Articles listed under “pest”
Black blister beetle — May 13, 2008
The black blister beetle comes by its name honestly – if you touch it, you can get blisters on your skin.
Boxwood psyllid — May 6, 2008
The boxwood psyllid is a small sucking insect that attacks tender young boxwood foliage as it emerges in spring.
Shepherd’s purse — April 29, 2008
You might be familiar with this annual weed’s triangular, “purseshaped” seed pods that follow its tiny white flowers in winter, spring or summer.
Lambsquarters — April 22, 2008
This annual weed can grow up to 5 ft. tall if you let it. The stems are grooved with red-pink spots where the leaves attach.
Tarnished plant bug — April 15, 2008
Medium brown and about ¼ inch long, tarnished plant bugs don’t look like garden menaces, but they are.
Hemlock wooly adelgids — April 8, 2008
Hemlock woolly adelgids are relatively easy to identify because they’re woolly. You will find wooly adelgids on the undersides of hemlock needles and twigs.
Multiflora rose — April 1, 2008
Multiflora rose has many characteristics of ornamental roses, but this plant is an aggressive shrub with wicked hooked thorns.
Radish root maggot — March 25, 2008
The radish root maggot can be a particularly rude pest in the vegetable garden. These pale larvae tunnel through the root flesh of many root crops including radish, turnip and other members of the mustard family.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker — March 18, 2008
You may have seen this bird in your yard, but you are more likely to have seen its work. The yellow-bellied sapsucker drills tidy rows of ¼-inch holes in tree trunks to feed on the sap.
Mealybugs — February 5, 2008
Mealybugs are common pests of house plants and greenhouse crops. They will feed on a wide range of species.
Gypsy moth — January 15, 2008
Gypsy moth is a major pest in the Eastern United States and Canada, but it is moving west.
Stinkhorn fungus — January 8, 2008
It might look like an alien life form, but it’s just a stinkhorn fungus, either an elegant stinkhorn (Mutinus elegans) or a dog stinkhorn (Mutinus caninus).
Crabgrass — January 1, 2008
Like all annual weeds, crabgrass sprouts in spring, matures, sets seed and dies the same year.
Boxelder bug — December 25, 2007
Chances are, you’ve noticed a swarm of these black-and-red insects loitering in sunny spots as the weather turns cool. And you’ve probably even hosted them in your home in fall and winter.
Wild violet — December 18, 2007
Their dainty flowers may be welcome in spring. But roots that won’t quit and a habit of reseeding qualify wild violets as weeds in most gardens.
Black knot fungus — December 11, 2007
When the leaves are off the trees, these grotesque, black swellings are easy to spot.
Oystershell scale — December 4, 2007
If you think shellfish are growing on the branches and trunks of your woody shrubs and trees, you’re not seeing things.
Wild mustard — November 27, 2007
Also known as charlock, wild mustard is found almost everywhere in the United States and Canada.
Fireblight — November 20, 2007
This aptly named infectious disease makes a tree look scorched, with leaves and stems withered to brown or black.
Horsenettle — November 13, 2007
If you try to pull this perennial, you’ll quickly discover its prickly stems and leaves.
Water hemlock — October 30, 2007
At a glance, the foliage resembles the herbs chervil, coriander and parsley.
Pineappleweed — October 23, 2007
It’s almost a shame to call this a weed, except that it doesn’t respect the boundaries of your garden. At 6 to 18 in. tall, this annual weed has finely divided leaves that smell like pineapple when they’re bruised.
Dodder — October 16, 2007
Dodder is a parasite with suckerlike roots that penetrate into another plant’s stem to gather nutrients and water.
Crown gall — October 9, 2007
A good word to describe crown gall on roses and other ornamental plants is “yuck.” The lumpy growths around the base of the plant are unattractive, to say the least.
Leafy spurge — October 2, 2007
Although this perennial weed grows only 3 to 4 ft. high, its roots may spread up to 14 ft. below ground.
Yellow jacket — September 25, 2007
Ever been buzzed by one of these aggressive insects? Yellow jackets feed on meats and sugars, which makes summer picnics very attractive to them.
Fall webworm — September 4, 2007
In late summer and fall, have you seen webs full of hairy caterpillars on the ends of tree branches? Those are fall webworms, the larvae of a white or speckled moth.
Pink snow mold — August 28, 2007
Ever notice a pink slime on your lawn in spring? It might be snow mold. This fungus attacks grass at temperatures between 40 and 60 degrees.
Video: Wise weeding — August 14, 2007
Weeds! If you garden, they’re inevitable. And pulling them is one of those tasks many folks dislike.
Spittlebugs — August 14, 2007
Spittlebugs, or froghoppers, are easily identified by the frothy, white foam that protects them from predators. They hatch in midspring and remain hidden for six to seven weeks.
