Ticks are insects that attach to you or your pets and have the potential to transmit diseases once they start feeding. They cannot jump or fly, but often climb grasses and shrubs in order to come in contact with people or animals walking by. Reduce the ticks in your yard by keeping leaf litter, tall […]
It’s the season for Ticks! Read More »
Yellowjacket wasps prey on other insects and scavenge on human food and garbage. Yellowjackets defend their nests, as do other social wasps and bees, but are more likely to sting if disturbed while foraging. Learn how to distinguish between yellowjackets, wasps and look-alikes. Stings generally cause pain and short-term injury, but some people suffer severe
The flying pests of summer – Yellowjackets Read More »
You’ve been carefully tending your tomatoes dreaming of the day that you’ll be able to pick that plump red globe and savor the fruit. But alas, when you go to pick it, you see a big chunk missing, like someone took a bite out of it while on the vine. There are a few possibilities,
What’s eating my tomatoes? Read More »
Bats. Their mere mention evokes visions of silent, blood-sucking creatures that haunt the night skies or so the scary movies would have us believe. Centuries of superstition and misinformation have landed the furry, winged mammals with the undeserved reputation of nighttime villain. T’aint so. Overall, bats provide positive benefits to the environment – consuming huge
Shy and misunderstood, bats are a benefit to the gardener Read More »
Hot, dry and dusty are pretty typical outdoor conditions for this time of year. The last rains were months ago; late summer and early fall often features toasty daytime temperatures with low relative humidity. Most people, plants and animals don’t prefer it, but it’s ideal for pesky spider mites. More than 200 different plant species,
These pests love hot, dry and dusty conditions Read More »
The pocket gopher is named for the external, fur-lined check pouches the little pests use to carry food to their storage area. These thick-bodied rodents range from six – twelve inches long and have small eyes and ears set back far on the head. Their exposed chisel-like teeth (that grow continuously nine to fourteen inches
Gophers are garden really bad guys 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 her as such. What appears to be a small bee hovering like a tiny helicopter over Queen Anne’s Lace, but looks and may even sound like
Syrphid flies – the honeybee look-alike Read More »
As we transition from spring to summer and temperatures climb, it’s mosquito season. Not only are these flying pests annoying, their bite can be anywhere from mildly irritating to seriously painful. AND they can transmit disease, so it’s a good idea to start with preventing them from breeding. Don’t let mosquitoes breed in your yard!
Mosquitos can be more than just a nuisance Read More »
Spiders get a bad rap; many people go to great lengths to get rid of them. Is it their other-worldly appearance? A concern about being bitten by a poisonous type or simply the idea of “creepy, crawling” things? Whatever the reason, before eliminating them, it’s good to understand the invaluable role they play keeping pest
Who’s that spider? Read More »
Snails and slugs love to eat plants with tender foliage and fruit. Favorites include seedlings and plants with succulent foliage; they seriously damage basil, beans, cabbage, lettuce, and many other vegetable plants along with dahlia, delphinium, hosta and marigold. Ripening fruits close to the ground like strawberries are easy targets. And they’ll climb trees to
Creeping garden thugs do a lot of damage Read More »
