Recent Articles
How to Control Aphids in Your Garden
Aphids can definitely mean trouble for garden, even though they are small and rather innocent looking upon first glance. These tiny pests are pear shaped and about 1/16 to ⅜ of an inch long. Aphids have long antennae, and some have wings. They can be a variety of colors, such as green, pink, yellow, black […]
Protecting Magnolia Trees From Magnolia Scale
If you have beautiful magnolia trees in your yard, you certainly don’t want them to be destroyed by a small pest. The unfortunate truth is that, they can. Magnolia scale is one of the largest scale insects and are commonly found in the eastern part of the United States. They most commonly attack the Star […]
Protecting Oak Trees From Obscure Scale
Obscure scales are pests that affect oak, hickory, walnut, willow and maple trees. These scaly pests live on branches and twigs, and they feed on sap using their piercing mouthparts. Obscure scales have one generation each year. Females lay eggs in June, July and August, and there is peak crawler activity during mid-July. Although small, […]
Rust: The Plant Fungus You Need to Know About
Rusts are types of plant diseases that are caused by a fungus in the Pucciniales order. These diseases affect plants and flowers, and gardeners will notice the telltale signs of speckled masses that surface on the leaves. Some of these rust diseases have a reddish-orange color like the name suggests, but there are many other […]
It’s Not a Moth. It’s an Eastern Tent Caterpillar!
It’s easy to mistake an eastern tent caterpillar for a moth, especially since this type of caterpillar is from the moth family. The scientific name is Malacosoma americanum, and they are pests that are native to North America. Eastern tent caterpillars can be a nuisance because their nests are eyesores and they can defoliate a […]
Are Those Leaf Spots on my Plants?
Are Those Leaf Spots on My Plants? No one likes to see leaf spots on their plants, but they are typically minor stresses that will not affect the overall health of the tree. Some leaf spot diseases can cause the plant to lose its leaves, but as long as the plant is healthy, it should […]
How to Manage Flatheaded Borers
Flatheaded borers are beetle larvae that live just beneath the bark of tree trunks, branches and roots. They are similar to termites in that they dig out tunnels in the wood, and signs of an infestation include sawdust around the tree as well as loose bark that can be pulled apart. Flatheaded borers are small, […]
The Battle Between Trees and Grass
Grass and trees are fierce competitors for oxygen, nutrients, water and sunlight. That’s why you seldom see nice healthy trees and grass in close proximity to each other. Usually one or the other will be dominate. In the urban environment, sod is often placed over the root system of a tree and it generally has […]
Roundheaded Borers are in my Tree – What Can I do About Them?
c/o: Andreas Krappweis Roundheaded Borers are in my Tree – What Can I do About Them? Roundheaded borers are pests that tend to attack mostly shade trees. They may also be referred to as long-horned borers. There are more than 1400 species of roundheaded borers, and they attack both hardwood and deciduous trees. These borers […]
A Closer Look at the Various Types of Borers
Insect borers are structural pests that live in trees and shrubs, causing aesthetic and economic damage. What these tiny, but damaging, pests do is tunnel through the inside of the tree, eating away until the tree becomes vulnerable and weakened. By the time the signs of an infestation are noticed, it may be too late. […]