Insects and Animals
Identifying Insects, Plants and Animals
My neighbor Chrissy has taught me more about the insects that live in my neighborhood than any adult possibly could have. Every couple of days there comes a short “Ding Dong” of our doorbell, followed by a couple of firm...
Beekeepers – Finding
There are many friendly beekeeping clubs scattered across Georgia. Most sponsor regular meetings and classes for beginners. Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association Tara Beekeepers Association Cherokee Beekeepers Club Georgia Beekeepers Association Henry County Beekeepers Gwinnett Beekeepers...
Hornworms – Determining Difference
Taken from Hornworms and “Hummingbird” Moths The tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta, is usually much more common in vegetable gardens than the tomato hornworm, Manduca quinquemaculata, but both may be found together as they generally have similar habits. The tomato hornworm...
Woodpecker – Control
V. C. called me in an agitated state. “A woodpecker is pecking holes in my kitchen window screen!”, she exclaimed. “What can I do to keep this bird from visiting me every morning?” This is the time of year when...
Cat – Control
Cats digging in a flower bed can be a confounding problem. There are no repellents that are really effective. When I offered radio advice on the subject, a listener added these comments: “I was listening to your show Saturday morning,...
Chameleon – Feeding
I had an interesting call this week – a fellow who raises chameleons needed to know how to culture fruit flies to feed to the reptiles. This is pretty far afield for the Extension Service – we can tell you...
Moths – Control
Few things are more disappointing than donning an expensive wool sweater, only to find that moths have been snacking on the threads for weeks. Reweaving is costly and patching is almost impossible. “If only I had checked on my clothes...
Mole Control – Castor Oil
Moles can be a real bother in a lawn. Many times the best control option is to mash down their tunnels with your shoe and forget about them. A commercial product which contains castor oil has appeared. Research results on...
Termite Treatments – Comparing Costs
A RETREATMENT contract is the most frequently issued type of contract. It requires the pest control company to retreat any area where termites are found following the original treatment. It does NOT require any repairs to be performed if the...
Termite – Inspections
Termite control can no longer depend on the injection of chemicals around your house. It is imperative that your house be inspected each year for signs of termite infestation. The inspection should be thorough. Insist that your pest inspector schedule...
Spider Mites – Control
Spider mites are difficult to control in the landscape. Symptoms include twisted foliage, “speckled” leaves and tiny webs between leaf stems and main stem. Butterfly bush, verbena, foxglove and several houseplants are common hosts for spider mites. There are three...
Beautyberry – Mosquito Repellent
Many are the plants and plant oils that are reputed to repel insects! From the citrosa geranium to the lemongrass plant, there are differing levels of insect repellency in their odor. Now comes word that a researcher at the Agricultural...
Camellia – Cranberry Rootworm
When a gardening friend first described the damage to her camellias on Sea Island, I thought the holes in the leaves must be caused by an insect pest. But when I saw the holes were not round, I shifted gears...
Grub Control – Poor Results in Spring
We do a lot of dirt digging in spring and sometimes discover white grubs in the soil. The grubs are immature beetles (Japanese beetle, May beetle, June beetle, etc) which feed on plant leaves in June. The grubs themselves feed...
Tent Caterpillars
Tent caterpillars in the wild black cherry trees along the interstate have begun building their homes in the limbs. Like most caterpillars, each of the crawlers is basically a “stomach with legs”. Their existence is dominated by the urge to...
Egg Candler – Building
If you’re incubating eggs…or just want to determine how fresh an egg is, a candler is a useful tool. Farmers once used a candle in a box…but these plans show how you can use a flashlight or a small lamp...
Eggs – Incubating
One of the most memorable experiences I had as a young person was attending the Poultry Embryology class at Rock Eagle 4-H Camp. We opened eggs to study embryos, learned about incubators and even dyed just-about-to-hatch chicks blue and red....
Eggs – How They Are Made
You look at an egg and wonder…..just how did this get made inside a chicken? And how exactly does a baby chick get inside there? And what’s that yucky white stuff on the yolk? Here are some references to help...
