Tag: Pests

Florida strawberry season bursts with sweetness

by Brad Buck
December 3, 2025

Florida’s late fall and winter don’t just bring cooler, less humid weather. The seasons bring the sweet burst of locally grown strawberries. Juicy, vibrant and fresh from the fields, these Sunshine State gems are waiting for you at your ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Aroma, Consumers, Diseases, Ember, Encore, Flavor, Florida Strawberry Season, Genetics, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Pests, Pineberry, Plant Breeding, Strawberries, Strawberry Breeder, Strawberry Season, Vance Whitaker

AI center goal to put technology directly into growers’ hands to solve problems

by Brad Buck
December 2, 2025

It’s one thing to listen to a farmer describe the challenges of battling pests, unpredictable weather or dwindling resources — and quite another to hand them a tool that can tackle those problems head‑on. Imagine technology that manages ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS
Tags: #aiatuf, Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Agriculture, Center For Applied Artificial Intelligence In Agriculture, Climate, Dana Choi, Diseases, Drones, Economy, Farmers, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticutural Sciences, Kevin Wang, Nathan Boyd, Pests, Prec-ag, Precision Spraying, Prototype, Technology, Weather

Groundbreaking for AI center part of 100th anniversary celebration of UF Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

by Brad Buck
October 22, 2025

Agriculture isn’t just rows of citrus groves and fields of strawberries – it’s Florida’s second largest economic powerhouse, trailing only tourism. With more than 133,000 jobs riding on its success, farming fuels communities across the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: #aiatuf, 100th Anniversary, Agricultural And Biological Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, Center For Applied Artificial Intelligence In Agriculture, Dana Choi, Digital Twin, Diseases, Economy, Environment, Farming, Food, Fruits, Groundbreaking, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, J. Scott Angle, Jack Rechcigl, Jobs, Kevin Wang, Labor, Nathan Boyd, Ornamental Plants, Pests, Plant Breeding, Prec-ag, Precision Spraying
Crumb cleaner device on brown counter with blue wall in background (a crumb cleaner is a mini vacuum that cleans surfaces like counters)

Don’t Be Crummy: Prevent Pest Infestations (Get a FREE Crumb Cleaner!)

by Jackie Lebouitz
September 19, 2025

Ants afoot in your kitchen? Perhaps a cockroach or two crawling across your garage? Or...egad, a rat rifling around your pantry? Well, while these experiences may happen to the best of us on occasion, they are certainly less than welcome. The ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Home Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Clean, Home, House, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Pests, Pgm_Chemicals

From citrus to bamboo? Some growers might move to this crop with a multibillion-dollar worldwide market

by Brad Buck
September 2, 2025

With a global market valued at nearly $67 billion, bamboo may offer an alternative crop for some Florida growers reeling from a devastated citrus crop, says a University of Florida expert. “Bamboo is a good alternative crop to diversify ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Alternative Crops, Bamboo, Citrus, Citrus Research And Education Center, Clumbing Bamboo, Construction, Davie Kadyampakeni, Food, Furniture, Low Invasion, Michael Rogers, Pests, Soil, Soil Water And Ecosystem Sciences, Water
Photo of papaya open on a table.

Better mangoes, papayas and other tropical fruit: Breeding fruits consumers love, growers need

by Lourdes Mederos
August 27, 2025

Florida has long held a special place in America's fruit bowl. With its subtropical climate, the state remains one of the few parts of the continental United States where exotic fruits -- from mangoes and avocados to papayas and dragon fruit ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Avocado, Consumers, Crops, Cultivars, Diseases, DNA, Dragon Fruit, Exotic Fruits, Flavor, Florida, Gardens, Genetic Markers, Genetic Tools, Growers, Health, Jugpreet Singh, Laurel Wilt, Mango, Nutrition, Papaya, Papaya Ringspot, Pests, Production, Shelf Life, Subtropical Climate, Tropical Fruit, Tropical Research And Education Center
Hannah wearing a red and black flannel shirt with her hands in the shape of a heart in a field of lettuce

Local Food and Farming Events in Orlando!

by Hannah Eason
July 29, 2025

Calling locals - from farmers to foodies! I am excited to announce some upcoming opportunities to learn and connect with practitioners in your local Central Florida food system. First up is a UF/IFAS Extension-led event called the Local ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Agriculture, Cflandscapes, Food Entrepreneurs, Food Systems, Growers, Livestock, Local Food, Local Food Symposium, Local Foods, Local Growers Network, Ocextension, Organic Growers, Pests, Planners
Gordon_at micoscope analyzing termite specimens banner.

From itchy bites to asthma triggers: Why one scientist studies what’s bugging us

by Lourdes Mederos
July 14, 2025

From bed bugs in bedrooms and cockroaches in kitchens to the latest invasive pests spreading into new communities, the uninvited guests that sneak into our homes are more than just nuisances—they can be public health threats, economic ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Disaster Preparation, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Work & Life
Tags: Allergenic Proteins, Allergens, Bd Bugs, Bites, Bugs, Cockroaches, Data-driven, Entomology, Extension Outreach, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Health Risk, Histamine, Homes, Households, Human Immune Response, Insects, Invasive Pests, Johnalyn Gordon, Lourdes Mederos, Pest-management Solutions, Pests, Species, Structural Pests, Threats, Tropical Climate, Urban Pests

Florida Farm Pest: Wax Moths

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
June 23, 2025

Florida's beekeeping industry plays a vital role in supporting both local agriculture and national pollination efforts. The state's warm, humid climate and extended beekeeping season (the queen never stops laying eggs) present unique challenges ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Apiculture, Beekeeping, Bees, Florida Farms, Florida_Pests, Honeybees, Pests, Polk_Small_Farms, Small Farms, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Wax_moths

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