Insects and Animals
Cluster Fly
You’ve seen them…I’ve seen them. Big flies that appear out of nowhere inside your house. I didn’t know what they were until my friend Jim Howell wrote about them in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cluster FliesBy Jim HowellAtlanta Journal-ConstitutionPublished on: 01/14/05...
Termite – Identification
Termites and ants are similar in that both have winged “reproductives.” When you see a swarm, are they ants or termites? To tell them apart, look at their body shape. The ant will have a very distinct neck and waist....
Termites – What to do When Found
One of my earliest childhood memories is the discovery that termites had taken up housekeeping amongst the Reeves family. When the termite man came to inspect our hallway, his inspection revealed an entire wall whose interior was the consistency of...
Fire Ant Control – Grits
There is much to be learned “over the fence” when you’re gardening. Your friends and neighbors can tell you how their plants have behaved in certain situations and you can use their experience as a guide. But some of the...
Mosquito Control – Automatic Misting Systems
Mosquito control can be a maddening exercise. No matter how hard we try, it seems nothing can stop their appearance on summer afternoons. My friend Dr. Paul Guillebeau is an entomologist at the University of Georgia. He recently made some...
Poisonous Plants – Pets
Poisonous plants in the landscape often concern pet owners. Puppies love to chew – and if they chew the wrong thing for long enough, they could be harmed. Cornell University – Plants Poisonous to Dogs Petstyle – Plants poisonous to...
Mosquito Control – Health Effects from City Foggers
Mosquitoes are more than a summer nuisance. They can spread serious disease to humans and animals. However, people are justifiably concerned when plans are announced to spray entire neighborhoods with insecticide. This article from CNN – Health posted April 4,...
Japanese Beetles – Control Options
Each summer promises to be a banner season for Japanese beetles. The coppery-green beetles hatch in the lawn in June each year. Once they have emerged, the beetles head straight for their favorite plants nearby. The leaves of grapes, canna,...
Mosquito – Control
Mosquitoes generate the most ire of any of the summer insects. We can tolerate insects that nibble leaves and disfigure fruit. But when the insect is dining on us, the atmosphere of tolerance quickly becomes strained. There are plenty of...
Milorganite for Repelling Deer
Numerous are the products that claim to repel deer from your garden! While many of them may deter deer temporarily, few have been the subject of University studies. Anecdotal tales from gardeners convinced a couple of UGA researchers to try...
Lady Beetles – Do They Bite?
I love a scientist who takes his work seriously. Recently, I wanted to know something seriously enough to offer my own hand to lady beetles to find definitively if they bite!! Much to my surprise, they do! Not only that,...
Yellowjacket – Huge Nests
Giant yellowjacket nests??? Sounds like one of those horror movie scenarios doesn’t it? Nonetheless, folks in Alabama know to watch out after a mild winter.Super-sized yellowjacket nests Alabama Story Followup Alabama Story Followup #2 And folks in south Georgia better...
Digger Wasps
October, 1995Digger wasps are insect inhabitants which usually do not damage the turf grass. They can be present in all turf grasses however. This wasp is about l 1/2 inches long and has bright yellow markings on its body. The...
Japanese Beetles – Employment for Son
Few things are more disheartening than finding three little Japanese beetle bottoms sticking merrily in the air as they munch the center of a perfect rose bloom. I have ‘em and they are very well fed. Fortunately, I also have...
Hemlock Wooly Adelgid – Donate
The State of Georgia desperately needs your help. As you have probably heard, the hemlock trees in North Georgia are now under attack by a tiny insect called the hemlock woolly adelgid. At present it is devastating hemlocks in Rabun...
Tadpole Identification, Frog Calls
My Rockdale county Extension friend Jule-Lynn Macie says “In 19 years I’ve never been asked to identify a tadpole, but just in case – try this website: The Southeast Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative of the UnitedStates Geological Survey announces...
