Resources for landscapes and gardens in the Midwest
Landscape Report
Entomology
Join us at the Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day on July 26th! The Purdue Turf and Landscape Field Day is an annual one-day event with the objective of providing professional turf and landscape managers exposure and educational opportunities with the latest research and technical resources. The Field Day features research tours, talks on current[Read More…]
Trees need to be tough to survive the abuse we put them through in cities. Often planted parking lots and on streets, they are stressed by drought in the summer and de-icing salts in the winter. Honeylocust trees are a great choice for cities because in addition to their pleasing shape and fall color, they[Read More…]
Key Features Round, brown beetle Chewed leaves and flowers Chewed roots Symptoms Leaf margins are chewed by adult beetles. Leaves are stripped and left in a ragged appearance after adult feeding which is much different than the skeletonization caused by Japanese beetle feeding. Adults are about the size of Japanese beetles. Larvae are c-shaped grubs[Read More…]
Japanese maple scales (JMS) attack a wide variety of trees and shrubs. They are common on dogwood, elms, flowering fruit trees, maples, magnolias, lilac and roses. Heavy infestations can kill tree branches. Unlike the closely related soft scales, these insects will be dry and not coated with sticky liquid excrement. All stages of this scale[Read More…]
Key Information: Insects rarely get transported inside on decorations. DO NOT treat your decorations with insecticide. This is potentially dangerous to your family and pets. Don’t worry. Most of the insects that hitch a ride on decorations are harmless. A surprise, six-legged guest is the last thing most people want to deal with during[Read More…]
Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) is a Midwest native and is generally well adapted to growth across much of the region, but we get questions about dieback or ‘flagging’ on it fairly regularly. The two most common causes of twig dieback on this host are Kermes scale (Allokermes galliformis and A. kingii) and fungal canker/dieback[Read More…]
Now that fall has arrived many people have begun collecting next year’s firewood and clearing their yards of brush and downed trees. This can be a great way to both tidy up your property and save some money but there are a few pitfalls to avoid. Already dead trees or dropped limbs can make easy[Read More…]
Wandering fall caterpillars promise the presence of pollinators, bird food, and flashes of fluttering color in your yard next spring, but overly enthusiastic yard cleanup can make you lose out on these benefits. These insects can provide your spring plants with pollination and migratory birds with a snack. You can help them by changing the[Read More…]
The entire Midwest just experienced one the worst fall armyworm (Fig. 1) outbreaks in decades, but for turfgrass professionals and enthusiasts, it’s not over yet. These seasonal, but sporadic insects made their appearance at the end of August, decimating lawns and other managed turfgrass. But, now that the damage is done, our focus shifts from[Read More…]
Bright yellow or orange aphids covering a milkweed plant may look shocking, but they usually aren’t a cause for concern. These aphids become more noticeable in late summer or when plants are stressed. Some may find them unsightly, but, for the most part, they cause little to no harm to plants or beneficial insects on[Read More…]
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