Tag: biological control

A ray of hope in the battle against citrus greening: Three bugs eat the eggs of the psyllid

by Brad Buck
April 21, 2026

A few tiny heroes may help fight Florida’s long-running battle against citrus greening disease. That’s good news for commercial growers as well as to residents who plant citrus trees in their yards at home, say University of Florida scientists. Researchers ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, UF/IFAS
Tags: Asian Citrus Psyllid, Biocontrol, Biological Control, Citrus, Citrus Greening Disease, Dooryard Citrus, Eating, Eggs, Entomology, Field Testing, Growers, Home Citrus, Huanglongbing (HLB), Jawwad Qureshi, Laboratory, Larvae, North Florida Research And Education Center, Predator, Romain Exilien, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Xavier Martini

Papaya banker plant system strengthens biological control of whiteflies

by Stella Canfield
March 24, 2026

A new study finds that papaya banker plants can strengthen control of the sweet potato whitefly, one of the most damaging pests in ornamental crop production. Published in the journal “Biological Control,” the research highlights a promising ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Banker Plants, Biological Control, Cindy McKenzie, Lance Osborne, Papaya, Pests, Poinsettias, Whiteflies, Whitefly

Can two native wasps help regulate invasive leafhopper populations attacking Florida’s crops?

by Lourdes Mederos
March 19, 2026

Most people retreat at the sight of a wasp, yet University of Florida researchers’ discovery of two newly identified tiny native wasps targeting an invasive pest that threatened Florida agriculture may be a hopeful sign for growers. In ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Conservation, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Agriculture, Alexandra Revynthi, Anagrus Sp. Near Vulneratus, Anagrus Vulneratus, Beneficial Pests, Biocontrol, Biological Control, Chemical Inputs, Cotton, Eggplant, Entomology And Nematology, High-value Crops, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Integrated Pest Management, News, Okra, Ornamental Entomology, Pest, Roselle, Spanish, Sunflower, Tropical Hibiscus, Two-spot Cotton Leafhopper, UF-IFAS, Wasp

Under siege: Two pests threaten Florida strawberries – but new research may bring relief

by Brad Buck
January 22, 2026

Florida’s strawberry fields may look vibrant and abundant this time of year, but beneath those glossy leaves, a quiet battle is raging. At the very moment growers hit peak production, two long-established but relentless adversaries surge onto ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture
Tags: Abigail Campos Gutiérrez, Allan Busuulwa, Biological Control, Chilli Thrips, Crop, Crop Damage, Entomology, Environment, Florida Strawberry Season, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Neoseiulus Californicus, Pesticides, Predatory Mites, Prey, Sriyanka Lahiri, Strawberries, Strawberry Growers, Twospotted Spider Mite

How one UF/IFAS Extension agent is planting the seeds for a greener St. Lucie County – together with residents

by Lourdes Mederos
September 15, 2025

From backyard gardens to countywide conservation, Sara Salgado MacDonald is helping St. Lucie County residents grow greener, healthier landscapes. As an urban horticulture Extension agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Events, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Biological Control, Entomology And Nematology, Environmental Horticulture, Florida Vegetable Gardening, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Herb Gardening, Horticultural Sciences, Horticulture, IFAS, Insects, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Master Gardener Volunteer Program, News, Pollinators, Robert O’Neil Award For Outstanding Ph.D. Student In Biological Control 2023, Sara Salgado MacDonald, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, University Of Florida, Urban Horticulture, Vegetable Gardening

New EDIS/Ask IFAS Document Published by Entomology and Nematology During July and August

by Amanda Quintos
September 8, 2025

Read the latest Entomology and Nematology publication for July and August 2025. In this post, you can click on the title of interest to go to the Ask IFAS page and download the document in PDF format. Stay informed about the latest contributions ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Ask IFAS, Biological Control, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Edis, Pest Management

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

Student Spotlight: Saving Florida’s avocados- a potential biocontrol

by moniquescoggin
July 16, 2025

Marielle de Moraes Berto is a fourth year PhD candidate in Dr. Daniel Carrillo’s tropical fruit entomology lab at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research & Education Center (TREC). Marielle is a native of Piracicaba, Brazil where she studied Biological ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Acarology, Avocados, Biological Control, Entomology, Tropical Fruits

St. Lucie County Conducts Futures Forum – Community Needs Assessment

by johnferguso
April 13, 2025

The purpose of this Community Needs Assessment. A community needs assessment is a vital process that helps identify a community's strengths, challenges, and unmet needs. We are gathering input from residents, organizations, and stakeholders, ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, Camp, Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Community Volunteers, Conservation, Crops, Curriculum, Disaster Preparation, Events, Farm Management, Food Safety, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Management, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Money Matters, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Recreation, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: #4hOpportunityForAll, #H4HOutreach, #slc4h, Biological Control, Citrus, Coastal Shoreline Restoration, Conservation, Endangered Species, Extension, Financial Education, Florida Master Naturalist, FMNP, Hurricane, Invasive, Josey Keener, Money, Pesticide, St. Lucie County, STEM, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County, Water, Water Quality, Wildlife

Florida Beekeeping Management Calendar: May

by Amy Vu
April 23, 2024

Recommendations for your apiary in May: This beekeeping calendar is a tool for all beekeepers in Florida, small scale to commercial operations. This calendar is meant to be a reference point for beekeeping management and is not comprehensive. ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: #ufbugs, Beekeeping, Beekeeping Calendar, Bees, Biological Control, Bug, Entomology, Honey Bee, Honey Bees, Honeybee, Management Calendar, Pests, UF-IFAS, UFHoneyBee, UFHoneyBeeLab, UFIFASExtension

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