Now that our rainy season has arrived, the number of mosquitoes around our homes and communities is on the rise. That doesn't mean your summer months need be nothing more than swatting and sprays to fight them away. There are simple steps you ... READ MORE
Category: Pests & Disease
A: The snow-like covering on your palms is not a fungus but an insect called Sabal Palm Scale or Palmetto Scale, Comstockiella sabalis. This insect is a common, native insect pest of palms, especially Sabal palms. Females give birth to live ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Q: I have a whole bunch of mushrooms growing at the base of my sabal palm. The palm has brown fronds, some appear to be dying. We discovered an irrigation head had broken right at the base of this palm where the mushrooms are growing. We do ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Q: What is killing my palm trees? They are oozing at the trunk area and it smells awful. They seem to have dark, black sunken patches all over the trunk. A: This is indeed grave news for your palms as the disease is likely Thielaviopsis Trunk ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
A: First conspicuous sign of infestation is large quantities of “frass” which is the fibrous, excrement from the larval form of a tiny moth called the Palm leaf skeletonizer, Homaledra sabalella. This moth feeds mostly on tissue between ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Q: My lawn has been looking terrible and my lawn company told me I have sod webworms. I have never seen any worms, what do they look like? A: Tropical sod webworm larvae are gray-green, have brown spots on each body segment, and are the smallest ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease
A: Since we talked on the phone and you had several neighbors willing to meet, I went to your subdivision and conducted an extension program called “Troubleshooting Landscapes.” Once I saw your lawns it appeared to be chinch bug damage. ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease
A:What you probably have are the eggs of the armyworm, which is the larva of a moth. Armyworms are common pests found on grass and vegetables. One of the species of army worm prefers Bermuda grass and crabgrass, but they seldom are a severe ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease
Q: My husband just came in from cutting the grass and he noticed some small tan-colored moths and some larger brown ones, also a few grasshoppers. How should we best rid our lawn of these pests? I assume they will harm the St. Augustine grass. ... READ MORE
Category: Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease
A: I am going to take a recent study and use parts of it to answer your question. Nitrogen is important for growth but we generally are using too much. A little fertilizer can perk up a St. Augustinegrass lawn as spring arrives, but homeowners ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease