I don’t see snakes on the trails in the fall and winter months. Do they hibernate like bears? Is there a “snake season?” I have so many questions. Read more: … [Read more...]
Woolly Bear Caterpillar – Winter Predictor Or Not?
According to folklore, the amount of black on the woolly bear in autumn varies proportionately with the severity of the coming winter in the locality where the caterpillar is found. Read more: … [Read more...]
WVU experts suggest creative uses for pumpkins after Halloween
Two West Virginia University agriculture specialists contend there are far better fates for your post-Halloween jack-o’-lanterns than being dumped in trash cans. CONTINUE SOURCE: WVU Today … [Read more...]
How To Remove Spotted Lanternfly Eggs
Learn first-hand how to scrape and destroy spotted lanternfly egg masses, which are visible between October and July. Continued: … [Read more...]
Ground Beetles – Beneficial Insects
QUESTION Client requested identification of a large beetle found in her yard. DIAGNOSIS / RECOMMENDATION Harpalus pensylvanicus, common name Pennsylvania dingy ground beetle. It is a beneficial insect. ADDITIONAL … [Read more...]
Spotted Lanternfly in Virginia
A potentially very serious pest of grapes, peaches, hops, and a variety of other crops, the spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, was detected in Frederick County, Virginia, on Jan. 10, 2018. It is important to look for … [Read more...]
From the Help Desk – DEFOLIATED JAPANESE BARBERRY BUSHES
ISSUE: Client has barberry shrubs with webbing and defoliation, with bushes looking terrible. DIAGNOSIS / RECOMMENDATION The problem is the barberry webworm (Omphalocera dentosa). Defoliated branches and webs can be cut out and … [Read more...]
Managing the Japanese Beetle:
A Homeowner’s Handbook
Both as adults and as grubs (the larval stage), Japanese beetles are destructive plant pests. Adults feed on the foliage and fruits of several hundredspecies of fruit trees, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines, and field and vegetable crops. Read More: … [Read more...]
What Virginians Need to Know About the 2022 Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine Expansion
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Spotted Lanternfly Quarantine will be expanded in July 2022 to include the following cities and counties: Buena Vista, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas, … [Read more...]
What to do about woodchucks
The woodchuck (a.k.a. groundhog) is often caught between being a celebrity and a villain. One day we rely on their shadow to forecast the seasons; the next we grumble as they make a meal of our carefully planted garden vegetables. Continued: … [Read more...]