Insects and Pests

  • Pollinators are a vital part of a balanced ecosystem and critical to the well-being of humans. There are over 100,000 different varieties of insects and over 1,000 other species that serve as pollinators. These species are essential for the reproduction of over 225,000 different flowering plant species, including over 150 food crops. The annual value…

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  • I love the spring and early summer in Georgia—as the days get longer and temperatures get warmer, I spend more and more time outside, whether just hanging out on the screen porch, working on landscaping projects, riding my horse, or hanging out at the boat ramp. This time of year though, I always get the…

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  • Did you know that your local Extension office can help with the identification of and treatment for common pests? Recently we have had an influx of insect-related questions, so this week, I’d like to share some information about proactive household pest management with you.Insects compose more than 75% of all known animal species and come…

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  • About two years ago, I wrote an article on a new pest we were seeing in Northeast Georgia named Trichonephila clavata: The East Asian Joro Spider. Since then, UGA and other organizations have invested a lot of time, energy, and research into better understanding this new pest as they have continued to spread and multiply.…

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  • Each year, I get a number of calls asking for identification of common garden insects. Unwelcome pests reduce yields and lower the quality of harvested fruits and vegetables. Insects may cause damage through boring, sucking, or chewing plant parts such as roots, foliage, or fruits and vegetables themselves. In addition to plant damage, insects are…

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  • This week, I had a client send me a photo of their yard. There were 5-10 holes in the lawn characterized by large crescents of dirt around the entrances. While we’ve talked about some other digging pests in the past such as armadillos, this damage was most likely done by Geomys pinetis, better known as…

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  • By: Robyn Stewart A new spider species has begun to make its way into Northeast Georgia, and you may have seen one yourself this fall. I know that I had one of these arachnids take up residence at my house near my water hose and stay there until we got colder weather. The culprit? Nephila…

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  • I had a client come in last week who has been having issues with extensive root damage on the plants in her gardens. The culprit? Nematodes. Nematodes are microscopic parasitic worms that live in the soil and can have a huge impact on plant growth and development. Georgia is one of the top 4 producers…

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  • Robyn Stewart                When I was growing up, my mother had a variety of rose bushes planted in our houses’ landscape. Most years, I would play in the yard and watch these metallic green and copper beetles in the roses and on the leaves of the rose bushes. These beetles, called Japanese beetles (popillia japonica) are…

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  • Robyn Stewart Did you know that Georgia is the #1 state for pecan production in the United States? Typically, pecan harvest occurs between October and November for commercial orchards, but homeowners can often harvest year-round. Pecans are a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, as well as fiber—they make a good addition to any…

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