lara Milligan
May 23, 2017

Ever notice strange growths on plants or what appear to be warts on leaves and stems? These might be something called galls. There are many definitions of a “gall”, but today we are talking about “an abnormal growth formed on plants and ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease
Tags: Deformed Leaf, Fungus, Gall, Weird Growth On Tree

Fabulous Florida Fading

by Gator Jane
May 26, 2016

Do you long to see more birds and butterflies flying about your garden? Do you want to help Florida’s wild critters survive? Are you tired of spending money and time watering, fertilizing, pruning and mowing your landscape? By knowing and ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Natural Resources
Tags: Coastal Strand, Ecosystem, Endangered, Exotic, Flatwoods, Habitat, Invasive, Morse, Native, Pinellas, Salt Marsh, Sandhill

Gardening with Kids

by Theresa Badurek
April 11, 2016

Theresa Badurek, UF/IFAS Extension, Pinellas County Children find gardening almost magical... and you can too, through their eyes. Remember the first time you planted a seed and watched it stretch fresh green stems and leaves to the light? ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Work & Life
Tags: Alphabet Garden, Butterfly Garden, Children, Fairy Garden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening With Kids, Kids, Pollinator Garden, Vegetable Gardening

Rover Ants in Your Neighborhood

by Kevin O'Horan
June 5, 2015

Dark Rover Ants (Brachymyrmex patagonicus) are an introduced nuisance ant species that can be found throughout the Southeastern United States. These very small brown ants, ranging in size from 1-3mm, live in colonies built in the soil. These ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Ants, Flying Ants, Pests, Rover Ants, Small Insects, UF/IFAS

Subscribe For More Great Content