My Journey from the Mountains to Mosquitoes and Beyond I (Amy Solis) was born and raised in Jane Lew, West Virginia. I grew up learning early lessons about hard work, stewardship, and resilience. Much of my childhood was spent outdoors, ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension
There is a line from a song in a film I loved in my childhood that goes something like this: tell everybody I’m on my way, new friends and new places to see. I’ve thought about this song a lot recently, because I couldn’t have ever predicted ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension
In part one of this series, we discussed risk. To have risk, hazard AND exposure must both be present. Remember Risk = Hazard + Exposure. Then we discussed acute, sub-chronic and chronic exposure, and what those mean. Now it is time to dig beyond ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS ExtensionPesticides are hazardous, they are designed to repel, kill, or otherwise disrupt the lifecycle of living organisms. Pesticides can be toxic and even poisonous. These are all true statements, but a hazard, by itself, is not necessarily a ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Farm Management, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
The United States Environmental Protection Agency requires individuals wishing to purchase or use Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP) be properly licensed/certified. States then carry out those plans through approved certification and training plans. ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
If you are in the world of pesticides, you have likely heard of “IPM” Integrated Pest Management and probably have some sense of what it is. If you were asked to fully define it though, could you? Would your definition be outdated? Would ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Florida is known for many of its “Fresh from Florida” commodities such as citrus, tomatoes, blueberries, strawberries, watermelons, beans, and sweet corn, but what role do honey bees play in the production of these crops? Did you know that ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Livestock, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Have you ever performed a pesticide treatment and had it fail? Ever had a customer or client ask what you did months ago, but now you can’t remember? Have you ever said the phrase “those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, Farm Management, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
The internet and social media abound with “Do it yourself” “Homemade” “Natural” weed killer and bug control articles. Many will promise that these mixes are easy, safe, and very effective. This blog will not discuss efficacy, but ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, HOME LANDSCAPES, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
A pesticide is described as any substance that is used to kill, repel, or control a “pest”. Mosquitos are a pest that Floridians know very well. Around the world there are around 1,000,000 deaths each year from mosquito borne illness, ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, HOME LANDSCAPES, NATURAL RESOURCES, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension