Posts Tagged ‘insects’
Flea Control – Indoors
Q: What can I use in the house for flea control with a sixteen month old baby present? The dog is treated and the yard is going to be but I want to get ahead of them indoors before there...
Scale – On Boxwood
Q: Down deep on my boxwood stems I have found white-looking things that are very rounded in shape. When I pull them off their underside is blood red. I can squash them between my fingers and they crunch a bit....
Tree – Determining Age
Q: I am trying to find out the age of several live oak trees at my father-in-law’s house in north Florida. Is there some general way to determine their age based on their diameter? A: According to Certified Arborist Brian...
Termites – Planting Too Close to Foundation
Q: I have planted a vine close to the foundation of our house. I want to train the limbs into a pattern against the blank brick wall like I’ve seen done in garden design magazines. Now that it is in...
Fruit Tree – Grafting
Q: In the Sunday paper there was an ad for a “fruit salad tree” which they claim can grow five different kinds of fruit. I was considering buying one, but first I wanted to find out what you knew about...
Cotton – Planting
Q: Would you please give me some information on how to plant cotton seeds? I went to the library so see if they had a book on this subject but they did not. A: Before you plant the cotton seed...
Azalea – Biting Plant Bug
Q: Every spring when I am trimming azaleas, I get bit by a little red insect that has a bite fiercer than a fire ant. I only see them for a few weeks in late April or early May. They...
Lawn – Planning for Dogs
Q: We have just purchased a new house with more than an acre of land and are trying to decide which route to go. We want to do some initial landscaping but we also want to establish a lawn. We...
Cigarette Beetle – Control
Q: My kitchen has been invaded by tiny little brownish-black bugs. They have a hard shell that “crunches” when you smash them. They get in cereal, baking goods, etc. They also get into the dog treats and can leave one...
River Birch – Sawfly
Q: Last summer I called your radio show and asked how to get rid of caterpillars on several river birch trees in my back yard near my goldfish pond. Your answer was to get an organic product, and spray it...
Spiders – In Garden
Q: I have a small vegetable garden with a couple tomato and cucumber plants. I have a lot of little spiders running around the garden and in the grass all over the yard. I also found a mound of tiny...
Oak – Gouty Gall
Q: I would like to know what these potato-looking things are. They fell from an oak tree in my brother’s backyard in New Jersey. They look like a honeycomb inside and the tree is full of them. A: It’s a...
Fritillary Butterfly – Identification
Q: Recently my son noticed some orange, spiked caterpillars in our backyard. He wanted to see what they would turn into so he set up a habitat for them and then waited. Sure enough they hatched not long after into...
Predatory Bugs – Young
Q: I am not sure that you are the person who can help me with identifying these ants but I thought I would at least start with you. We noticed the colony on our rain gauge on our deck yesterday....
Hornet – Small Nest
Q: Attached are photos of what we believe to be the start of a hornet’s nest on the side of our home. How do we get rid of it? Unfortunately, all of us have pretty severe allergies so these guys...
Ant – Boric Acid/Peanut Butter Bait
Q: What is the recipe for the ant bait which contains boric acid and peanut butter? A: You can make your own ant bait by mixing 4 tablespoons of peanut butter, 6 tablespoons honey and three-fourths teaspoon boric acid. Place...
Wasp – Digger
Q: July, 1999 – I have seen dozens of yellow insects hovering over my lawn in a big swarm. Are they yellow jackets? A: The insects are probably golden digger wasps. These are solitary wasps; they don’t build the hanging...
Sabal Palmetto Scale – Control
Q: I have scale insects on my sabal palm trees. I have tried spraying insecticide on them but I wonder if you could give me any more tips? A: Sabal palms, which are more correctly called sabal palmettoes, are well...
