In early 2002, somewhere near the meandering Savannah River, Georgia, a tiny female ambrosia beetle emerged from a wooden packing crate and flew inland towards a small stand of native redbay trees and began to drill. Two decades later and that ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
No, not Brood X Periodical Cicadas - those are not found here in Florida. Not “murder hornets” either. However, it is something equally disturbing (at least for many garden enthusiasts) - the eastern lubber grasshoppers have emerged ... READ MORE
Category: Camp, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease
Soil compaction occurs when the soil structure is compressed, thus reducing the number and size of the pore spaces between the particles, which causes a decrease in the availability of air and oxygen for the plants as well as a saturation of ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
When I was young, my mom told me a tale about when she babysat for my cousin before I was born. My mom and cousin Stephanie were on Miami Beach, and all of a sudden, she heard Stephanie screaming. She ran to Stephanie’s side, and my cousin, ... READ MORE
Category: , Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Water
Summer is the time of year when we receive the most calls about honey bees ( Apis sp.).The calls are not generally to praise the busy bee for its hard work, but to report them as a nuisance and request removal. Apis mellifera The acclaimed ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Wildlife
I am getting some calls from people asking about the Asian Giant Hornet or the “murder hornet”. Vespa mandarinia, is native to Japan and can be found in many other countries throughout Asia. The first colony that was discovered outside of ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
It’s difficult to believe that our state tree, Sabal palmetto, is presenting some difficulties. For me, Sabals are a bullet proof plant, until recently… What is the culprit? Lethal bronzing disease (LBD)! It used to be called Texas ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
What is a Weed? There are many definitions for the term, and the matter is rather subjective. A universally accepted definition is that a weed is a plant that grows where it is not wanted. They may be growing in your lawn, they may be the cause ... READ MORE
Category: , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn
Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) Update (as of 06/06/18): The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has positively identified the presence of three Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in south Miami-Dade County. There ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
What is it? There is a new insect pest found in Miami-Dade County. An armored scale, to be specific, it is called the phantasma scale (Fiorinia phantasma) that can affect ornamental plants. Where can it be found? The distribution of ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research