Tag Archives: insecticides
Bugged by Bugs we want to hear from you.
Has this year had you bugged by bugs? Like many of you even those of us who work in entomology, pest control, school maintenance, or live somewhere in Texas you have seen your fair share of insect pests this year. If you have seen more pests around your home and you have treated for those pesky pests, we would love to hear from you. This short survey we created with funding from USDA NIFA wants to know what you have seen, and if you treated for the pest… Read More →
Living with squash vine borer
A gardener recently asked me what she could do about squash vine borer. She then proceeded to list all the recommended treatments she had tried already, ranging from shooting the vines up (literally, with a hypodermic syringe full of Bt), to putting out yellow bowls to catch adult moths, to watching a gazillion videos on YouTube, to praying to the bird gods to eat the little buggers. To answer her question I spent time reviewing a new and old publications, including a new review of the literature on… Read More →
Quick fix for mosquitoes
This year my wife and I worked all spring to turn our backyard into a flowery paradise. We installed drip irrigation, planted new plants (including a bunch of perennials for attracting bees and butterflies) and mulched everything against the coming drought of summer. Now that summer’s here, however, the mosquitoes have decided that since everything’s so nice, they want to be in charge. In fact I believe every mosquito on the block knows about our backyard, making it difficult to go outside for even a few minutes without repellent. You… Read More →
Bee protests are cute, but…
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W5PQbitoS4#t=115[/youtube]A recent protest by organic activists outside a Chicago Home Depot highlighted the current debate over pesticides and bees. It also reminded me that no one wants to go on record as being “against the bees”. Check out the video above. Let’s face it. Despite their sometimes dangerous side, bees rank relatively high on most people’s list of favorite insects. After all, bees are a sure sign of spring (much needed this year). And they make honey for goodness sake. And, as the beekeeping industry keeps reminding us,… Read More →