Category: Invasive Species

Tropical milkweed

From garden favorites to ecological threats: Why we need to rethink what we plant

by Sara MacDonald
August 1, 2025

Not all pretty plants belong in Florida’s landscape. Two commonly ornamental plants, tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) and zebra inchplant (Tradescantia zebrina), have recently raised red flags with scientists and conservationists ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Butterfly, FISC, Florida Friendly Landscape, Invasive Species, Milkweed, Native Plants, OE, Pollinators

¡Ayuda a combatir la enredadera invasora “papa voladora” en el condado de St. Lucie!

by Sara MacDonald
July 31, 2025

Ya llegó esa época del año en que la papa voladora comienza a brotar, y muchas personas se preguntan: ¿cómo podemos deshacernos de ella? ¿Qué es la papa voladora? La papa voladora (Dioscorea bulbifera) es una planta trepadora invasora ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Air Potato, Air Potato Leaf Beetle, Especies Invasoras, Florida Friendly Landscape, Integrated Pest Management, Manejo Integrado De Plagas, MIP

Florida Land Steward Update, July 28, 2025

by Chris Demers
July 28, 2025

THANKS TO THOSE JOINING US LAST WEEK FOR OUR FLORIDA LAND STEWARD WEBINAR ON PINE BEETLE RESPONSE FOLLOWING HURRICANES, RECORDING NOW AVAILABLE Florida Forest Service State Forest Entomologist, Jeff Eickwort discussed the pine bark beetles ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Disaster Preparation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Family Forest, Florida Land Steward Program, Florida Panther, Forest Health, Forest Management, Hurricane Preparation, Hurricane Recovery, Hurricane Season, Invasive Species, Longleaf Pine, Natural Resources, Online Course, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatics Sciences, Southern Pine Beetle, Tree Farm, Wildlife
iNat_on_phone_with_snake_in_background_credit_blog banner

Science by the millions: How everyday people are revolutionizing global biodiversity research with tech

by Lourdes Mederos
July 28, 2025

A frog croaks from a walking trail. A hiker snaps a photo and uploads it to iNaturalist. That single act — one person, one amphibian and one click — feeds into a growing global dataset that scientists now use to map shifting species ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agencies, Agricultural Technology Firms, Aquatic Invasives, Biodiversity, BioScience, Brittany Mason, Citizen Science, Conservation, Corey Callaghan, Dataset, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fungi, Global Ecology, High-resolution Maps, Inaturalist, INaturalist App, Invasive, Lourdes Mederos, Map Shifting, Modeling, News, Observations, Organisms, Photo, Plants, Research Grade, Scientists, Species Ranges, Study, Technology, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Wildlife Ecology And Conservation
A cellphone displaying the iNaturalist app open, on a white background.

Millones haciendo ciencia: cómo la participación ciudadana revoluciona la investigación global sobre biodiversidad con ayuda de la tecnología

by Luz Bahder
July 28, 2025

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Una rana croa desde un sendero. Un vacacionista toma una fotografía y la sube a iNaturalist. Este simple acto: una persona, ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Conservation, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alemania, Australia, Bélgica, Biodiversidad, Brittany Mason, Ciencia Ciudadana, Conservacion, Corea Del Sur, Corey Callaghan, Datos, Ecología Global, Español, Estados Unidos, Fotografías De Vida Silvestre, Grabaciones De Audio, Herramienta, Inaturalist, INaturalist App, Investigación Científica, Mapas De Rangos De Distribución, Naturaleza, Participación Ciudadana, Plataforma, Plataforma Tecnológica Global, Registros, República Checa, Spanish, Tecnología, UF-IFAS, Unión Internacional Para La Conservación De La Naturaleza, University Of Florida Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Valor Científico, Vida Silvestre
Mosquito sucking blood

Know your Enemy: The Diseases Mosquitoes Carry Series 3

by Lisa Hickey
July 25, 2025

Understanding mosquitoes is the first step in protecting yourself from the diseases they carry.  While the male mosquito buzzes around your ears, it’s the female that bites–seeking a blood meal to support egg development. Beyond being a ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease
Tags: Arboviruses, Dengue, Florida Health, Malaria, Mosquito Prevention, Mosquito-borne Diseases, Public Health, UF/IFAS Extension, Vector Control, West Nile Virus

Help Fight the Invasive Air Potato Vine in St. Lucie County

by Sara MacDonald
July 24, 2025

It’s that time of year again, air potato vines are starting to sprout, and many of us are wondering: how can we get rid of them? What is the air potato? The air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is a fast-growing, invasive vine originally from ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Air Potato, Air Potato Leaf Beetle, Biological Control, Integrated Pest Management, Invasive Species, IPM

Hillsborough County Plant Clinic Offers Free Service to Answer Lawn and Landscape Questions

by Tia Silvasy
July 23, 2025

Plant Clinic Services UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County has trained Master Gardener Volunteers and staff to answer your questions about turfgrass, vegetables, fruit trees, ornamental plants, shrubs, trees and more. We offer insect and ... READ MORE

Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Disease, Free, Garden Help, Help Desk, Hillsborough County, Insect, Plant Clinic, Soil, Tampa Bay, UF/IFAS Extension
Thrips parvispinus (male left, female right) Photo Credit: Lyle Buss

Thrips parvispinus Management

by Caitlin Sollazzo
July 23, 2025

Thrips parvispinus: What We’re Learning About Management in Ornamentals A relatively new invasive pest in Florida, Thrips parvispinus, has quickly gained attention due to its ability to damage a wide range of ornamental and vegetable crops. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Insects, Manatee County Extension, Pesticides, Thrips, UF/IFAS Extension

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