Tag: pests

From the coast to sandhills, pastures to homestead, dozens of mosquito species are found around Florida homes and neighborhoods. They ease through life in one of four forms – egg, larvae, pupa or adult. As adults, some transmit disease pathogen from infected animals to humans, companion animals, and livestock. Unlocking the life cycle mystery is…

Have you ever wondered where the saying, “busy like a bee” comes from? Well, it comes from the worker honey bee – known to be the most active bee of their species, Apis millifera, as they are faced with many different tasks and duties throughout their life cycle. Within the species, the worker bee is…

Jay Capasso, UF/IFAS Columbia County. Joel Love, UF/IFAS NFREC Suwannee Valley. Kelly Aue, UF/IFAS NFREC Suwannee Valley. Sampling corn tissue is an important practice to conduct during the growing season. Tissue testing can help diagnose nutrient deficiencies, which can limit yield or help to evaluate the efficacy of fertilizer management strategies. Tissue sampling during the…

Welcome back to our monthly blog in which we discuss a few interesting facts about butterflies in general and a specific type of butterfly. Of the six known butterfly families, this month we will address the gossamer winged, also known as hairstreaks and blues and the metalmarks. Gossamer winged butterflies are so called because of…

Stumped is not something we often admit to being. As a new horticulture agent, I am still delighted when I get a chance to learn something. Recently, myself and others in my area, began to notice a fuzzy white growth on Ruellia simplex, a ubiquitous though invasive and not recommended landscape plant. It’s been particularly rainy,…

Introduced in the 1840s as an ornamental, the Brazilian peppertrees (Schinus terebinthifolia) are one of Florida’s most widespread invaders. They are abundant throughout the south, central, and parts of northern Florida, spanning canals, coastal dunes, pastures, and urban landscapes.   Mechanical and chemical methods are typically used to control the spread of Brazilian peppertree. Florida’s Noxious…

Magnesium (Mg) deficiency is very common in palms in Florida. Why is that? It’s because our soils have very low cation exchange capacity (CEC) and are highly leachable. CEC is a measurement of the total negative charges in the soil particles, thus allowing adsorption of positive charged nutrients such as Magnesium (Mg +2), Calcium (Ca +2), and…

Saturday, September 10TH 9:30A.M.-12:00P.M. Centennial Park Recreation Center 1120 Centennial Blvd. Port Charlotte, FL 33953 This program is sponsored by UF/IFAS Extension Charlotte County and will cover the basics of vegetable gardening and pests. The focus is on practical information which can be put-to-use immediately in the homeowner’s backyard. There is a $5.00 fee to…

Photo: Hannah Wooten The Silk Floss Tree commands attention in every season. From a stunning floral display, to the trunk laden with menacing spines, to the palmate foliage, it is no wonder this rainforest tree has found a place in managed landscapes around the world! Silk Floss, Floss Silk, palo borracho aka drunken stick, toborochi are…