Category Archives: Insects

Bugs and creepy crawlies

Spring Gardening Activities

Insects –  As our temperature gets warmer, you should begin noticing a number of insect pests, including Chilly Thrips, which attack new growth, including flowers and leaves, especially on roses and gardenias.  While most insecticides are ineffective on this pest, … Continue reading

Posted in Aphids, Brown Patch, Crape Myrtle, Fertilizing Lawn and Garden, grasshoppers, Insects, Lawn Care, Lawn Pests, Neonecatides, Plant Pests, Scale Insects, Spring Gardening, Thrips, Weeds | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lawn Insects

Here in Central Florida we have a number of insect pests that attack our lawns, which include:  fire ants, grubs, mole crickets, chinch bugs, fall army worms, and tropical sod web worms.  If you see any areas where the lawn … Continue reading

Posted in Chinch Bugs, Grubs, Insects, Lawn Care, Lawn Pests, Mole Cricket, Plant Pests, Sod Web Worms, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Neonicotinoids

How many of you are familiar with Neonicotinoids?  If you haven’t, don’t feel too bad; I hadn’t either.  Recently when I purchased some annuals for my flower beds, included was a tag that identified the plant and how to care … Continue reading

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Coping With Our Summer Weather

1.  Plant Watering –   If you have lived in Central Florida for several years, you probably have come to realize that our summer rainfall can be either a boom or a bust.  If you’ve been lucky enough to receive … Continue reading

Posted in Aphids, Chinch Bugs, grasshoppers, Insects, Lawn Care, Lawn Pests, Plant Diseases, Plant Pests, Sod Web Worms, Spider Mites, Summer Florida Gardening, Thrips, Watering Plants | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Holiday Plants

Holiday plants, which include poinsettias, Christmas Cactus, Kalanchoe, Cyclamen, and spring bulbs, such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and amaryllis (which have been forced to bloom now), and others, are great to receive or give to someone. However, how many … Continue reading

Posted in House plants, Insects, Plant Diseases, Plant Knowledge, Plant Pests, Poinsettias, Scale Insects, Spider Mites, White Fly | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Twig Borer on Red Maples

For those of you who have red maples in your landscape, be on the lookout for this pest.  Symptoms include numerous brown areas within the canopy, which later fall off.  These are caused when the adult borer lays eggs within … Continue reading

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Air Potato

I want to introduce to you an evasive plant which is a noxious, herbaceous, twining, branching, vine with 8″ + heart shaped leaves that can attain heights of 60′ or more. It can climb over, smother and displace both native … Continue reading

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More Thoughts on Summer Gardening

In my last posting, I discussed primarily how to cope with hot, humid weather as part of my suggested summer gardening tasks. I’d like to conclude this topic by discussing a few other suggestions: 1. Flowering Plants – As flowers … Continue reading

Posted in Caterpillars, grasshoppers, Insects, Plant Diseases, Plant Pests, Plant Propagation, Poinsettias, Scale Insects, Summer Florida Gardening, Thrips, Weeds, Wind damage to trees | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Crape Myrtle Bark Scale

As if we don’t already have enough pest problems to be concerned about, Texas A&M University researchers have identified a new one – Crape Myrtle Bark Scale. First noticed in Texas in 2004, it has since been identified in Arkansas, … Continue reading

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Pest Alert – Sod Webworms

Sod webworms have started showing up in people’s lawns – earlier than usual. Be on the lookout for small beige colored moths flying just above the surface of your lawn. They typically appear in the late afternoon, or early evening. … Continue reading

Posted in Insects, Lawn Care, Lawn Pests, Plant Pests, Sod Web Worms, Summer Florida Gardening | Tagged , | Leave a comment