Category: Agriculture

I have things that move in my birdbath. What are they?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 24, 2016

Those little, squirming things in your birdbath are container-breeding mosquitoes (Figure 1). These mosquitoes are in their larval stage. Adult container-breeding mosquitoes lay eggs wherever water collects, which can be natural structures—like ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: BugWeek, Dangerous, Entomology, FAQ, Insects, Mosquito

GCREC Bug Week 2016

by ccooley
May 23, 2016

For the past month, I have asked our staff to bring me whatever bugs they might find on our 475-acre farm. This is a very busy time for our faculty and staff, so I only received a few specimens so far, but they are beauties. There's nothing ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Bagmoth, Bug Week 2016, Bugs, Dragonfly, Entomology, Gulf Coast REC, Horsefly, IFAS, Insects, Mole Crickets, Pests, UF

Bug of the Day: Ladybug

by Samantha Murray
May 23, 2016

In England they have been called ladybirds for over 600 years, but in the United States we call them ladybugs. The name is a misnomer, though – these insects are not bugs at all, but are actually beetles (and they are not all ladies.) They ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease
Tags: #ufbugs, BugWeek, Ladybug

Bug Word of the Day: Phytophagous

by Samantha Murray
May 23, 2016

The word “phytophagous” is an adjective that means “plant-eating,” and it’s typically used to describe arthropods that feed on the tissues of living plants, but not those that consume pollen or nectar. You’ve probably also heard ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Pests & Disease, Wildlife
Tags: BugWeek, Phytophagous

I found worms with a spike for a tail on my tomatoes. What are they?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 23, 2016

Between April and November, you might notice spike-tailed green worms (Figure 1) feasting on your tomato plants’ leaves and fruit. These voracious creatures ravaging your garden are caterpillars called tobacco or tomato hornworms. The caterpillars ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: BugWeek, Entomology, FAQ, Insects, Pest, Tomato

Pasture Classes – 2nd Tuesdays, June – September

by BLOGS.IFAS
May 20, 2016

Making the grass grow is not as simple or easy as many of us would like it to be. Even so, it is essential to successful livestock operations. Anyone who has grazing livestock needs to understand the fundamental principles of forage production. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Cattle, Forages, Grass, Pasture

Regular-sized bugs on the big screen: The Swarm

by Samantha Murray
May 20, 2016

Welcome to another installment of Bug Week’s recurring movie review feature, “Regular-Sized Bugs on the Big Screen,” where our critics examine films that feature normal-sized arthropods (i.e. not radiation-spawned behemoths) in supporting ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops
Tags: Bees, BugWeek

Regular-sized bugs on the big screen: Ulee’s gold

by Samantha Murray
May 20, 2016

Welcome to another installment of “Regular-Sized Bugs on the Big Screen,” a series of Bug Week blog posts meant to tip the Bug Week Board of Critics’ hats to arthropods that appear alongside human actors in feature films. Today, we’re ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops
Tags: BugWeek, Honey Bees

Keeping your leafy vegetables fresh at the farmers’ market

by Jose Perez
May 20, 2016

Do you struggle to keep your greens looking great at your farmers market display? With spring temperatures rising in Florida, you are not alone. Even when you harvest early in the morning of the market day, or the day before; there are some ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops
Tags: Farmers Markets, Post-harvest

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