In Tick Management, Species Matters
One key factor plays a role in how well any particular tick-management method might work: Which tick species is it best suited for? A new guide in the Journal of Integrated Pest Management reviews research on tick management tools and their effectiveness on three tick species: the blacklegged tick, the lone star tick, and the American dog tick.
The Eastern Lubber Grasshopper: Hard to Miss, But Only an Occasional Pest
Despite its large size, often bold coloration, and ostentatious defensive behaviors, the eastern lubber grasshopper is harmless to humans and is only rarely a pest of concern to plants.
How Scratch-Off Cards Can Boost Learning in Entomology Extension
Immediate Feedback Assessment Technique scratch-off cards offer a low-tech (and low-budget) option for evaluation of participant knowledge and learning in entomology extension programs.
Got Aphids? Call in the Reinforcements With Banker Plants
To manage pest infestations in greenhouses, banker plants draw in different insect species that don’t feed on the main crop but do serve as hosts for predator insects that will also attack the pest on the main crop—a useful (and green) tool for integrated pest management.
Invasive Fly Targets North American Onions, Leeks, Related Crops
The allium leafminer damages crops such as onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks through larval feeding and adult egg-laying in plant tissue. Native to Europe, the invasive species was first discovered in North America in December 2015 in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Spotted Lanternfly: States Urge Citizens to Report Sightings of Invasive Insect Hitchhiker
First encountered in the United States in Pennsylvania in 2014, the spotted lanternfly had spread to New York, Delaware, and Virginia by early 2018. The invasive insect threatens Tree of Heaven as well as grapes, hops, and fruit trees, and it has a penchant for hitchhiking. Anyone sighting spotted lanternfly is urged to report it to their state agriculture department or local extension office.
Emerald Ash Borer: How Cities and Towns to Prepare for Invasion
In Pennsylvania, where emerald ash borer has been present since 2007, municipalities have found successful ash-management plans under guidance of the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and they offer a model for other regions to follow.
A New Tool for Picking the Right Pesticide for an IPM Program
A new "IPM Criteria Guidance Document" provides integrated pest management professionals, extension entomologists, and growers a common set of criteria to compare pesticides and make a selection based on compatibility within a given IPM plan.
Brown Recluse: Pest Management Tips for the Spider That’s Not as Common as You Think
Sightings of the brown recluse are rare outside its known range, but if its presence is confirmed, here's what to do about it.
When Educating About Insects, Instructional Video Can Help
Extension entomologists at Texas A&M have used short instructional videos to supplement face-to-face education sessions for growers on integrated pest management, and analysis of their use shows the videos are improving learning outcomes.
What Lies Beneath: Grape Root Borer in Eastern Vineyards
Grape root borers are slow killers of grape vines, but also are hard to detect.
Managing Pests in Organic Greenhouses
While a greenhouse structure affords growers pest control options that are not available for field crops, such as physical exclusion, it can also create challenges.
The Current State of Integrated Tick Management
If you read the news, it can be easy to wonder why it seems like we’re losing the war against ticks and the diseases they transmit. Why, exactly, are ticks […]
Could Reducing Deer Populations Reduce Lyme Disease?
Reduction in deer populations won't prevent Lyme Disease, but can reduce the risk
New Guide Offers Insights on How to Manage the Forest Tent Caterpillar
Extension agents across much of the United States often get questions from homeowners and forest managers about the forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria), and their concerns are understandable. The native […]
How Salt, a Coffee Filter, and a Microscope Could Aid in Managing Spotted-Wing Drosophila
By Andrew Porterfield The red-eyed, spotted fly first appeared in the United States in strawberry, raspberry, and blackberry crops in Santa Cruz County, California, in 2008. Then the Southeast Asian […]