Recent News

Clover mites and millipedes are both active now and may enter homes as "accidental invaders." A detailed explanation of these migrators was given in last year's newsletter on April 24, 1991, pages 61 and 62.

Clover mites and millipedes can only be

Recently I have been receiving quite a few identification/control samples of moss from homeowners' lawns. This plant is rather easy to identify because it forms a green mat on the soil surface.

Tree roots serve a variety of functions for the tree. Roots absorb and transfer moisture and minerals as well as provide support for the above ground portion. There are two basic types of roots, woody and nonwoody.

Are you looking for something different to try in your garden this year? Why not plant some edible flowers? Edible flowers aren't a new idea. Their history dates back to the Roman era.

The following information comes from the Iowa Department of Public Health and is adapted from the State of Iowa Disease Bulletin, Volume XVI, Number 1, February, 1992. Readers desiring additional information are encouraged to contact Dr.

For seven years we have asked for your help in our ten-year survey of morels and false morels in Iowa.

The results of an EPA-contracted national survey on home and garden pesticide use are scheduled to be released soon.

The choice of what garden tool to use depends upon the job. Always buy the best tool you can afford and don't buy what you don't need. It is an excellent idea to do some comparison shopping before purchasing.

Centipedes are common arthropods with long, flattened, segmented bodies with one pair of legs per segment. The house centipede is up to 1 1/2 inches long and has 15 pairs of very long, slender legs. Each leg is encircled by dark and white bands.

Right now is the time to apply preventive borer sprays if you have an infested white birch tree that you are trying to protect from demise by the bronze birch borer.

The frequent rains this spring have created ideal conditions for the development of apple scab on crabapples. Apple scab is a serious problem on susceptible crabapple varieties.

The rainy weather this spring has delayed the planting of field crops across much of the state. The heavy rainfall has also interfered with the plans of many home gardeners.

Small fruits, such as strawberries and raspberries, are highly perishable. Harvesting the fruits at the right stage of maturity and proper storage are vital to insure high quality.

Our two major pests of pine trees should be controlled now if population densities warrant treatment. European Pine Sawfly larvae will become more noticeable as they rapidly approach their 1-inch length.