Insects : article
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The mouth of a termite might be small, but an infestation can take a big bite out of a home if left undetected.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – If you have the sniffles or a bad infection, a visit to your doctor can usually put things right. Plants can get sick too and the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic is where you can turn for help.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missourians need not worry about insects dubbed “murder hornets” in social media, says University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice.He hopes to put a halt to hysteria about the Asian giant hornet.
INDEPENDENCE, Mo. – Patience and a bucket of soapy water are your best friends when fending off Japanese beetles in the garden, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist Tamra Reall.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Several types of caterpillars damage tomato plants in Missouri, but the tomato hornworm and the tobacco hornworm usually get the most attention because of the prominent horn on the last segment of their bodies.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The invasive emerald ash borer may eliminate the ash tree from North America. In Missouri, EAB is present in 89 counties and the city of St. Louis.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – To some, “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” isn’t just a quaint good-night wish. Bedbugs are a nightmare for people in the hospitality and housing industries, says Sam Polly, coordinator of University of Missouri Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - Cucurbitaceae is one of the most cultivated plant families in the world. From this family come watermelon, cantaloupe, casaba, honeydew, muskmelon, cucumber, summer and winter squash, and pumpkins, to name a few.
CARROLLTON, Mo. – Some things just go together like biscuits and gravy or peanut butter and jelly.
Likewise, plants have companions that produce best when planted side by side, says Kathi Mecham, a University of Missouri Extension horticulture specialist in Carroll County.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – A flurry of calls and emails from homeowners about the brown marmorated stink bug to University of Missouri Extension specialists sounds a warning of what is to come in in the next two years.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension horticulturists ask the public not to plant unsolicited seeds received in the mail.
MU Extension horticulturist Kelly McGowan says she has had recent reports from Springfield-area residents who have been mailed seeds they did not order.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension field horticulture specialist Tamra Reall answers questions that are “bugging” youngsters.
Mama mosquitoes
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Snow days and winter holidays give parents and child care workers openings to teach kids about the wonders of nature.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Your Christmas tree may have extra gifts on it instead of under it.
“Some trees come with a bonus gift from nature – praying mantises,” says Tamra Reall, University of Missouri Extension specialist in horticulture.
COLUMBIA, Mo. - They're here: Emerald ash borers, which have killed tens of millions of ash trees in eight states, are now in Missouri. On July 23, USDA scientists discovered seven of the insects in traps in Wayne County in southeast Missouri.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Japanese beetle populations are peaking throughout the state just as corn is silking, says University of Missouri Extension field crops entomologist Kevin Rice.Japanese beetles cause severe economic losses on farms and disappointment in home gardens.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri farmers who bought hay from parts of the southern U.S. may have accidentally brought along a nasty visitor.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Those unsightly round, brown growths seen on oaks this time of year won’t harm the tree, says a University of Missouri Extension fruit specialist.
The University of Missouri’s Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to strengthen its reach to diverse clientele with sustainable pest management practices.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – In response to the tremendous interest in home food production, University of Missouri Extension now offers a free online course in basic vegetable gardening.
COLUMBIA, Mo. –During August, homeowners may notice signs of grubs, an unwelcome annual visitor to healthy, green lawns.“The earliest symptoms of white grubs feeding on turf grass roots are wilted patches,” said Brad Fresenburg, University of Missouri Extension turf researcher.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As temperatures rise, humans and animals become meal tickets for ticks.
Heartland disease, an emerging infectious disease first found in northwestern Missouri in 2009, is another reason to take precautions against ticks, says University of Missouri horticulture specialist and…
ST. PETERS, Mo. – A high tunnel workshop will be held 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24, at the University of Missouri Extension Center in St. Charles County, 260 Brown Road, St. Peters.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – An exotic pest that hitchhikes on train cars, trucks and boats could suck the life out Missouri crops.
The spotted lanternfly is a threat to Missouri’s wine industry, hitchhiking on vehicles and posing risks to grape production and tourism.
COLUMBIA, Mo.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Dry soil conditions can significantly reduce the life span of valuable landscape trees.“Because they are difficult and expensive to replace, your trees need attention during and after periods of drought,” says University of Missouri Extension state forestry specialist Hank Stelzer.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Flying monkeys, creepy crawlies and monsters under the bed need to make way for the Joro spider.
But Missouri arachnophobes can rest easy for a bit, says University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff. Introduced to the United States a decade ago, the Joro spider…
Learn how to prevent and manage bedbug infestations with practical tips for detection, treatment, and long-term control strategies.
The cicada symphony may be coming to an end, but the effects of the performers are becoming apparent. Calls and emails are beginning to come into University of Missouri Extension offices from homeowners reporting the ends of many tree branches are turning brown and dropping off.
HILLSBORO, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension in Jefferson County will hold Master Gardener classes Monday evenings at Jefferson College’s Hillsboro campus.
Weekly classes will be 6:30-9:30 p.m., Feb. 26 to May 7, said MU Extension horticulturist Debi Kelly.
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - With summer rain come mosquitoes, and with mosquitoes come not just itchy bites but the risk of diseases such as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, malaria, Zika virus and yellow fever, among others, says University of Missouri Extension horticulturist and entomologist…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri farmers have a new tool to alert them to insects, crop diseases and other important information from University of Missouri Extension specialists.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Extension horticulturists are asking the public to report unsolicited seed deliveries.
CLARK, Mo. – On Friday mornings at the Clark Produce Auction, University of Missouri Extension agronomist Dhruba Dhakal sets up a table, plant posters and an MU Extension sign.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Like humans, plants can get sick and need someone to diagnose their illnesses, says Peng Tian, the new lab director of the University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic.
PALMYRA, Mo. – “The genie’s out of the bottle” on the spotted lanternfly, University of Missouri Extension entomologist Kevin Rice told farmers Feb. 8 at the second annual NEMO Soils and Crop Conference in Palmyra.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – While not yet detected in Missouri, spotted lanternfly remains a concern for vineyards, certain trees and specialty crops as it continues to spread west.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ben Franklin’s adage of “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” could be gardeners’ theme song for November.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Just like surgeons and dentists, gardeners sho
2024 has not been an ideal year for thrips management due to the consistent overcast during the daytime hours. This restricts thrips movement, and in hand can increase injury. Hot and sunny conditions are ideal not because thrips are more active, but because cotton and growth development occur more…
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Officials urge residents to report unsolicited packages of seeds delivered from foreign countries. Unknown seeds could introduce noxious weeds, pests, diseases and viruses.
COLUMBIA, Mo.– Just like surgeons and dentists, gardeners sho
COLUMBIA, Mo. – You want folks to “ooh” and “aah” when they see your holiday decorations, not “eww” and “ugh!”
COLUMBIA, Mo. – You aren’t the only one getting cozy for fall. While you are pulling out the flannels, insects are looking for a place to be snug as a bug in a rug for the winter.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Brown marmorated stink bugs are hunting homes for the winter.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Valentine’s Day isn’t just for humans, says University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff. Missouri insects need and deserve love, too.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Missouri’s black walnut trees could be in trouble if thousand cankers disease (TCD) moves in from bordering Tennessee.
TCD is a serious threat to one of the state’s most valuable hardwood species, says Hank Stelzer, University of Missouri Extension state forestry specialist.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – For Halloween, University of Missouri Extension urban entomologist Emily Althoff celebrates the creepy qualities of some insects and fungi.