Category: Pests & Disease

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?

by BLOGS.IFAS

July 3, 2017

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
Tags: Armyworm, Caterpillars, Moths, Tropical Sod Webworms, Turfgrass Damage, Worms

Q: You often talk about not overusing Nitrogen fertilizers but isn’t it needed to keep the grass growing?

by BLOGS.IFAS

July 2, 2017

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
Tags: Chinch Bugs, Fertilizer, Lawns

Q: What could be the cause of yellowing grass areas in my lawn?

by BLOGS.IFAS

July 2, 2017

Q: I have small to large areas of my St. Augustine lawn which have yellowing blades. They can easily be pulled up and seem to be rotting. Some of the edges look like circles. The smaller areas are about a foot across while other areas are much ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Brown Patch, Rhizoctonia Solani

Q: What is wrong with my lawn grass?

by BLOGS.IFAS

July 2, 2017

A: I have seen dozens of grass specimens over the last 2 weeks – all of these had root decays and leaf spots on them caused by fungi. Many of these diseases have been caused by a combination of the fungi and too much water. The fungi are naturally ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Fungus, Irrigation, Lawns, Leaf Spot, Root Decay

Q: Is it typical to find Black Widow spiders in this area?

by BLOGS.IFAS

July 1, 2017

Q: Is it typical to find Black Widow spiders in this area? We found one (male) outside our back door (it’s dead and still there) and I am not a happy camper. I wondered if the spiders might have been in the plants I transplanted outside. I’m ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Black Widow Spider

Q: What kind of roaches are these?

by BLOGS.IFAS

June 30, 2017

A: The bad kind – German cockroaches, Blattella germanica. While none of us like to have cockroaches in our house, the German cockroach is a true pest and the kind of insect that gives all insects a bad name. It can be found in most any type ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Blattella Germanica

There is a Fungus Among Us, Bot Rot in Manatee County

by Michelle Atkinson

June 30, 2017

Are you finding dead shrubs in your hedge? Botryosphaeria, bot rot, has hit Manatee County. Bot rot is a disease whose symptoms includes yellow, spotted and blighted leaves, dried leaves, defoliation, cankers, tip dieback, branch dieback, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease
Tags: Dying Hedge, Fungus, Pest Problem, Shrubs, Swprohort

Q: I found small, black and red weevils in the top of my palm tree. What should I do?

by BLOGS.IFAS

June 30, 2017

A: The insect you found is called a palmetto weevil, Rhynchophorus cruentatus , which is the largest native weevil in Florida. It is found from South Carolina to Texas and feeds on many palms such as our Cabbage Palm and Saw Palmetto. The weevil ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Palmetto Weevil, Rhynchophorus Cruentatus

Q: What is wrong with my corn plant?

by BLOGS.IFAS

June 28, 2017

Q: My corn plant is an indoor house plant and I have had it for years. This past year, it has been doing poorly and I want to know what is wrong with it. A: After looking at the plant closely I discovered mealy bugs, which are a common house ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Mealy Bugs

Q: I have been finding these large brown bugs with a white stripe across their back on my shrubs. Can you tell me what they are?

by BLOGS.IFAS

June 27, 2017

Q: I have been finding these large brown bugs with a white stripe across their back on my shrubs. Can you tell me what they are? A: Leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus [= Theognis] phyllopus is a widespread and conspicuous minor pest of many kinds ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease
Tags: Leaf Footed Bug, Leptoglossus Phyllopus

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