By, the Old Guy with the Pony Tail Lawn insects come in many shapes and sizes but basically, they either feed on the grass stems or the roots. Knowing who you are dealing with is critical in effective control. There are different products and different timings recommended for different insects. There are both preventative and curative products currently available.
Are you looking for a natural way to control pests and diseases in your garden? Consider planting flowers to repel unwanted pests away without using chemicals. These flowers use their fragrance, colors, or oils to keep bugs away from your crops. If you are new to companion planting, you need to identify flowers that will benefit your garden. These insect-repelling flowers tend to be hardy and have large, bright booms. You can count on them to get rid of insects such as aphids and mosquitos.
Invasive species are a serious problem impacting rural and urban landscapes throughout the country. Whether it’s iguanas in South Florida or Japanese green crabs on Cape Cod, invasive species wreak havoc on local ecosystems. They can effectively compete with, crowd, out, or kill native species changing habitats forever. On the East Coast, the spotted lanternfly is an invasive species that is again making headlines. New Jersey and Pennsylvania have placed dozens of counties (34 in Pennsylvania, 13 in New Jersey) under agricultural quarantine due to infestation. As of 2021, these invasive pests have also been spotted in Vermont, Rhode Island, New York, Virginia, Ohio, and as far west as Indiana.
The spotted lanternfly originally came to the U.S. from their native China, although it is not known exactly how they accomplished this. In any case, they first appeared in Pennsylvania in the year 2014, and have since made their way to six other states, including New York and New Jersey. They are considered to be a serious pest, because they feed on the sap of trees, often weakening them, and in some cases causing them to die completely. There is cause for concern now that the spotted lanternfly has become established in this country because after being introduced in Korea in 2006, the spotted lanternfly became an extremely invasive species which caused extensive damage in that country. They can impact a
The average lifespan of a Japanese beetle is only about four to six weeks, but as any gardener supply store could tell you, that’s enough time for them to make meal out of your garden. But that doesn’t mean you’re powerless against these pests. Peak Japanese beetle season is underway, so let’s take a look at some pest control methods you can use to keep them away from your plants.
You love the plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables growing in your garden. So do bugs. And while some insect varieties can be beneficial to your backyard plant life, a lot of them can cause some serious damage. Before you reach for the inspect spray, New Jersey gardeners, consider these pest control tips for keeping bugs away from your plants.
Here’s an anniversary that’s not exactly worth celebrating: 2016 marks 100 years since the Japanese beetle was first discovered in America. From the Reading Eagle newspaper, July 22, 1923: “Seven years ago, concealed in imported azalea roots, an unsuspected grub entered this country from Japan. The destination of the roots was Burlington County, New Jersey. They got there and the grub came with them. It burrowed in the ground and hatched the Japanese beetle that already has done much damage and threatens to do much more.” A century later, the Japanese beetle is still a major gardening headache. As the newspaper account put it, “whatever green thing that comes in its way is grist for its insatiable devouring mill.”
Ah, the Japanese beetle. Nasty little buggers, aren’t they? If you grew up in the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic or just about anywhere along the East Coast of the United States, you probably still have early-summer memories of capturing dozens of the copper-and-green bugs in your backyard with slippery Japanese beetle traps. As an adult with a yard full of lovely foliage, though, or perhaps a backyard garden or a rose bush, these miniature Asian invaders aren’t quite as much fun. Where Do Japanese Beetles Come From? The bugs are believed to have first escaped Japan and entered the U.S. in 1916. It’s thought that they stowed away in a shipment of Japanese flowers. Because of natural predators that are still present in
