Category: Pests & Disease

Welcome Our New Commercial Horticulture Program Specialist

by Jackie Lebouitz
April 10, 2026

At UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, we work closely with residents, volunteers, and professionals on a wide range of topics in horticulture, with a focus on promoting plant health through best management practices (BMPs) in the landscape ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Turf, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Business, Commercial, Garden, Greenhouse, Growers, Horticulture, Nursery, Pgm_Chemicals, Plants, Professional

When the Garden Wakes Up, So Do the Insects: A Spring Story About Pests, Predators, and Paying Attention

by Ashley Ellis
April 5, 2026

On a warm spring morning in Southwest Florida, the garden doesn’t just grow—it hums. If you pause long enough, you’ll notice it. A leaf that wasn’t chewed yesterday now carries a series of holes caused by cabbageworm. Ants move steadily ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Pgm_HortRes

ex•plore: Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services Facility Tour

by Erin Petersen and Jackie Lebouitz

September 29, 2025

For over 80 years, Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services (MMS) has managed the surveillance and reduction of mosquito populations here in Sarasota County. To share more about their process, MMS generously offered a public tour of their ... READ MORE

Category: Farm Management, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: County, Explore, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Management, Mms, Mosquito, Pgm_Chemicals, Sarasota, Services, Tour

Don’t Be Crummy: Prevent Pest Infestations (Get a FREE Crumb Cleaner!)

by Jackie Lebouitz
September 19, 2025

Ants afoot in your kitchen? Perhaps a cockroach or two crawling across your garage? Or...egad, a rat rifling around your pantry? Well, while these experiences may happen to the best of us on occasion, they are certainly less than welcome. The ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Home Management, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Clean, Home, House, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Pests, Pgm_Chemicals

The Spooky Bug Brigade: Whip Scorpions

by Jackie Lebouitz
October 17, 2024

As our community continues to recover from recent storms, find helpful resources and information at tiny.cc/ufsaraext_disasterprep, tiny.cc/saraco_disasterprep, and scgov.net/government/emergency-services/storm. This blog is part of ... READ MORE