Category: Pests & Disease

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

UF/IFAS researchers work to advance grapevine health, helping California’s wine industry

by Stella Canfield
January 15, 2025

UF/IFAS researchers are tackling a critical challenge: protecting California’s $73 billion wine and wine grape industry. Grapevine red blotch disease (GRBD) and grapevine leafroll disease (GLD), caused by complex insect vector-borne viruses, ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, Mid-Florida Research And Education Center, MREC, National Academy Of Sciences, Ozgur Batuman, Research, Southwest Florida Research And Education Center, Wine
Carved pumpkin in a forest.

Halloween with a Horticultural Twist: Spider Mites and Poison Ivy

by Stella Canfield
October 31, 2024

Halloween is a time for ghosts, ghouls and goblins, but the real fright might be lurking right under your nose. From destructive pests to dangerous weeds, these formidable foes can transform your greenery into a gruesome graveyard.   Fangs ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS
Tags: Chris Marble, Entomology, Halloween, Herbicide, Horticulture, Lance Osborne, Landscape Weeds, Pests, Poison Ivy, Spider Mites, Weed Identification, Weeds
Close up microscope photo of thrips parvispinus

Scientists warn of invasive plant pest; say early detection, reporting key

by Tory Moore
March 29, 2023

An invasive thrips species has started to wreak havoc in Florida. The insect was first detected in Florida in 2020 but has since spread significantly across the state. What once was isolated to greenhouses now has begun to harm a wide range ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Pests, Gardening, Invasive, Invasive Pests, Mid-Florida Research And Education Center, Ornamental Plant Industry, Ornamental Plants, Ornamentals, Pest, Pest Control, Pest Management, Pests, Thrips, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research And Education Center, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center

Banker plants effective for managing thrips on roses

by Tory Moore
November 22, 2022

Chilli thrips are a nuisance to rose growers, as their feeding causes foliar and flower damage. For the first time, UF/IFAS researchers investigated the utility of a banker plant system for managing chilli thrips on roses. Recently published ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Banker Plants, Biological Control, Chilli Thrips, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Entomology, Entomology And Nematology, Mid-Florida Research And Education Center, Predatory Mites, Thrips, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research And Education Center
A bush of hemp.

Hemp pest ID tool from UF/IFAS available now

by Tory Moore
September 30, 2021

Pests can cause devastating impacts to a hemp crop. The first step to tackle a pest problem is to identify the unwelcome intruder. A new UF/IFAS hemp pest identification tool takes the guesswork out of identifying some of the potential Florida ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Archive, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Entomology, Hemp, UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore, UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project

New Video: Mites of Industrial Hemp in Florida

by Caroline Warwick
February 23, 2021

The UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project has a new video resource available for industrial hemp growers: Mites of Industrial Hemp in Florida. The video, narrated by UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC) professor of entomology ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Biological Control, Eriophyidae, Hemp, Industrial Hemp, Juanita Popenoe, Lance Osborne, Mites, Mites In Hemp, Osborne, Tarsonemidae, Tetranychida
Two hands holding a pesticide bottle with the the safety and instruction labels facing upward.

Consumer Preferences for Labels Disclosing the Use of Neonicotinoid Pesticides

by Caroline Warwick
October 20, 2020

Neonicotinoid pesticide use in the U.S. ornamental horticulture industry continues to be in the spotlight due to potential health risks to pollinator insects, with several large retailers requiring disclose of use on plant labels. In Consumer ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Agricultural Economics, Agriculture, Archive, Auction, Consumer Perceptions, Experimental Auction, Horticulture, Horticulture Economics, Khachatryan, Labels, Neonicotinoid, Pesticides, Rihn, Wei

Online CEUs: Diseases of Ornamentals and Fungicide Resistance Training

by Caroline Warwick
May 26, 2020

Looking for ways to earn Continuing Education Unit (CEU) credit this summer? Join UF/IFAS for our Diseases of Ornamentals and Fungicide Resistance Training on June 5, 2020. The training will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. during ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Ag Row Crop, CEU, Commercial Landscape Maintenance, Continuing Education Unit, Core, Education, Horticulture, O & T, Ornamental, Ornamental Plants

UF Student Creates DIY Predator-Rearing System

by Angela Colonna
December 5, 2019

Two years ago, Sarah Birkmire took her first entomology class and since then she has been hooked on the study of insects. An avid gardener herself, Birkmire is interested in pest control and plays scientist in her own garden of potted plants ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Bad Bugs, DIY, Extension, Good Bugs, Insects, Natural Enemies, Predators, UF Student

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