Recent News

Honey Bees in the News

There has been a great deal of press and publicity about honey bees lately.

Control of Broadleaf Weeds in the Lawn

 A well maintained lawn is an important component of an attractive home landscape.  Unfortunately, dandelion, plantain, and other perennial broadleaf weeds can become problems.  When

New Xerces Society Report

BEYOND THE BIRDS AND THE BEES:  The Effects of Neonicotinoid Insecticides on Agriculturally Important Beneficial Invertebrates is a new report from the

Reflections on a Monarch Butterfly

 I was recently releasing a monarch butterfly that I had reared from a caterpillar when I was struck with the realization that I may be witnessing the end of something.  Last winter the m

ISU Extension and Outreach News Releases

Revised Emerald Ash Borer Management Options Now Available

Cicada Emergence in Pictures

Below is a series of photos taken by one of the luckiest and most observant guys I know.

New Pesticide Labels to Better Protect Pollinators

From U.S. Environmental Protection Agency press release, August 15, 2013:

Singing Insects of Summer

Spotted Wing Drosophila Getting Worse

The spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii, named for the spot in the outer edge of the male's wing, is present in Iowa, though the extent is not known.  Nearby states to t

Stilt Bugs in the Garden

I love watching insects in my garden.  I grow plants just to feed the bugs and I have a new favorite plant this year!  I had no idea what the plant was, but my colleague Richard Jauron is

Brown Recluse Spider in Iowa

 A recent review of reports of brown recluse spider specimens in Iowa confirms what we have said for some time:  brown recluse spiders are rare in Iowa but MIGHT be found in the southern

Lawn and Garden Molds and Fungi

 Cool and wet conditions this spring have generated a bumper crop of fungi and molds in Iowa lawns and gardens.  Stinkhorns, slime molds and bird's nest fungi are just some of the strange

Sowbugs in the Landscape and Garden

Borers in Declining Ash Trees

 Ash trees decline for a variety of reasons, and not just because of the emerald ash borer.

Black Vine Weevils Appear Again

One of the many "curiosity" insects in Iowa is the black vine weevil.  To be sure, this is a rare insect in Iowa and one that most Iowans will never get to see.  Part of the f

Are Ticks Worse This Year?

While everyone has an opinion about "how bad" the ticks are in any given, the bottom line is there is no state-wide survey or census to measure tick abundance.

Guidelines for Selecting Trees - Revised

ISU Extension and Outreach publication RG 702 has been revised and re-released with updated information on tree and planting site selection.  Learn more by downloading the pamphlet from the ISU Extension Online Store.

Growing Strawberries in the Home Garden - Revised

ISU Extension and Outreach publication # PM0717 has been revised and re-released with updated information on cultivars, planting options, mulching, disease and insect control, harvesting, and winte

Planting Raspberries in the Home Garden

Planting Strawberries