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Reduce insect conflicts with a naturalistic approach

September 3, 2026

While enjoying the outdoors, we often come into contact with insects, for better or worse. From buzzing mosquitoes to wasps interrupting outdoor meals, these encounters often lead people to think about control or elimination.Yet, insects play critical roles in our environment, from pollination and...

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EDDMaPs: reporting, managing, and researching invasives

Community reported data helps EDDMapS inform and drive invasive species management

April 2, 2026

Everyday Environment

EDDMapS, formerly known as The Bugwood Network, was launched 20 years ago by the University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health to provide an aggregated source of invasive plant distribution data and information in...

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Cantankerous cavities

September 13, 2023

Everyday Environment

Most cavities in a tree are caused by some type of living organism, either an animal or a pathogen of some sort. Some cavities will only be found in dead trees or a portion of a live tree with dead wood. Other cavities can be in otherwise completely healthy trees. Let’s take a look at some of the...

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

Asian lady beetles move indoors for winter

January 7, 2022

Everyday Environment

When I put my blog choice in for ladybugs versus lady beetles, I thought it was going to be an easy write-up. A piece about our native ladybugs and the seemingly invasive biological control animal I like to call the Terminator Lady Beetles. It would be a good guy versus bad guy story. Ladybugs,...

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A personal run-in with the invasive gypsy moth

August 24, 2021

Everyday Environment

My family and I recently traveled out of state to drop my oldest daughter off at a summer college program. We were taking this opportunity to do some camping and exploring of the public lands in the upper Midwest. As we traveled down a forest-lined highway en route to our planned...

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Green insect emerging from it's brown shell

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

April 30, 2021

Everyday Environment

The cicadas are coming! In May 2021, Periodical Cicada Brood X (Brood 10) also known as the Great Eastern Brood is expected to emerge in four eastern Illinois counties - Vermilion, Edgar, Clark, and Crawford. But the broods that will affect most of Illinois are yet to come....

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Blog Keywords

Insect Pests Blogs

Reduce insect conflicts with a naturalistic approach

Community reported data helps EDDMapS inform and drive invasive species management

Cantankerous cavities

Asian lady beetles move indoors for winter

A personal run-in with the invasive gypsy moth

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