Could be voles. Also known as field or meadow mice, voles are small rodents that resemble hamsters. With a compact, heavy body, short legs, a short-furred tail, they can measure 5 to 8 inches long, including the tail. These rodents are plant eaters, with an appetite for a lot of different plants – from artichokes, […]
What’s Chewing Your Tree Trunk? Read More »
Along with the warm, sunny days of summer comes a scourge of pests – spider mites. These little arachnids, related to spiders, look like tiny moving dots. The eight-legged, oval shaped adults live in colonies, primarily on the under-surfaces of leaves and a single colony may contain hundreds of individuals. They overwinter as mated females
These Pests Love Hot, Dry, And Dusty! Read More »
With the bounty of flowers blooming this time of year, you’re likely to spot one of the most helpful little critters in the garden, though you may not recognize it as such. What appears to be a small bee hovering like a tiny helicopter over a blossom but looks and may even sound like a
This Bee Impostor Is a Good Guy! Read More »
Did you know you can unwittingly expose pollinators to harmful pesticides? Some plant growers still use strong insecticides when growing their garden plants. Neonicotinoids, commonly referred to as “neonics,” are very toxic to pollinators, beneficial insects, and aquatic invertebrates, and are the most widely used class of insecticides in the world. The active ingredients in
Protect Pollinators from Neonics Read More »
Ever stick your nose to inhale the perfume of a rose, and see teeny-tiny bugs jump? Likely you’ve just met some flea beetles. Named for their well-developed hind legs, they jump like fleas when disturbed. While these insects can be a nuisance to roses, they don’t do any real damage. They’re more commonly found on
What’s Jumping in That Rose? Read More »
If you’ve grown tomatoes for a few years, chances are you use plants known to be free of and resistant to two common deadly fungal diseases, fusarium and verticillium wilt. But did you know that the blackened branch on a prized Japanese maple, towering ash, or verdant pepper tree may be the result of infection
Are Your Tomatoes Wilting? Read More »
National Pollinator Week is June 20 – 26. Fourteen years ago, the U.S. Senate’s unanimous approval and designation of a week in June as “National Pollinator Week” marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations. Pollinator Week has now grown into an international celebration, promoting the valuable ecosystem services provided
National Pollinator Week June 20 – 26, 2022  Read More »
Grrrrr – while merrily tending my roses, I’ve come across another victim of the dreaded beast – the gopher. If this is not one of the gardening challenges you face, you can stop reading now. Since I live in gopher heaven, each season I have to deal with the damage from this voracious pest. And
Traps are the Most Reliable Way to Manage Gophers Read More »
There’s a whole lot of buzzing going on – bees are busy doing their thing, zipping from flower to flower, moving pollen from one to the other, bringing the promise of plump peaches, tasty tomatoes, and humdinger zucchini. There are also ones that might be drilling little holes in the eaves of your roof or
A Bee or Not a Bee, that is the Question Read More »
No need for a calendar to tell you that spring has arrived. Days are longer and warmer, trees are bursting with brilliant blossoms and tiny leaves are emerging from vegetable seeds you carefully planted last month. Along with the wonders of the season are the challenges – weeds, insect pests, and maybe even rats! Before
