Category: Invasive Species

Urban Forestry Summit attendees on a tour of the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory.

NATL, not to be overlooked

by Wes Wolfe
August 6, 2026

It can be missed sometimes, considering the attention the Austin Cary Forest receives, but the Natural Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL) is one of UF’s hidden treasures. Organizers of the recent Urban Forestry Summit in Gainesville made ... READ MORE

Category: Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS
Tags: Austin Cary Forest, Florida Urban Forestry Council, Forest, Forestry, Invasive Species, NATL, Natural Area Teaching Laboratory, Prescribed Fires, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, SFFGS, Trees, Urban Forestry, Urban Forestry Extension, Urban Forestry Summit
Brazilian pepper tree branches and berries

Don’t Let Your Landscape Become an Invasive Plant Factory

by Michelle Atkinson
August 5, 2026

You carefully select plants to create a beautiful landscape, provide wildlife habitat, and increase your home's curb appeal. But hidden among those desirable plants may be an uninvited guest, an invasive plant that quietly establishes itself, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease
Tags: Conservation, Florida Landscapes, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Plants, Landscape Maintenance, Natural Areas, Sustainable Landscaping, Watershed Protection, Wetlands
Person seated beside a stereomicroscope in a laboratory workspace, facing the camera. Shelving, labeled containers, laboratory supplies, buckets with marker flags, and scientific equipment are visible throughout the room, with the microscope positioned prominently on the workbench in the foreground.

Intern Profile: Cassidy Dalton’s Journey in Research and Learning

by Joe McQueen
August 4, 2026

Cassidy Dalton, an undergraduate student at the University of Florida studying environmental management, natural resources and agriculture, has spent her summer as an intern at the Hayslip Biological Control Research and Containment Laboratory, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Biological Control, Intern, Invasive Species, Pasture Mealybug

Exotics vs Native Plants in a Florida Landscape

by Mark Hostetler
August 3, 2026

In Florida and elsewhere, cities are a mixture of exotic and native species. These novel or “recombinant ecosystems” represent unique plant and animal communities that have been purposely or accidentally created by humans. The question posed ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, Lawn, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environmental Landscaping, Invasive Species, Native Plants, Wildlife

Florida Land Steward Update, July 24, 2026

by Chris Demers
July 24, 2026

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA SEEKING NEWLY PLANTED LOBLOLLY PINE SITES IMPACTED BY DROUGHT Do you have newly planted loblolly pine trees and think they may have suffered higher than usual mortality this year? The University of Florida IFAS is investigating ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Disaster Preparation, Drought, Florida Land Steward Program, Florida Wildlife Corridor, Forest Health, Forest Landowner Academy, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Payment For Ecosystem Services, Tree Farm, Wild Turkey

Ghost Snails Are Showing Up in Florida Gardens

by Sara MacDonald
July 22, 2026

Have you noticed small, cone-shaped snails climbing your plants? We recently found large groups of ghost snails (Bulimulus bonariensis) feeding on marigolds and herbs in a St. Lucie County garden. These snails are becoming more common across ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County
Cochineal scale insects

Independence Day & Prickly Pear Cactus

by Maria Quirico
July 20, 2026

The Role of Opuntia and the Revolutionary War “The Redcoats are coming, the redcoats are coming!” This famous historical warning from the American Revolutionary War refers to the approach of the British Army. In addition, British officers ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Crops, Curriculum, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Insects Affecting Plants, Mealy Bugs, Red Dye, Residential Horticulture
A white bug on a green leaf.

Media Alert: UF/IFAS Experts to Host Pasture Mealybug Webinar on July 17

by Jamie Groh
July 13, 2026

What: Experts from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are hosting an informational webinar on the invasive pasture ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Pest Management, Agricultural Webinar, Blog Community, Crop Protection, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Entomology, FDACS, Featured, Featured Hot Topic, Florida, Florida Agriculture, Florida Extension, Florida Farmers, Forage Grasses, Forages, Insecticide Options, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sceinces, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Pasture Mealybug, Invasive Pests, Invasive Species, Livestock Production, Mealybug Identification, Pasture Management, Pasture Mealybug, Pasture Mealybug Webinar, Pasture Pest Control, Sugarcane Pests, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida

Florida Land Steward Update, July 10, 2026

by Chris Demers
July 10, 2026

FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PAYMENT FOR ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PILOT PROGRAM NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS Apply by July 31, 2026! This program will provide financial compensation to eligible landowners to maintain their land undeveloped to provide ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Landowner Academy, Forest Stewardship, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Payment For Ecosystem Services, Prescribed Fire, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm, Wild Turkey

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