Category: Pests & Disease

Which bug is the biggest agricultural pest in Florida?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 6, 2014

Right now it's probably the Asian citrus psyllid, a small flying insect that’s the vector of the presumptive cause of citrus greening disease, the bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. The disease cost Florida citrus growers $4.5 billion ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: BugWeek, Citrus, FAQ, Insects, Pest

How do I know if I’m allergic to bee or wasp venom? I don’t think I’ve ever been stung.

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 6, 2014

You should talk to your primary care provider. There are tests available that can indicate potential bee and wasp venom allergies. In the meantime, if you’re not certain if you are allergic to bee or wasp venom, the best thing to do is take ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Allergic, Bee, BugWeek, Entomology, FAQ, Wasp

What’s the most dangerous bug in Florida?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 6, 2014

In the big scheme of things, it's the mosquito. These blood-sucking pests don’t pose a danger by themselves, but their bites can transmit microscopic organisms that cause infectious diseases including Eastern equine encephalitis and dengue. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: BugWeek, Dangerous, Entomology, FAQ, Insects, Mosquito

What are those little dark-colored flies that come out of my bathroom sink?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 6, 2014

Is this what you are seeing? Those are representatives of a fly family called Psychodidae, commonly called drain flies, sink flies or moth flies. These insects are harmless, they don’t bite, sting or transmit diseases. However, they ... READ MORE

Category: Home Management, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Bug, BugWeek, Entomology, FAQ, Flies, Insects

What’s the biggest bug in Florida?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 6, 2014

For greatest body length, we’re confident that the title holder is Scolopendra alternans, commonly called the Florida Keys giant centipede or Haitian giant centipede. A really big adult can be somewhere in the neighborhood of seven to 10 inches ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Biggest, Bug, BugWeek, Entomology, FAQ, Insects

What’s the difference between an insect and a bug?

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
May 6, 2014

Let's start with the easy part- defining what an insect is. An insect is a type of organism in a larger group called arthropods, which are cold-blooded creatures with an exoskeleton and no backbone. An insect ( like the roach below) is an arthropod ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Bug, BugWeek, Entomology, FAQ, Insects

New on Featured Creatures! Dog flea.

by Jennifer Gillett-Kaufman
April 15, 2014

We are pleased to announce a new article on Featured Creatures! Take a sneak peek with this excerpt from the article: The dog flea, Ctenocephalides canis (Curtis), is an important ectoparasite of both wild and domestic canids around the world ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Dog, Featured Creatures, Flea, Pest Alert, Pets

Subscribe For More Great Content

IFAS Blogs Categories