Are they “lightning bugs”? Or do you prefer “fireflies”? Either way, these living, glowing little lamps are an inimitable sign that summer is truly in full swing.LifecycleThere are more than 20 species of lightning bugs in Illinois, all within the family Lampyridae. Like all beetles, they have a “...

At its core, composting is recycling organic matter into nutrient-rich soil.  Plants and other vegetative matter are broken down by decomposers such as insects, worms, fungi, and bacteria, making the nutrients they contain available to other growing things.  It also helps to improve the...

Approximately 35% of our food crops depend on pollinators to produce what we like to eat, according to the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Everyone knows that honeybees are excellent pollinators, but they’re not the only ones visiting our flowers. While honeybees were imported from...

This time of year, garden insects are often a topic of questions or discussion. Plants and pests have grown up alongside each other, and now there may be a little too much feeding going on for your liking. It is also about now that the natural insect predators show up to take care of the damaging...