University of Illinois Extension

Blog Posts (129)

Why are there bugs in my firewood? Identifying and managing firewood insects

Why are there bugs in my firewood? Identifying and managing firewood insects. A stack of firewood on the ground covered in a dusting of snow.

Massive fruit, myths, and mastodons: the Osage orange

Massive fruit, myths, and mastodons: the Osage orange fruit of Osage orange in metal bucket

Providing winter hospitality to wildlife

What praying mantid have I found? Identifying praying mantids in Illinois

What praying mantid have I found? Identifying praying mantids in Illinois. Closeup photo of a female Carolina mantid on a tree

Methods for identifying plants is a great learning experience

Wheel bugs: good bugs with a painful bite

Wheel bugs: good bugs with a painful bite. Adult wheel bug climbing from a yellow flower to a brown flower.

Conservation Status of the Monarch Butterfly

Insects on the move – dragonfly migration

Insects on the move: dragonfly migration. An adult male common green darner flying.

Clearing up the science on Monarch butterflies

multiple monarch butterflies on a flower

Protect your future soybean yield by season-long scouting

Managing spider mites in the garden and at home

Managing spider mites in the garden and at home. Dahlia leaves covered in white webbing and red-orange spider mites.

A New Invasive Insect May Threaten Illinois

spotted lanternfly

Support the Monarchs-Plant Native Milkweeds

butterflyweed with orange flowers and green leaves

Managing squash vine borer in the garden

Managing squash vine borer in the garden. Colorful adult vine borer moth laying egg on squash stem

Sparks in the night: Fireflies and tips on conserving them

Sparks in the night: Fireflies and tips on conserving them. Fireflies flashing at dusk in a field

Bee on the lookout for native bees this summer

Bee on the lookout for native bees. Native bee on an orange and red flower.

What to do when your mole hills have turned into mountains

hills of soil in lawn

More Seasonal FAQs from the Master Gardener Help Desks

Using Phenology for Ornamental Pest Control

Sick tree

Native wildflowers support pollinators but may be declining at the state-level

Bluebells

Delay garden spring cleanup, encourage native insects

A plant stem is broke in half revealing the open cavity in the stem.

Planning spray schedules for fruit trees

Baldfaced Hornet: Dangerous bug or beneficial insect?

baldfaced hornets entering and leaving their nest

Take care of nuisance pests around the house

Address and prevent winter pantry pests

Houseplant pests and how to manage them

Houseplant pests and how to manage them. Grouping of green houseplants in pots in a home

Invasive species hitchhike on firewood

stacked firewood

Asian lady beetles move indoors for winter

two red insects, a lady bug and a lady beetle.

Dealing with rabbit damage outdoors and mice indoors

Common questions answered as we transition to winter

Breeding elms to combat Dutch elm disease

A mature American elm at Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL

The best monster movies get their ideas from nature

chinese mantid

Gardening in comfort

A Strange Looking Insect - Wheel Bug

Wheel Bug

Where did all these insects come from?

lady beetle on window sill

Whitefly everywhere!

Armyworms move farther north and cause issues with lawns in Central Illinois

Fall armyworms in hand

Fall armyworm numbers highest in 30 years in Illinois

Fall armyworm feeding on ear of corn

Identifying and dealing with yellowjackets

A personal run-in with the invasive gypsy moth

adult gypsy moth on hand

Aster Yellows on Coneflower

This purple coneflower is infected with aster yellows, which produce odd and deformed flowers that can actually be interestingly attractive at times, but must be controlled to limit infection of other susceptible species in the landscape.

Aphids on Milkweed

Common milkweed in bloom

3 things you never knew about hover flies

Hover fly and larvae photos

More than monarchs - What are those bugs on my milkweed?

More than monarchs - What are those bugs on my milkweed? milkweed bugs on seed pod of butterfly milkweed.

What could be killing my squash plants?

squash vine borer feeding on vine

Nature’s balance can be helpful to gardeners

lady beetles eating aphids on a plant

Not all bugs are bad: Good bugs in the garden

Not all bugs are bad: Good bugs in the Garden. Parasitoid was and syrphid fly larva in an aphid colony

Tick prevention and removal

Tick photo and tick bite prevention graphic

Cicada Killer wasps in search of cicadas, not humans

Get to know plant galls

Garden tasks to help get your landscape through the summer

Garden tasks to help get your landscape through the summer. vegetable and flower garden with mulch path in-between.

Adding more blooms to your garden invites more birds

humming bird feeding from zinnias

Monarch butterflies facing a crisis

Monarch Caterpillar and Butterfly

Wild columbine attracts both beneficial pollinators and non-native pests

Wild columbine is in bloom this week across central Illinois

Herb of the Year: Parsley

Grow herb gardens for more than the kitchen

Flowering herbs provide ornamental beauty to the edge of this pollinator garden

17-Year Cicadas of Brood X

This year, periodical cicadas in Brood X will emerge across Indiana and a small, 4-county area of central Illinois.

Buffalo gnats and how to avoid being bitten

Buffalo gnats and how to avoid being bitten. buffalo gnat on ground.

Invasive jumping worms are spreading through Illinois

jumping worm

Brown marmorated stink bug a nuisance to homeowners

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Invasive Asian longhorned beetle threatens forests

black beetle on cut surface of wood with holes in it

Spotted lanternfly: A new invasive insect to be aware of

Spotted lanternfly: a new invasive insect to be aware of

The rise and fall of the invasive gypsy moth in Illinois

gypsy moth caterpillars and a female white moth with fuzzy brown egg mass

Some lesser known invasive insects to protect yourself and your plants from

Some lesser-known invasive insects. spotted wing drosophila

Periodical cicadas emerge in 2021 but the best is yet to come

Green insect emerging from it's brown shell

The impact of emerald ash borer

The impact of emerald ash borer. Dying ash trees with thinning canopies.

The top four spring-flowering trees to plant

Redbud is a fantastic spring-flowering tree offering the best floral display of any Illinois native tree.

Forsythia in Spring

Forsythia is currently blooming across central Illinois with clusters of bright yellow flowers creating a dramatic display.

Protect apple foliage and fruit with a spray schedule

close up of red apples on a tree

Don’t lose your crabapple and apple foliage

apple blossoms

Have outdoor insects survived the cold and snow?

snow-covered plant debris

How to create butterfly habitat in your garden

Gray hairstreak butterfly (Strymon melinus) feeding on a Coreopsis flower. Flower has bright yellow petals with a dark red center

How to handle household pests

Box Elder bugs on wood siding

Spring Garden Cleanup

Standing dead stems are important overwintering habitat that should not be removed from the garden until insects emerge later in spring.

Manage pests and disease in home orchards

Get a gardening fix this winter with houseplant care

Unwanted Winter Houseguests

The brown marmorated stink bug is an increasingly detrimental pest on wide range of agricultural crops that commonly seeks shelter in our homes over winter. Photo credit – Kelly Allsup, Illinois Extension

Stop signs for home landscaping

sphynx moth

Fall finds: praying mantis egg cases

the foamy-looking egg case of a chinese mantis clings to a cluster of twigs

Insects inside the home this fall

Ants and the Partridge Pea

Hackberry Gall

Purple Martins

Emerald Ash Borer and Other Species Eliminating Pests or Pathogens

Spotted Wing Drosophila

spotted wing drosophila

Organic Pest Control

Cabbageworms

Winter Impacts to Insects

Asian Lady Beetles

Bacterial Leaf Scorch Infecting Illinois Oaks

This pin oak tree tested positive for bacterial leaf scorch and displays the most distinctive symptoms characterized by brown leaf margins, a colorful band and green tissue along leaf veins.

It's big, but it's not a murder hornet: How to identify large wasps

picture of a European hornet on a leaf, a cicada killer on a leaf, and a baldfaced hornet on flowers

How plants and pests begin preparing for fall

Cover Crops for Home Gardening

This bumble bee dangles from a flower of crimson clover, which is an attractive and valuable soil-building cover crop that can be easily hand-seeded into vegetable garden beds.

Late summer questions to the Master Gardeners

At-Home Science for Kids: Raising butterflies and more!

monarch butterfly resting on a finger

Hornworm caterpillars on tomatoes

a large tobacco hornworm feeding on a tomato leaf

Tomato Care

Tomatoes are one of the most planted garden crops in the US, with several common problems here in central Illinois that can be managed through fairly simple cultural practices.

The gall of insects (tree bumps and lumps)

Virtual Field Days Coming to a Screen Near You

mobile phone screen with an image of a corn and soybean field and a person in the field saying "hello"

Top 5 early summer topics for gardeners

Japanese Beetle Emergence

Japanese beetles emerge each June to feed on a variety of host plants, like this rose.

Controlling Spotted-Wing Drosophila

Ladybug, Ladybug

a pink spotted lady beetle on a strawberry flower

My Mole Hills have Turned into Mountains

mole peeking head out of soil

Home Horticultural Remedies

Home Horticultural Remedies

Commercial Ag Webinar Series

agriculture

Trouble(s) with Cucurbits

squash bug nymphs feeding on pumpkin vines

Trouble(s) with Tomatoes

a green tobacco hornworm on a tomato stem

Jumping Worms Update

Training your Apple Tree

apples in tree

Gardening in January: Outside & Inside

plant on window ledge, snow outside window

What are Those Bugs in My Flour? – Pantry Pests

A bowl of white flour in a glass bowl on a wooden counter

Preventing Uninvited Guests (a.k.a. Pantry Pests)

Fall House Guests

Boxelder bugs congregating on the outside of a home

Enjoying the final hurrahs of a staple landscape tree

sunshine through ash tree leaves

Fall Webworms

fall webworm webbing on tree branch with caterpillars inside

Hover Flies may Look Like Bees but are Beneficial Flies

Syrphid Flies: Annoying but Helpful Impostors

Black and yellow syrphid flies feeding on rose

Galls Abound All Around

Lady Beetle Invasion

beetles dead on window sill

Scouting in the Garden

Tomato hornworms and hummingbird moths are here

Squash bugs

squash bugs

Living with Japanese Beetles

japanese beetle

Blossom End Rot

Common Tomato Diseases

tomato plant

Welcome Beneficial Guests with an Insect Hotel

Mosquito and Tick Season is Upon Us

mosquito on a human arm

Ants in the Kitchen

News Releases (41)

Bats protect young trees from insect damage, with three times fewer bugs

Can insects protect my garden ecosystem better than chemicals?

Give monarch butterflies something to munch on, plant native milkweeds

Leaves of three? Keep poison ivy out of the home landscape

Say goodbye to your tomato troubles with free master gardener event

Visit the Master Gardener Help Desk to have all your garden questions answered

Prevent the spread of invasive species in Illinois

Crop scientists explore using predator insects to eat pests in high tunnels

Give caterpillars a chance with soft landings under trees

Grub attack could be just under the surface

Fall Armyworms Invade Stephenson County

Armyworms march into Illinois' fields, lawns, gardens

They thrash about and are here for your soil

Invite good insects into the garden to battle pests

Aphid pests on the move in backyard gardens, agricultural fields

Applying herbicides in natural settings lowers costs, increases efficiency

Pesticide rollback removes hundreds of pesticides from future use

Research study focuses on predatory insects used as biological control in high tunnels

Rye cover crops attract good insects with minimal impact from pests

Cicada killer wasps in search of cicadas, not humans

Invasive earthworm species a threat to Illinois’ natural resources

Researchers call on backyard scientists to help save pollinators

Keep an eye out for invasive jumping worms in the garden

It's wild out there! Learn about nature at Master Naturalist education day

Get rid of weeds and insects at home without pesticides

Grow your green thumb this spring with free online gardening classes

Birds, bees need growers' help to keep pollinating

Preventing fruit tree diseases starts in the dormant season

It's big, but it's not a murder hornet: How to identify large wasps

Prevent oak wilt from damaging your trees

Don't get bugged; eliminate mosquito breeding habitats

Protect your plants from Japanese beetles

Cicadas begin to emerge early in cycle

Learn to manage pests and diseases in the home landscape

Get answers to pressing commercial ag questions

Familiar tale: Victims of emerald ash borer and other exotic pests

Practical community management practices for ticks and mosquitoes

Oak Pests and Diseases Workshop

Fall House Guests

Insect monitoring in soybeans: What to look for during pod fill

Extension to Host Weed and Pest Management Webinar

Staff (6)

Kacie Athey

Kacie Athey

Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist

German Cutz staff photo

German Cutz

Horticulture Educator

Christopher Enroth

Christopher Enroth

Horticulture Educator

Doug Gucker staff photo

Douglas B. Gucker

Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator

Sarah Hughson

Sarah Hughson

Extension Specialist, Entomology

Ken Johnson Staff Photo

Ken Johnson

Horticulture Educator