Category: Pests & Disease

Invasive daisy fleabane (Erigeron annuus) growing out of cracks in the pavement in a highly urbanized area of Zagreb, Croatia. Photo by S. Luke Flory.

Cities worldwide may be the ultimate training grounds for invasive species

by Lourdes Mederos
September 21, 2026

With city growth and urban sprawl, could these changing landscapes be giving invasive species a competitive edge? Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) say the answer may be yes, ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Climate Change, Environment, Invasive Species, Luke Flory, Top News, UF/IFAS, University Of Florida Invasion Science Institute, Urban Sprawl
Dr. Jorge E. Pena, professor of entomology and nematology and PhD. student Daniel Carrillo, UF's Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, FL evaluating infestations of the red palm mite. 2010 Annual Research Report Photo.

UF launches initiative to support rapid-response research when invasive pests threaten Florida agriculture

by Lourdes Mederos
September 14, 2026

When a new invasive pest or plant disease appears, scientists have a small window of opportunity to address the threat before it spreads and becomes a much larger problem, potentially devastating Florida's agriculture, nursery industries, natural ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Events, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS
Tags: Agriculture, Challenge 250, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Nursery, One Night In The Tropics, Rapid-response, Safeguard Ecosystems, Top News, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center
Una persona con bata blanca y guantes protectores examina plantas de hojas verdes en un cultivo, mientras sostiene una carpeta con documentos.

Una iniciativa de UF impulsa el apoyo a la investigación de respuesta rápida contra amenazas invasoras para la agricultura de Florida

by Luz Bahder
September 14, 2026

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Cuando aparece una nueva plaga invasora o una enfermedad vegetal, los científicos disponen de muy poco tiempo para actuar ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Pests & Disease, Turf
Tags: Desafío 250, Espanol, Especies Invasoras, Homestead, One Night In The Tropics, Spanish, Una Noche En El Trópico
Dr. Lawrence Reeves, inspecting a bag of mosquitoes collected with an aspirator (essentially a vacuum for mosquitoes) from boulders at Cochise Stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, Cochise Co., Arizona. 15. Photo Credit: Photo: Dan Killingsworth

Mosquito species known only from Mexico recorded in U.S. for first time

by Lourdes Mederos
September 8, 2026

While most people may associate mosquitoes with Florida’s swamps, Arizona’s deserts and mountains are also home to a surprising variety of mosquito species. A University of Florida mosquito scientist has documented one of those species ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Florida, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, Invasive Species, Lawrence Reeves, Mosquito, Mosquito Diversity, Mosquito-borne Disease, Public Health, Top News
Gator head peeking out of the surface of water.

UF/IFAS names Mathews Paret interim Center director of Mid-Florida Research and Education Center

by Chris Vivian
August 25, 2026

Highlights: UF/IFAS appoints plant pathology leader Mathews Paret as interim director of the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center (MREC). Paret brings expertise in plant pathology, diagnostics and crop protection. Former directory ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Department Of Plant Pathology, Horticultural Sciences, Mathews Paret, MREC
A white bug on a green leaf.

Media Alert: UF/IFAS Experts to Host Pasture Mealybug Webinar on July 17

by Jamie Groh
July 13, 2026

What: Experts from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are hosting an informational webinar on the invasive pasture ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Agricultural Pest Management, Agricultural Webinar, Crop Protection, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Entomology, FDACS, Featured, Featured Hot Topic, Florida, Florida Agriculture, Florida Extension, Florida Farmers, Forage Grasses, Forages, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sceinces, Invasive Pests, Invasive Species, Livestock Production, Mealybug Identification, Pasture Management, Pasture Mealybug, Pasture Pest Control, Sugarcane Pests, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, University Of Florida
Spots on the lefaf of a tomato plantl

Scientists try to limit nasty tomato disease from spreading via grower spraying

by Brad Buck
July 7, 2026

Bacterial spot disease isn’t just a nuisance for tomato growers – it’s a relentless, weather-powered villain that can ruin a field of promising fruit, threatening farm profits. When warm rains roll in and humidity hangs in the air, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS
Tags: Aerosol, Airborne, Bacterial Spot Disease, Fungicides, Gary Vallad, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Plant Pathologist, Renzo Ramírez, Spraying, Tomato Plants, Water
A close-up of a German cockroach on a map. Photo by Johnalyn Gordon.

National survey suggests why roach infestations persist in multi-family apartment buildings, treatment options sought

by Lourdes Mederos
July 6, 2026

Cockroach infestations affect millions of U.S. households, particularly those who live in multi-family residential buildings, who made up nearly 70% of rental units in 2023. A national study, led by researchers from the University of Florida, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Cockroach, Department Of Entomology And Nematology, Diseases, Espanol, German Cockroach, Johnalyn Gordon, Louisiana State University, Pest Control, Pests, U.S. Department Of Housing And Urban Development, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, University Of Florida, University Of Kentucky, Zach DeVries
A white bug on a green leaf.

As new invasive species threatens Florida pastures and sugarcane, researchers racing to manage pasture mealybug outbreak

by Meredith Bauer-Mitchell
July 6, 2026

Invasive pasture mealybug has been detected in 15 Florida counties and can rapidly kill pasture grasses, hayfields and sugarcane, causing severe crop losses. UF/IFAS scientists are studying the newly arrived pest, while emergency approval ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Pasture Mealybug

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