Category: Invasive Species

A white bug on a green leaf.

As new invasive species threatens Florida pastures and sugarcane, researchers racing to manage pasture mealybug outbreak


July 6, 2026

Invasive pasture mealybug has been detected in 15 Florida counties and can rapidly kill pasture grasses, hayfields and sugarcane, causing severe crop losses. UF/IFAS scientists are studying the newly arrived pest, while emergency approval ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Pasture Mealybug

As new invasive species threatens Florida pastures and sugarcane, researchers racing to manage pasture mealybug outbreak


July 6, 2026

Invasive pasture mealybug has been detected in 15 Florida counties and can rapidly kill pasture grasses, hayfields and sugarcane, causing severe crop losses. UF/IFAS scientists are studying the newly arrived pest, while emergency approval ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Pasture Mealybug

Fragmented Fire: Reviewing Southern Fire Exchange’s Inaugural Pine Rocklands Fire Science Workshop


June 30, 2026

  By Christian Fernandez, Tall Timbers Research Station I’m an outreach specialist for the Southern Fire Exchange (SFE), and a second-generation Cuban American born and raised in Miami, Florida. Growing up in Miami, I thought it ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation Easements, Forest, Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Forest Management, Forest Resources And Conservation, Forestry, SFFGS, Southern Fire Exchange

Florida Land Steward Update, June 26, 2026


June 24, 2026

SUMMER DOWN TIME AND TO-DOs Hope you have a chance to slow down a bit during this time of year. I enjoy cooler weather, but I’ve come to embrace the aura of Florida summer – the chorus of cicadas rising in the morning, bright sun blazing ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance

Florida Land Steward Update, June 26, 2026


June 24, 2026

SUMMER DOWN TIME AND TO-DOs Hope you have a chance to slow down a bit during this time of year. I enjoy cooler weather, but I’ve come to embrace the aura of Florida summer – the chorus of cicadas rising in the morning, bright sun blazing ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance
Green aquatic plant with purple flowers

Cultivating with Caution: Invasive plants in the market


June 22, 2026

If you’ve more than glanced at the plants along the roadside or questioned the vines creeping through your neighborhood, it is likely that you are familiar with the encroachment of invasive plants into our natural spaces. Our manicured spaces ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Home Management, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Agriculture, Alachua, FarmingAlachua, Florida-Friendly Landscapes, Gardening, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension

UF competition student winners reimagine invasive plants as food and art


June 17, 2026

What happens when scientists and artists team up to tackle invasive plants? At the University of Florida (UF), a student-led project is testing whether the answer could include edible mushrooms — and a creative approach to recycling. The team ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS
Tags: Art And Science Collaboration, Blog Community, CALS, College Of Agricultural And Life Sciences, College Of The Arts, Community Engagement, Environmental Sustainability, Featured, Food Innovation, IFAS, Invasive Species, Oyster Mushrooms, Recycling, Student Research, Sustainable Agriculture, UF Students, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida
Close-up portrait of a person seated at a desk in an office setting, wearing an orange collared shirt and facing the camera. A shelf with office supplies and a patterned cup is visible in the background, along with a light-colored cinder block wall.

IRREC Faculty Member Secures USDA Farm Bill Grant to Launch International Biological Control Program Targeting Cotton Jassid


June 12, 2026

Nicole Quinn, assistant professor of entomology and nematology and expert in biological control at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC), was awarded a farm bill grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ... READ MORE

Category: Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Biological Control, Insects, Invasive Species, Pests

Florida Land Steward Update, June 12, 2026


June 12, 2026

REPORT YOUR WILD TURKEY SIGHTINGS THIS SUMMER! Participate in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC’s) Wild Turkey Summer Brood Survey and report your wild turkey sightings from June 1 – August 31. These observations ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Forest, Forest Health, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Landowner Assistance, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Tree Farm, Wild Turkey, Wildlife
This image, featuring the heads of individuals from the soldier caste, is meant to highlight the similarities of appearance across both parental species, the Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus), the Asian subterranean termite (Coptotermes gestroi), and hybrids. Visual identification of hybrid termites can only be done under magnification by experts that are familiar with identification characteristics. Submitting a sample to the UF/IFAS Termite ID Service (TermiteIDServices@ifas.ufl.edu) remains the best option to confirm any suspected samples. Credit: Thomas Chouvenc

Here’s what homeowners need to know about hybrid termites in Florida


June 8, 2026

Alarming reports of hybrid “super” termites have fueled misinformation, while flooding news outlets across the United States for months. University of Florida scientists are stepping in to help property owners separate fact from fiction. In ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Home Management, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Asian Subterranean Termite, Ask IFAS, Coptotermes Formosanus, Coptotermes Gestroi, Entomology, Entomology And Nematology, Faith Oi, Formosan Subterranean Termite, Hybrid Termites, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Johnalyn Gordon, Nan-yao Su, News, Termite Damage, Termites, Thomas Chouvenc, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida

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