Look out into your yard. Do any of your trees have a neon sign flashing “Food…Food…Food - The Place to Eat!”? Most people did not plant their trees to create a fast-food station for insects. Could someone please
Tomato hornworms are the larvae of a large sphinx moth that is about the size of a hummingbird. In spring, the moth lays eggs on the underside of tomato (and related plants like pepper and eggplant) leaves. Although the hornworms are quite
By Tamara Galbraith Now is the time of year to plant cool season crops of the brassica family, such as cabbage and cauliflower. Soon after doing so, you can almost hear the ringing of the dinner bell at the imported cabbageworm party. Very
Scales are bark, branch, leaf, stem, and fruit pests. Hmm, that’s just about everything but the flower! These little pests can look like crusty and brown rounded bumps to white baggy cushions on your plants. They are like barnacles-and
During the winter months, when more plants are indoors, gardeners need to be on the lookout for a couple of tough pests that, once settled in, can be hard to control. Fungus gnats, the near-microscopic flying insects that feed and breed
Rabbits are one of the most loved and adored animals around. They are kept as pets, appear in children’s books and even have a celebrated icon in the Easter Bunny. So it’s hard for some people to believe that they can also be one
Perhaps nothing is a greater challenge to home gardeners than creating a deer-resistant landscape. Deer will eat almost anything, especially in the spring when plants are producing lush and tender new growth, and in fall and winter when
If you have tunnels of earth suddenly appearing throughout your lawn or garden, chances are you have been paid a visit by either moles or voles. Unlike gophers, they usually don’t leave any visible entry or exit holes. Voles are small,
Even if you don’t particularly like them, you’ve got to admit that ants are fascinating creatures. They’ve certainly stood the test of time: they have been around for a mere 110-130 million years and have colonized almost
If you hate mosquitoes, you are not alone! In fact, window screens, introduced in the 1880′s, were called “the most humane contribution the 19th century made to the preservation of sanity and good temper.” The pesky little
