Category: UF/IFAS Extension

Nature Wrote the Horror Story First

by Caitlin Sollazzo
October 8, 2026

I can’t believe it is already October and Halloween season. I’ve never been particularly drawn to horror movies and all the frightening things we get into this time of year. That’s not to say I don’t appreciate horror as a genre. It’s ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Beauveria Bassiana, Beneficial Fungi, Biological Control, Entomopathogenic Fungi, Garden Pests, Halloween, Integrated Pest Management

A New Appreciation for Myakka River State Park

by Caitlin Sollazzo
September 13, 2026

Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County and listening to a talk about the history and management of the park. This was organized as part of a retreat for environmental agents in the Southwest Extension ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension

UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Scouting Training Series

by Caitlin Sollazzo
June 2, 2026

Early detection is one of the most important (but often overlooked) parts of plant health management. Whether managing insects, plant diseases, weeds, nutrient issues, irrigation problems, or environmental stress, the ability to scout effectively ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching

Liverworts (The Ancient “Weed” Living in Your Pots)

by Caitlin Sollazzo
April 23, 2026

I was looking through some nursery cuttings when I noticed something growing across the surface of the media - liverwort. My first thought was, man, I forgot how cool liverworts are. I’ve learned about them in ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Crops, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Commercial Horticulture, Liverwort, Manatee County Extension

Webspinners

by Caitlin Sollazzo
March 23, 2026

Webspinners (order Embioptera) are one of the most overlooked and fascinating insect groups on the planet. Despite their small size and secretive habits, they are more common here in Florida than most people realize, especially due to our subtropical, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Bugsarecool, Embiidina, Embioptera, Webspinner

A Tale of Three Daddy Long Legs

by Caitlin Sollazzo
December 17, 2025

I feel like it’s time to clear up a few common misconceptions. I recently acquired a pet daddy long legs because I have free will, and I use it to the fullest. If you’re in the entomology or arthropod world like me, you probably already ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Arachnology, DaddyLongLegs, Entomology, Manatee County Extension, SpiderMyths

Leafy Oak Gall

by Caitlin Sollazzo
December 8, 2025

Oak galls are one of my favorite examples of how complex plant–insect interactions can be. If you’ve ever walked past an oak tree and noticed odd growths (round, leafy, fuzzy, spiky, or shaped like little apples) you’ve seen the work of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Leafy Oak Gall, Oak Gall

Seaweed aquaculture in Florida? A farmer’s perspective.

by Angela Collins
December 3, 2025

Global seaweed production is currently at an all time high (World Bank, 2023; FAO, 2024). Almost all of that production occurs in Asia. The small amount that does occur in the US is restricted to cold water species, like the kelps of New England ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Aquaculture, Clams, Florida Sea Grant, Macroalgae, Seaweed, Shellfish, Tampa Bay

Highlights From the 2025 Manatee County Farm City Week Agricultural Tour

by Caitlin Sollazzo
November 21, 2025

A huge thank-you to everyone who joined us for the 34th Annual Farm City Week Agricultural Tour. We had a full bus, a full schedule, and a full day of learning, connecting, and experiencing agriculture firsthand. Thank you to every operation ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: A.P. Bell Fish Co., Manatee Farms, Orban's Nursery, Palma Sola Botanical Park, West Coast Tomato

Porterweed Rust

by Caitlin Sollazzo
November 12, 2025

Sometimes nature can be quite beautiful. This is rust (Puccinia urbaniana) infecting native porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis). If you look closely, you can even see tiny fly larvae feeding on the spores of the rust fungus.Rust is a type ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Horticulture, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension

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