Learn about large black ground beetles in your home. These harmless insects wander in accidentally and can be easily removed. Discover identification tips and prevention methods.
Bob Dodds, Lee County Extension Education Director sent in a great photo of one our least-seen, common insects in Iowa: the antlion. Antlions are devious, cold-blooded killers.
It's the second half of summer and the cicadas are a-buzzing in the trees in the late afternoon. When I pointed this out to the neighbor, he said, "Oh. You mean the locusts?" "Well, yes and no." I replied. It's complicated.
While most trees and shrubs bloom in spring, summersweet clethra (Clethra alnifolia) blooms in mid to late summer. The fragrant, white flowers are borne on 2- to 6-inch-long, bottlebrush-like spikes (racemes).
Sound mowing practices are important during the summer months. Kentucky bluegrass lawns should be mowed at a height of 3 to 3.5 inches during the summer months.
The Iowa Master Gardener Program provides sound horticultural information to the citizens of Iowa through the volunteer efforts of trained Master Gardeners. Master Gardeners are residents of a community who take an active interest in horticulture.
Master Gardeners are individuals who have an interest in horticulture, have taken the Master Gardener training offered by the extension service, and share their time and expertise with other gardeners.
Spring and early summer are good times to notice the diversity of insects in Iowa and now is the time to look for and appreciate some of the giants of the class, the giant silkworm moths. Iowa does not have many truly large insects.
Raspberry plants are relatively easy to grow. They are also hardy and productive in most parts of Iowa. If given good care, a 100-foot-long row of red raspberries can produce 100 to 150 pints of fruit.
Now is the time when we should notice the silvery-gray webs of the eastern tent caterpillar on apples, crabapples, wild plum, cherry and related trees.
The attractive flowers of the weigela (Weigela florida) are a common sight in landscapes in late spring. The funnel-shaped flowers may be white, pink, red, or purple-red. The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Discover the benefits of house centipedes and how to manage their presence in your home. Learn about their harmless nature, differences from millipedes, and effective tips for controlling centipede populations.
Larger yellow ant workers are about a quarter inch in length and very yellow in color. When disturbed, larger yellow ants release a compound smells to humans very much like citronella or lemon.
Welcome to the 2008 edition of the ISU Horticulture and Home Pest Newsletter, our 22nd year of publication! As always, we welcome your comments and suggestions.
An occasional sight in late summer, especially in southern Iowa, is the accumulation of small broken twigs on the ground under oak, hickory and other shade, nut and fruit trees.
