Category: Invasive Species

Close up of milkweed flowers

Landscaping with Native Milkweeds in Sarasota County

by Ashley Ellis and Forest HeckerAshley Ellis, Residential Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator in Sarasota County.
January 27, 2026

We often see gardeners using non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica L.) in their landscapes—sometimes without realizing it was recently added to the UF/IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas list as ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Conservation, Environment, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Garden, Horticulture, Landscape, Landscaping, Nature, Pgm_HortRes
Insectary room at the Mosquito Management Services Facility, with the Sarasota County Extension "ex•plore" program icon overlaying the image

ex•plore: Sarasota County Mosquito Management Services Facility Tour

by Erin Petersen and Jackie LebouitzAvatar photo
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
Crumb cleaner device on brown counter with blue wall in background (a crumb cleaner is a mini vacuum that cleans surfaces like counters)

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
An image of a small, bright, green lizard with a fan-like extension protruding from its throat.

Wild Sarasota: Lizard Land- A Few of Sarasota’s Common and Lesser-known Lizard Species

by Zahir Ringgold Cordes
August 14, 2024

Some are legless, while others are lengthy and quite large! They may be lackluster or lavishly colored, and love to laze in warm sunny spots. Florida is a land of many lizards, and here in Sarasota, there is a diverse bunch of interesting animals ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, Wildlife
Tags: Herpetology, Invasive Species, Lizards, Pgm_EcoNR, Reptile, Squamata, Urban Wildlife, Wild Sarasota, Wildlife

New Air Potato Beetle Available!

by Forest Hecker, Ashley Ellis and Jackie LebouitzForest Hecker, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Community Educator for Sarasota County's UF/IFAS Extension and Sustainability Department.
August 1, 2024

Invasive Air Potato The air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is an invasive vine in Florida, originally hailing from Africa and Asia. It was introduced to Florida in the early 1900s, likely for its ornamental uses. However, the plant quickly became ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Air Potato, Beetle, Biological, Control, Ecology, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Management, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_HortRes, Sustainable
Image of homes along pond with shoreline vegetation and trees.

New Neighborhood Best Practices Program Provides Key Tools for Building Healthy Communities

by Ashley Ellis and Jackie LebouitzAshley Ellis, Residential Horticulture Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator in Sarasota County.
May 1, 2024

Are you a homeowner living within a Homeowners Association (HOA) or serving on its board? Managing common areas like landscaping, trees, and stormwater ponds effectively can often be a challenge. But, fret not! There's a new initiative tailored ... READ MORE

Category: Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Coastal Systems, Community Gardens, Florida Certified Arborists, Florida Friendly, HOA, Irrigation, Pgm_Chemicals, Pgm_HortRes, Preservation Area, Stormwater Ponds, Trees, Urban Wildlife, Water Conservation, Water Quality
Picture of Florida-Friendly yard.

Can I Plant This? A Guide for Newcomers to Southwest Florida

by Ashley Ellis
April 1, 2024

Welcome to the lush landscapes of Southwest Florida! As you settle into your new home, you might find yourself drawn to the idea of adding some greenery to your surroundings. But before you start digging, it's essential to understand the unique ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife, Work & Life
Tags: Florida Friendly, Master Gardener Volunteer, Native Plant, Pgm_HortRes, StarterKit
Closeup of a Bauhinia x blakeana "orchid tree" blooms. [CREDIT: "Unha-de-vaca" by Mauricio Mercadante (CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0), via Flickr.com]

Master Gardener Volunteers on… the orchid tree, a corsage for your yard

by Sarasota County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
January 10, 2022

By Karen Pariser Master Gardener Volunteer Program team member Looking for an amazing pop of color and texture in your Florida yard? Consider the impact of a flowering tree. Specifically, the orchid tree. Bauhinia basics A member of the ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn
Tags: Bauhinia, Blakeana, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive, Invasive Plants, Master Gardener Volunteer, MGV, MGVblog, Pgm_Admin, Pothos, UFSaraExt_MGV
Allamanda cathartica. [CREDIT: pixabay.com, Dezalb]

Master Gardener Volunteers on… the all-too-troublesome allamanda

by Sarasota County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers
November 26, 2021

By Dianne Beaver Master Gardener Volunteer Program team member With large, bright-yellow flowers and vibrant-green leaves, Allamanda cathartica seems like the perfect plant to brighten up your patio or front garden area. It is a vigorous grower, ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Lawn
Tags: Allamanda, Allamanda Cathartica, FFL, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Invasive, Invasive Plants, Master Gardener Volunteer, MGV, MGVblog, Pgm_Admin, Pothos, UFSaraExt_MGV

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