Aphids are a plague to gardeners everywhere. A crucial part of the pest ecosystem, aphids offer little good to green thumbs that spend hours cultivating bountiful fruit and veggie gardens only to see them nibbled away.
Aphid bugs are tiny, pear-shaped insects that are usually green or yellow. They’ll eat just about every kind of plant although they prefer warm weather leaves and tomatoes, too. They’re difficult to spot but usually show up by the droves, thousands at a time. Here are a few of the best ways to get rid of aphids once you find them… Continue reading
There’s been a lot of chatter in the media lately about the concerning decline in honeybee populations. Indeed, honeybees are a crucial part of the ecosystem and provide far more good than they do harm in most instances. They rarely sting and in fact spend most of their time pollenating plants which depend on their existence for their survival. 
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Taro is a root that grows in warm, humid climates, made popular by the American islands of Hawaii. It’s a primary source of food around many underdeveloped nations and is edible in many forms (but must be cooked first.) People often grind it into a powder to use as a starch, make it into a paste, or simply roast the taro with seasonings like a potato. 
Florida has a reputation for large, unusual fauna, bugs being one of the favorites of tourists. But larger-than-life mosquitoes, by all accounts a distinct species, are set to take flight all around The Sunshine State in a matter of weeks…and residents are worried. The so-called “Gallnippers,” massive mosquitoes measuring the size of a quarter, have a ferocious sting and are impossible to miss. They’re stronger than their common mosquito counterparts and feed all day and night – most mosquitoes only feed a couple hours a day. Known for biting anything from wild animals to fish, Galnippers are revving up to wreak havoc in Florida. 
For decades people have relied on various forms of insect repellent to keep clear of bugs and enjoy the outdoors unbitten. From citronella candles to lotions to aerosol sprays, bug repellents come in many different forms and are designed to keep all types of species at bay. One of the more controversial insect repellents of the last 40 years is DEET, a colorless, oily concoction used to keep bugs away.
April showers mean spring flowers – and bugs! After a frigid winter many are looking forward to the beautiful blooms of the spring season but with the gorgeous flora come a whole host of pests. The best thing you can do to protect your garden is plan ahead and keep an eye out for some of the most common spring insects. 
The Kudzu Bug looks like a cross between a tick and a stink bug, and stink it does. Putting off an offensive smell if threatened these little critters invade by the thousands and are so far proving tough to kill. Some people in the Southeast are heralding their arrival – they like to much on Kudzu leaves, Kudzu being the only plant more invasive than a root canal. While the bugs are helpful in slowing Kudzu growth they’ve also proven harmful. 
The thought process behind IPM is that through careful planning and management of your home garden and lawn you can keep pests at bay, preferably without using chemicals or pesticides. Beginning in the 1990s, Integrated Pest Control has now become a guiding tenant of many homeowners’ lawn maintenance routines. True IPM plans call for little or no use of pesticides. The goal of a successful management plan is to eradicate and prevent pests using more natural, sustainable methods. These methods include cultural controls, biological controls, and physical controls.