Ticks are more than just a nuisance. They also spread diseases like Lyme and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Here are our top tips for keeping your yard free of ticks this season. Maximize sunlight. Ticks need damp, humid areas to survive. Try to address drainage issues on your property and trim your trees to allow…
EAB has proven to be an expensive and unpredictable challenge to local shade tree commissions. We have a wide scope of offerings beginning with individual tree assessment, all the way up to comprehensive tree inventory and management plans for entire cities. Here’s a recent article highlighting actions by the Rutherford Shade Tree Department and the…
Republished with permission from Ron Kujawski, Horticultural Consultant, UMass Amherst The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment at https://ag.umass.edu. Recurring and prolonged periods of drought seem to have become commonplace in many regions of the country in recent years. The effects on trees and shrubs can often be seen in both natural and man-made…
It is so early in the season in many regions buds have not yet broke, but insects have awoken. Being the first to become active has some advantages for the insects, but for landscape professionals and homeowners they can be quite a nuisance. Being that the season for insect control hasn’t begun in earnest up…
Around this time of year when the weather starts getting crisp and cool, insects start to seek asylum in warmer spots, most notably your home. Fall house invaders think that they want a warmer habitat but truly, it messes with their circadian rhythms, preparation for winter and survival. Insects that should be going dormant for the…
The greatest threat to the sustainability of this country’s forests and probably the number one challenge for land managers is not forest fires, as may be perceived by the public, but insect infestations and the spread of disease. Insects and disease do not get the media coverage that fires do, but the National Report on…
Current Conditions The last couple of weeks in June were dry across the region, receiving only a fraction (0.05 inches) of the average expected rainfall for the month. Daytime high temperatures have been seasonal, night time lows are consistently below average. While the warm, dry weather is pleasant, lack of rainfall with increasing temperatures will cause…
Critter Concerns Insects like fruit trees for many of the same reasons we like fruit trees, sweet smelling, pollen filled flowers and ripe, juicy fruits and seemingly sweet leaves and bark. While we want to attract and protect pollinators and beneficial insects, injurious insects can cause serious damage, inhibiting fruit production or fouling fruit, stunting or gnarling…
Advantageous Animals Not all insects are pests to the plant kingdom, in fact, many species have evolved alongside plants and participate in a a mutually beneficial relationship. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies are the most commonly known among the beneficials but also helpful in the microcosm of your landscape are insectivorous insects; insects that…
Are Insects About to Invade Your Dinner Plate? Caramel glazed crickets anyone? How about some mealworm French fries or banana worm bread? While most will probably cringe at the sound of those dishes, there is a rapidly growing population who are seeing insects in a different light and cashing in on some substantial health benefits.…
